Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 109
॥
Devanāgarī
ओम् योऽसाविन्द्रियात्मा गोपालः
ओम् तत्सद् भूर्भुवः
स्वस्तस्मै वै नमो नमः
Transliteration (IAST)
om yo'sāvindriyātmā gopālaḥ
om tatsad bhūrbhuvaḥ
svastasmai vai namo namaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ओं यः असौoṁ yaḥ asauoṁ, He who; oṁ, the one who
इन्द्रियात्मा गोपालःindriyātmā gopālaḥis Gopāla, the soul of the senses; Gopāla, essence of the perceiving organs
ओं तत् सत्oṁ tat satoṁ, that is the truth; oṁ, that is the real
भूः भुवः स्वःbhūḥ bhuvaḥ svaḥearth, air, heaven; the three worlds
तस्मै वै नमः नमःtasmai vai namaḥ namaḥto Him obeisance and obeisance; to him precisely homage again and again
Translation
Oṁ, that Gopāla who is the soul of the senses. Oṁ, that is the truth; earth, air, heaven. To Him obeisance and obeisance.
Version
f7aa35335951 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:36:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third invocation: He is the soul of the senses.
This links directly to the argument of mantras 15–20, where it was shown that the elements and their qualities do not know the one who dwells in them, and that it is the mind that seizes objects. Now the same conclusion is uttered as an obeisance: the senses are not their own — they have a soul.
The practical consequence is great. If He is the soul of the senses, then serving with the senses is not a concession to weakness but their direct use. Hence the later definition of bhakti as service with "purified senses".
Note too another thing: one who bows to "the soul of the senses" acknowledges that even now, in uttering these words, he sees and hears by His power.
The next invocation will name Him the soul of the elements — and thereby close the survey of what our experience is made of.