Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 110
॥
Devanāgarī
ओम् योऽसौ भूतात्मा गोपालः
ओम् तत्सद् भूर्भुवः
स्वस्तस्मै वै नमो नमः
Transliteration (IAST)
om yo'sau bhūtātmā gopālaḥ
om tatsad bhūrbhuvaḥ
svastasmai vai namo namaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ओं यः असौoṁ yaḥ asauoṁ, He who; oṁ, the one who
भूतात्मा गोपालःbhūtātmā gopālaḥis Gopāla, the soul of the elements; Gopāla, essence of the elements
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 elements. Oṁ, that is the truth; earth, air, heaven. To Him obeisance and obeisance.
Version
10d88c910802 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:36:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth invocation: He is the soul of the elements, bhūtātmā.
The last three invocations have run through the whole composition of our existence: the primal matter of which everything is made; the senses by which we perceive it; and the elements of which the perceived is composed. And of all of it one soul is named.
The word bhūta means both "element" and "being"; the line is therefore also read: "the soul of all beings". Both readings will be confirmed — in mantra 113 sarva-bhūtātmā will sound outright.
This echoes the end of the second adhyāya of the Śvetāśvatara, where He was bowed to in fire, in the waters, in the herbs and the trees. The difference is that there the places were listed, and here their soul is named.
After the elements the litany will pass to what is above the composition: to "the highest Puruṣa" and "the highest Brahman".