Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 117
॥
Devanāgarī
दत्त्वा स्तुतिं पुण्यतमां ब्रह्मणे स्वस्वरूपिणे ।
कर्तृत्वं सर्वभूतानामन्तर्धाने बभूव सः
Transliteration (IAST)
dattvā stutiṁ puṇyatamāṁ brahmaṇe svasvarūpiṇe |
kartṛtvaṁ sarvabhūtānāmantardhāne babhūva saḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दत्त्वा स्तुतिम् पुण्यतमाम्dattvā stutim puṇyatamāmhaving offered the most holy praise; having presented the most sacred hymn
ब्रह्मणे स्वस्वरूपिणेbrahmaṇe svasvarūpiṇeto Brahmā, abiding in his own form; to the creator, who remains himself
कर्तृत्वम् सर्वभूतानाम्kartṛtvam sarvabhūtānāmthe agency over all beings; the creative power over every creature
अन्तर्धाने बभूव सःantardhāne babhūva saḥHe became hidden; He grew invisible
Translation
Having offered the most holy praise, and having granted Brahmā, who remained in his own form, the agency over all beings, He became hidden.
Version
6cf4e6c4b2a8 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:36:50 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The account begun at mantra 29 with the words "in the beginning there was one Nārāyaṇa" comes to its end: the Lord grants Brahmā the very thing for which he was born — "the agency over all beings", that is, creation — and vanishes.
The verb antardhāne babhūva, "became hidden", has already occurred in this book: at mantra 28 of the first part, where the Lord, having handed Brahmā the mantra, "vanished". Both manifestations end alike: the gift is given, and the Giver departs.
In this is a law of which the whole Upaniṣad speaks. A manifestation does not last at our wish; what remains is what was handed over — a mantra, a knowledge, a charge. And so what follows is done not by vision but by memory of it.
Note the phrase "abiding in his own form", sva-svarūpiṇe: Brahmā receives his charge while remaining himself; the creator is not absorbed into the Creating.
One mantra remains — a word addressed to Gāndharvī, with which this whole part began.