न वाचं विजिज्ञासीत वक्तारं विद्यान्न गन्धं विजिज्ञासीत घ्रातारं विद्यान्न रूपं विजिज्ञासीत रूपविद्यं विद्यान्न शब्दं विजिज्ञासीत श्रोतारं विद्यान्नान्नरसं विजिज्ञासीतान्नरसविज्ञातारं विद्यान्न कर्म विजिज्ञासीत कर्तारं विद्यान्न सुखदुःखे विजिज्ञासीत सुखदुःखयोर्विज्ञातारं विद्यान्नानन्दं न रतिं न प्रजातिं विजिज्ञासीतानन्दस्य रतेः प्रजातेर्विज्ञातारं विद्यान्नेत्यां विजिज्ञासीतैतारं विद्यात् । न मनो विजिज्ञासीत मन्तारं विद्यात् । ता वा एता दशैव भूतमात्रा अधिप्रज्ञं दश प्रज्ञामात्रा अधिभूतं यद्धि भूतमात्रा न स्युर्न प्रज्ञामात्राः स्युर्यद्वा प्रज्ञामात्रा न स्युर्न भूतमात्राः स्युः
na vācaṃ vijijñāsīta vaktāraṃ vidyānna gandhaṃ vijijñāsīta ghrātāraṃ vidyānna rūpaṃ vijijñāsīta rūpavidyaṃ vidyānna śabdaṃ vijijñāsīta śrotāraṃ vidyānnānnarasaṃ vijijñāsītānnarasavijñātāraṃ vidyānna karma vijijñāsīta kartāraṃ vidyānna sukhaduḥkhe vijijñāsīta sukhaduḥkhayorvijñātāraṃ vidyānnānandaṃ na ratiṃ na prajātiṃ vijijñāsītānandasya rateḥ prajātervijñātāraṃ vidyānnetyāṃ vijijñāsītaitāraṃ vidyāt | na mano vijijñāsīta mantāraṃ vidyāt | tā vā etā daśaiva bhūtamātrā adhiprajñaṃ daśa prajñāmātrā adhibhūtaṃ yaddhi bhūtamātrā na syurna prajñāmātrāḥ syuryadvā prajñāmātrā na syurna bhūtamātrāḥ syuḥ
Let him not seek to know speech — let him know the speaker. Let him not seek to know the odour — let him know the smeller. Let him not seek to know the form — let him know the seer of the form. Let him not seek to know the sound — let him know the hearer. Let him not seek to know the taste of food — let him know the knower of the taste. Let him not seek to know the deed — let him know the doer. Let him not seek to know pleasure and pain — let him know the knower of pleasure and pain. Let him not seek to know bliss, delight or procreation — let him know their knower. Let him not seek to know the going — let him know the goer. Let him not seek to know the mind — let him know the thinker. These are the ten element-portions with reference to insight, and the ten insight-portions with reference to the elements. For were there no element-portions, there would be no insight-portions; and were there no insight-portions, there would be no element-portions.
5c6f796b26b2 · published Jul 29, 2026, 3:43:45 AM UTC
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Here is given the rule that distinguishes this Upaniṣad from all others, and it can be taken along like a staff: do not seek the object — know the one who takes it.
Ten times the same movement is repeated. Not the word, but the speaker. Not the odour, but the smeller. Not the deed, but the doer. Not pleasure and pain, but the one who knows them. Not the thought, but the thinker.
Its sense is simple and revolutionary at once. All that our mind is busy with is objects: names, shapes, sounds, tastes, deeds, joys, pains. One can sort them without end, and there will be no end. The Upaniṣad says: turn around. Behind every object stands the one to whom it is addressed; and he is the one to know.
This is the same move as in the first mantra of the conversation, where Indra said: “know me myself”. Only now it is said where to seek him: not in the heavens, but at the hither end of every one of your perceptions.
The mantra's second half draws the tally: ten bhūtamātrā, “element-portions”, and ten prajñāmātrā, “insight-portions”. World and knower are resolved into an equal number of parts, and the parts are paired.
And then is said what matters especially for the Vedānta: “were there no element-portions, there would be no insight-portions; were there no insight-portions, there would be no element-portions”. Their mutuality is complete. There is no sight without the visible and no visible without sight; the faculty and its object hold to one another and do not exist apart.
From this, however, it does not follow that both sides are equally self-standing — and the next mantra will say it out: both rest upon a third.