Upanishads · Kauṣītaki 4.8
॥
Devanāgarī
स होवाच बालाकिर्य एवैषोऽग्नौ पुरुषस्तमेवाहमुपास इति तं होवाचाजातशत्रुर्मा मैतस्मिन्समवादयिष्ठा विषासहिरिति वा अहमेतमुपास इति स यो हैतमेवमुपास्ते विषासहिर्वान्वेष भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
sa hovāca bālākirya evaiṣo'gnau puruṣastamevāhamupāsa iti taṃ hovācājātaśatrurmā maitasminsamavādayiṣṭhā viṣāsahiriti vā ahametamupāsa iti sa yo haitamevamupāste viṣāsahirvānveṣa bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः ह उवाच बालाकिःsaḥ ha uvāca bālākiḥBālāki said; spoke Bālāki
यः एव एषः अग्नौ पुरुषःyaḥ eva eṣaḥ agnau puruṣaḥ“the puruṣa who is in the fire”; “the person who is in the flame”
तम् एव अहम् उपासे इतिtam eva aham upāse iti“him I revere”; “precisely him I worship”
तम् ह उवाच अजातशत्रुःtam ha uvāca ajātaśatruḥAjātaśatru said to him; that Ajātaśatru replied
मा मा एतस्मिन् समवादयिष्ठाःmā mā etasmin samavādayiṣṭhāḥ“do not draw me into talk of him”; “do not make me discourse of him”
विषासहिः इतिviṣāsahiḥ iti“the Overpowering”; “the one who oversways all”
वै अहम् एतम् उपासे इतिvai aham etam upāse iti“so do I revere him”; “thus I worship him”
सः यः ह एतम्saḥ yaḥ ha etamand he who him; the one who him
एवम् उपास्तेevam upāsteso reveres; worships thus
विषासहिः वा अन्वेषः भवतिviṣāsahiḥ vā anveṣaḥ bhavatibecomes overpowering; is made an overswayer
Translation
Bālāki said: “The puruṣa who is in the fire — him I revere.” Ajātaśatru said to him: “Do not draw me into talk of him! I revere him as the Overpowering.” And he who so reveres him himself becomes overpowering.
Version
ad513daf24fb · published Jul 29, 2026, 3:43:45 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The seventh pointing is to the fire, and the correction gives it a single word: viṣāsahi, “the overpowering, the one who prevails”.
The word is formed from the root sah — “to overcome” — with intensification, and means one who masters whatever comes his way. For fire the definition is exact: it takes wood, and iron, and fat, and turns water to steam; there is no substance it will not work over.
Note the difference from the previous correction. The wind was called unconquerable — it cannot be overcome; the fire is called overpowering — it itself overcomes everything. The one is of steadfastness, the other of onset.
And the fruit accords: the reverer of the Overpowering himself becomes one who prevails. Not “defeats his enemies” — that was asked at the wind — but precisely masters whatever he meets.
In the ritual part of the second adhyāya the fire stood at the middle of every undertaking: with it began the winning of wealth, the charm of affection, and the handing-over to the son. Here its property is named in its pure form.