Upanishads · Rāma-tāpanī Pūrva 4.5
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वेषामेव मन्त्राणामेष साधारणः क्रमः । अत्र रामोऽनन्तरूपस्तेजसा वह्निना समः
Transliteration (IAST)
sarveṣāmeva mantrāṇāmeṣa sādhāraṇaḥ kramaḥ | atra rāmo'nantarūpastejasā vahninā samaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्वेषाम् एव मन्त्राणाम्sarveṣām eva mantrāṇāmof all mantras; for every mantra
एषः साधारणः क्रमःeṣaḥ sādhāraṇaḥ kramaḥthis is the common order; such is the usual course
अत्र रामः अनन्तरूपःatra rāmaḥ anantarūpaḥhere Rāma — of endless forms; here Rāma with boundless shapes
तेजसा वह्निना समःtejasā vahninā samaḥin heat equal to fire; in radiance like the flame
Translation
Such is the common order for all mantras; and here Rāma, of endless forms, is in his heat equal to fire.
Version
ec07635a609e · published Jul 29, 2026, 5:15:19 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The first half of the verse closes the ritual part with a proviso: what has been described is sādhāraṇaḥ kramaḥ, “the common order”, accepted for all mantras.
The proviso is needed. Otherwise the reader would take the nyāsa for a peculiarity of this particular mantra; the book says honestly: this is the general rule, and its own business begins further on.
And further on begins the dhyāna — the contemplation of the form. The first thing said of Rāma: ananta-rūpa, “of endless forms”. This word stood already in the first verse of the second Upaniṣad, where it referred to the self-luminous Brahman. Here it is repeated before the description of one single form — and repeated not by chance.
The sense comes out thus: what is now to be described — the dark colour, the yellow garments, the bow, the earrings — is the form of Him whose forms are without number. The description does not narrow Him to a picture.
The second comparison is with fire: “in heat equal to fire”. The next verse will develop this image and set the moon beside the fire.