Upanishads · Rāma-tāpanī Pūrva 5.3
॥
Devanāgarī
विघ्नेशं दुर्गां क्षेत्रपालं च वाणीं बीजादिकांश्चाग्निदेशादिकांश्च । पीठस्याङ्घ्रिष्वेव धर्मादिकांश्च नत्वा पूर्वाद्यासु दीक्ष्वर्चयेच्च
Transliteration (IAST)
vighneśaṃ durgāṃ kṣetrapālaṃ ca vāṇīṃ bījādikāṃścāgnideśādikāṃśca | pīṭhasyāṅghriṣveva dharmādikāṃśca natvā pūrvādyāsu dīkṣvarcayecca
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विघ्नेशम् दुर्गाम् क्षेत्रपालम् चvighneśam durgām kṣetrapālam cathe Lord of obstacles, Durgā and the Field-guard; Gaṇeśa, Durgā and the keeper of the place
वाणीम् बीजादिकान् चvāṇīm bījādikān caand Speech, and the seed syllables; and Sarasvatī with the bījas
अग्निदेशादिकान् चagnideśādikān caand the dwellers of the south-east and the rest; and those in Agni's quarter and the others
पीठस्य अङ्घ्रिषु एवpīṭhasya aṅghriṣu evaat the very feet of the throne; right at the supports of the seat
धर्मादिकान् च नत्वाdharmādikān ca natvāand having bowed to dharma and the rest; and to the law with the others, bowing
पूर्वाद्यासु दिक्षु अर्चयेत् चpūrvādyāsu dikṣu arcayet calet him worship in the east and the other quarters; let him honour through the quarters from the east
Translation
The Lord of obstacles, Durgā and the Field-guard, and Speech, and the seed syllables, and the dwellers of the south-east and the other quarters — and at the very feet of the throne, having bowed to dharma and the rest, let him worship them through the quarters, beginning from the east.
Version
b2c85e9e3b5c · published Jul 29, 2026, 5:15:19 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Those who stand at the entrance and at the feet of the throne are worshipped.
The first is Vighneśa, “the Lord of obstacles”, that is, Gaṇeśa; to him one bows before every undertaking, because he both sets obstacles and removes them. Then Durgā and the kṣetrapāla — “the guard of the field”, the keeper of the place where the rite is done.
These three are doorkeepers. They are addressed not as the Highest but as those who let one pass.
Then Vāṇī — Speech, that is, Sarasvatī. She is mentioned here because the rite consists wholly of utterance; without her there is no one to speak.
And at the feet of the throne dharma and the rest are worshipped. They are four: dharma, knowledge, detachment and lordship; they are conceived as the legs of the seat on which the Lord sits.
This is an ancient and beautiful image. The throne of the All-highest rests not on stone: it is held by law, knowledge, dispassion and power.
Note that all this is the same as what in the previous Upaniṣad was charted over the circles of the diagram. There one placed; here one bows. Yantra and pūjā are one work in two motions.