Upanishads · Rāma-tāpanī Uttara 3.9
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ तं प्रत्युवाच - श्रीरामस्य मनुं काश्यां जजाप वृषभध्वजः । मन्वन्तरसहस्रैस्तु जपहोमार्चनादिभिः
Transliteration (IAST)
atha taṃ pratyuvāca - śrīrāmasya manuṃ kāśyāṃ jajāpa vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | manvantarasahasraistu japahomārcanādibhiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथ तम् प्रत्युवाचatha tam pratyuvācathen he answered him; then he spoke to him in reply
श्रीरामस्य मनुम् काश्याम्śrīrāmasya manum kāśyāmthe mantra of Śrī-Rāma in Kāśī; Śrī-Rāma's manu in the city of Kāśī
जजाप वृषभध्वजःjajāpa vṛṣabhadhvajaḥthe Bull-bannered repeated; recited the one whose ensign is the bull
मन्वन्तरसहस्रैः तुmanvantarasahasraiḥ tufor thousands of manvantaras; through thousands of manvantaras
जपहोमार्चनादिभिःjapahomārcanādibhiḥwith repetition, oblation, worship; with japa, homa, arcana
Translation
Then he answered him: “The mantra of Śrī-Rāma the Bull-bannered one repeated in Kāśī — for thousands of manvantaras, with repetition, oblation and worship…”
Version
c1c4b7bb3223 · published Jul 29, 2026, 5:15:19 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The argument is over; the tale begins, and the tale is of Śiva.
He is named vṛṣabha-dhvaja — “he whose banner is the bull”, after the sign on his standard. And it is said that he repeated Rāma's mantra in Kāśī, his own city, “for thousands of manvantaras”.
A manvantara is an enormous span, a fourteenth part of Brahmā's day. The count is deliberately unthinkable.
Here is what matters, and the whole Vaiṣṇava tradition points to it. Śiva is no petitioner from outside: Kāśī is his city, and he is its lord. And now the city's lord sits and repeats the name of Rāma longer than the world has stood.
We have seen this arrangement in the pūrva-tāpanī: the gods came to Rāma to ask protection and remained with Him. Here the same is said of the greatest of them.
But there is another side too, which must not be missed. All that will further be promised to those dying in Kāśī is promised for Śiva's sake and at his asking. The book does not take the city from him — it explains whence the city has such power.
Note the list: japa, homa, arcana — repetition, oblation in the fire, worship of the image. Three kinds of practice, and all three named.