Upanishads · Nṛsiṃha-tāpanī Pūrva 2.3
॥
Devanāgarī
अष्टाक्षरः प्रथमः पादो भवत्यष्टाक्षरास्त्रयः पादा भवन्त्येवं द्वात्रिंशदक्षराणि संपद्यन्ते द्वात्रिंशदक्षरा वा अनुष्टुब्भवत्यनुष्टुभा सर्वमिदं सृष्टमनुष्टुभा सर्वमुपसंहृतम्
Transliteration (IAST)
aṣṭākṣaraḥ prathamaḥ pādo bhavatyaṣṭākṣarāstrayaḥ pādā bhavantyevaṃ dvātriṃśadakṣarāṇi saṃpadyante dvātriṃśadakṣarā vā anuṣṭubbhavatyanuṣṭubhā sarvamidaṃ sṛṣṭamanuṣṭubhā sarvamupasaṃhṛtam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अष्टाक्षरः प्रथमः पादःaṣṭākṣaraḥ prathamaḥ pādaḥthe first quarter has eight syllables; the first foot is of eight syllables
अष्टाक्षराः त्रयः पादाःaṣṭākṣarāḥ trayaḥ pādāḥand three quarters have eight syllables; and three feet are eight-syllabled
एवम् द्वात्रिंशत् अक्षराणि संपद्यन्तेevam dvātriṃśat akṣarāṇi saṃpadyanteso thirty-two syllables are composed; so thirty-two syllables are gathered
द्वात्रिंशदक्षरा वै अनुष्टुप्dvātriṃśadakṣarā vai anuṣṭupthe anuṣṭubh is the thirty-two-syllabled; the anuṣṭubh is thirty-two syllables
अनुष्टुभा सर्वम् इदम् सृष्टम्anuṣṭubhā sarvam idam sṛṣṭamby the anuṣṭubh all this was created; by the anuṣṭubh this whole was made
अनुष्टुभा सर्वम् उपसंहृतम्anuṣṭubhā sarvam upasaṃhṛtamby the anuṣṭubh all is also withdrawn; by the anuṣṭubh all is also gathered in
Translation
The first quarter has eight syllables, and the three quarters have eight syllables; so thirty-two syllables are composed, and the anuṣṭubh is the thirty-two-syllabled. By the anuṣṭubh all this was created, by the anuṣṭubh all is also withdrawn.
Version
603d8a325e3a · published Jul 29, 2026, 4:39:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The count is closed: four times eight is thirty-two.
The measure of the anuṣṭubh is proved, and proved in the simplest way: by addition.
Then — the two verbs which in Vedānta define Brahman: sṛṣṭam and upasaṁhṛtam, “created” and “withdrawn”.
These are the same two works as in the second paragraph of the first Upaniṣad, where from the anuṣṭubh beings were born and into it they entered. Here more briefly: by it created, by it also taken in.
Note the word upasaṁhṛta — “drawn together, gathered in”. Not “destroyed”: gathered. As the spider draws in its web, of which the Brahma Upaniṣad spoke.
And here is what should be held while reading this whole Upaniṣad. The measure of the verse is named that by which one creates and into which one gathers. To the modern ear this is strange: metre seems an ornament of speech.
The ancients thought otherwise. Metre is that by which speech is held; and by speech, as the second paragraph of the first Upaniṣad said, “they depart and ascend”.
The next paragraph will pass from measure to rite: five parts and five exclamations.