Upanishads · Nṛsiṃha-tāpanī Pūrva 2.7
॥
Devanāgarī
एकादशपदा वा अनुष्टुब्भवत्यनुष्टुभा सर्वमिदं सृष्टमनुष्टुभा सर्वमिदमुपसंहृतं तस्मात्सर्वानुष्टुभं जानीयाद्यो जानीते सोऽमृतत्वं च गच्छति
Transliteration (IAST)
ekādaśapadā vā anuṣṭubbhavatyanuṣṭubhā sarvamidaṃ sṛṣṭamanuṣṭubhā sarvamidamupasaṃhṛtaṃ tasmātsarvānuṣṭubhaṃ jānīyādyo jānīte so'mṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एकादशपदा वै अनुष्टुप् भवतिekādaśapadā vai anuṣṭup bhavatithe anuṣṭubh is of eleven words; the anuṣṭubh consists of eleven words
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अनुष्टुभा सर्वम् उपसंहृतम्anuṣṭubhā sarvam upasaṃhṛtamby the anuṣṭubh all is also withdrawn; by the anuṣṭubh all is also gathered in
तस्मात् सर्वानुष्टुभम् जानीयात्tasmāt sarvānuṣṭubham jānīyāttherefore let him know all as anuṣṭubh's; hence let him understand everything as the anuṣṭubh
Translation
The anuṣṭubh is of eleven words; by the anuṣṭubh all this was created, by the anuṣṭubh all is also withdrawn. Therefore let him know everything as anuṣṭubh's; who knows attains immortality.
Version
eebf3c0d7afa · published Jul 29, 2026, 4:39:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Yet another count: eleven words.
The verse has been counted twice already — by syllables (thirty-two) and by quarters (four); now by words.
Why so many counts? Because each yields its own bond. The thirty-two syllables bound the mantra to the metre; the four quarters — to the worlds, the Vedas and the fires; the eleven words will bind it to the eleven “places”, and through them — to what He does.
Note that the number eleven in the śruti is not empty: eleven Rudras, eleven breaths in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka. The book does not mention this, and I will not force it; but the count is not chosen at random.
And the same is repeated as in the third paragraph: “by the anuṣṭubh created, by the anuṣṭubh withdrawn”.
The repetition is in place here. Between these two sentences have fitted the rite of nyāsa and the chart of the eleven words; and both end in one thing — that by which one creates and into which one gathers.
The next paragraph will begin a long row of questions, and this row is the best thing in this Upaniṣad.