Upanishads · Nṛsiṃha-tāpanī Pūrva 5.6
॥
Devanāgarī
अथ द्वात्रिंशदरं द्वात्रिंशत्पत्रं चक्रं भवति द्वात्रिंशदक्षरा वा अनुष्टुब्भवत्यनुष्टुभा सर्वमिदं भवति बहिर्मायया वेष्टितं भवति
Transliteration (IAST)
atha dvātriṃśadaraṃ dvātriṃśatpatraṃ cakraṃ bhavati dvātriṃśadakṣarā vā anuṣṭubbhavatyanuṣṭubhā sarvamidaṃ bhavati bahirmāyayā veṣṭitaṃ bhavati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथ द्वात्रिंशदरम् द्वात्रिंशत्पत्रम् चक्रम्atha dvātriṃśadaram dvātriṃśatpatram cakramthen a circle of thirty-two spokes and thirty-two petals; next a cakra of thirty-two spokes and petals
द्वात्रिंशदक्षरा वै अनुष्टुप्dvātriṃśadakṣarā vai anuṣṭupfor the anuṣṭubh is of thirty-two syllables; since the anuṣṭubh has thirty-two syllables
अनुष्टुभा सर्वम् इदम् भवतिanuṣṭubhā sarvam idam bhavatiby the anuṣṭubh is all this; by the anuṣṭubh this whole exists
बहिः मायया वेष्टितम् भवतिbahiḥ māyayā veṣṭitam bhavatioutside it is wrapped by māyā; without it is wound about by māyā
Translation
Then there is a circle of thirty-two spokes and thirty-two petals: for the anuṣṭubh is of thirty-two syllables, and by the anuṣṭubh is all this; and outside it is wrapped by māyā.
Version
cd448d3eec57 · published Jul 29, 2026, 4:39:50 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth and last ring: thirty-two — by the number of the mantra's syllables.
All five are counted: six, eight, twelve, sixteen, thirty-two. And each time it ends alike: “outside it is wrapped by māyā”.
This repetition is no copyist's negligence. Five times in a row one thing is said, because the conclusion too is one: however you widen the circle, māyā stays along the rim.
She penetrates inside on none of the rings.
Note the line of thought, gathering all five paragraphs. The circle grows: the year, the gāyatrī, the jagatī, the Puruṣa, the anuṣṭubh; the measures are ever larger. And at every widening māyā turns out to be outside.
That is, the point is not to break out beyond the rim: the point is that the centre was never wrapped at all.
The second paragraph said it outright: “māyā does not touch the Ātman”.