Upanishads · Mahā 4.72
॥
Devanāgarī
जीवेश्वरादिरूपेण चेतनाचेतनात्मकम् ईक्षणादिप्रवेशान्ता सृष्टिरीशेन कल्पिता जाग्रदादिविमोक्षान्तः संसारो जीवकल्पितः
Transliteration (IAST)
jīveśvarādirūpeṇa cetanācetanātmakam īkṣaṇādipraveśāntā sṛṣṭirīśena kalpitā jāgradādivimokṣāntaḥ saṃsāro jīvakalpitaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जीव-ईश्वर-आदि-रूपेणjīva-īśvara-ādi-rūpeṇain the form of jīva, Īśvara and the rest; in the shape of the soul, the Lord and so forth
चेतन-अचेतन-आत्मकम्cetana-acetana-ātmakamconscious and unconscious in nature; having the nature of the sentient and the inert
ईक्षण-आदि-प्रवेश-अन्ताīkṣaṇa-ādi-praveśa-antāfrom the beholding to the entering; from the glance up to the entry
सृष्टिः ईशेन कल्पिताsṛṣṭiḥ īśena kalpitācreation is devised by the Lord; the creation is instituted by the Master
जाग्रत्-आदि-विमोक्ष-अन्तःjāgrat-ādi-vimokṣa-antaḥfrom waking up to liberation; from wakefulness even to deliverance
संसारः जीव-कल्पितःsaṃsāraḥ jīva-kalpitaḥthe round is devised by the jīva; the circuit is contrived by the soul
Translation
“Creation — in the form of jīva, Īśvara and the rest, conscious and unconscious, from the primal beholding to the entering in — is devised by the Lord; while the round, from waking to liberation, is devised by the jīva.”
Version
13a5ff098a31 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
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The verse draws a dividing line, and it matters more than it seems at first sight.
One thing is made by Īśvara, the other by the jīva.
By Īśvara is created sṛṣṭi — the world-order: souls and the Lord, the sentient and the inert, “from the beholding to the entering”. The turn īkṣaṇa-ādi-praveśa-anta refers to the well-known passages of the Chāndogya and the Taittirīya: He beheld — “let me become many” — and then entered into what He had created.
And by the jīva is contrived saṃsāra — the round: “from waking to liberation”.
That is, the world is not our invention, but the round is.
This removes two misunderstandings at once. First: that the universe is my illusion. No: He created the universe, and it is genuine. Second: that the world-order is to blame for my woes. No: the round is my construction.
Note a fine point of the list: even “liberation” is assigned to what the jīva contrives. While there is one who counts himself bound, there is also what is called liberation; for Him neither the one nor the other exists.