Upanishads · Mahā 5.11
॥
Devanāgarī
बीजरूपस्थितं जाग्रद्बीजजाग्रत्तदुच्यते एषा ज्ञप्तेर्नवावस्था त्वजाग्रत्संस्थितिं श्रुणु
Transliteration (IAST)
bījarūpasthitaṃ jāgradbījajāgrattaducyate eṣā jñapternavāvasthā tvajāgratsaṃsthitiṃ śruṇu
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
बीज-रूप-स्थितम् जाग्रत्bīja-rūpa-sthitam jāgratthe waking that stands in the form of a seed; wakefulness abiding in seed-shape
बीज-जाग्रत् तत् उच्यतेbīja-jāgrat tat ucyateis called the seed-waking; it is named the seed-wakefulness
एषा ज्ञप्तेः नव-अवस्थाeṣā jñapteḥ nava-avasthāthis is the new state of awareness; such is the new condition of knowing
तु अजाग्रत्-संस्थितिम् श्रुणुtu ajāgrat-saṃsthitim śruṇuhear now of the state of non-waking; listen now to the constitution of non-wakefulness
Translation
“The waking that stands in the form of a seed is called seed-waking; this is the new state of awareness. Hear now of the state of non-waking.”
Version
d6b71c81c2dd · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse gives the first step its name and states its position.
Navā avasthā — “a new state”: consciousness only just appeared, not yet formed into anything.
The image of the seed is exact. In the seed the whole tree is already present, and in it there is as yet neither trunk nor leaves. It has grown onto nothing and hinders nothing.
Note that the book places this in the category of ignorance — and still does not blame it. Ignorance here is not guilt but position.
This corresponds to the Vaiṣṇava view of the jīva: it is eternal, small, and by its nature pure; the trouble begins not with its existence, but with its taking itself for something other.