Upanishads · Mahā 5.117
॥
Devanāgarī
यथैषा जन्मदुःखेषु न भूयस्त्वां नियोक्ष्यति स्वात्मनि स्वपरिस्पन्दैः स्फुरत्यच्छैश्चिदर्णवः
Transliteration (IAST)
yathaiṣā janmaduḥkheṣu na bhūyastvāṃ niyokṣyati svātmani svaparispandaiḥ sphuratyacchaiścidarṇavaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यथा एषा जन्म-दुःखेषुyathā eṣā janma-duḥkheṣuso that she, to the sufferings of birth; in order that she, to the torments of being born
न भूयः त्वाम् नियोक्ष्यतिna bhūyaḥ tvām niyokṣyatimay never again appoint thee; no more may assign thee
स्व-आत्मनि स्व-परिस्पन्दैःsva-ātmani sva-parispandaiḥin itself, with its own pulsations; within its very self, by its proper vibrations
स्फुरति अच्छैः चित्-अर्णवःsphurati acchaiḥ cit-arṇavaḥthe ocean of consciousness sparkles with pure ones; the sea of awareness shimmers with limpid ones
Translation
“…so that she may never again appoint thee to the sufferings of birth. The ocean of consciousness sparkles in itself with its own pure pulsations.”
Version
478ce5b70359 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The first half finishes the previous verse: one must be healed so as not to be appointed to new births.
Note the verb niyokṣyati — “she will appoint, assign to service”. The same root as in 4.21: “one must not yoke oneself to wrong deeds”.
Birth is depicted as an appointment to a post.
The second half introduces an image that will occupy the following verses: cid-arṇava, “the ocean of consciousness”.
It sphurati — “sparkles, shimmers” — sva-parispandaiḥ, “with its own pulsations”.
Recall 4.99: the power of vibration, spanda-śakti, established as the mind.
Here the same vibration is called acchaiḥ — “pure”. The waves on the ocean are no flaw of the ocean.