Upanishads · Mahā 5.118
॥
Devanāgarī
एकात्मकमखण्डं तदित्यन्तर्भाव्यतां दृढम् किंचित्क्षुभितरूपा सा चिच्छक्तिश्चिन्मयार्णवे
Transliteration (IAST)
ekātmakamakhaṇḍaṃ tadityantarbhāvyatāṃ dṛḍham kiṃcitkṣubhitarūpā sā cicchaktiścinmayārṇave
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एक-आत्मकम् अखण्डम् तत्eka-ātmakam akhaṇḍam tatit is one-natured and unbroken; it is single in essence and undivided
इति अन्तः भाव्यताम् दृढम्iti antaḥ bhāvyatām dṛḍhamso let it be firmly contemplated within; thus let it be strongly nurtured inside
किंचित् क्षुभित-रूपा साkiṃcit kṣubhita-rūpā sāshe, of slightly agitated form; she, whose look is a little stirred
चित्-शक्तिः चित्-मय-अर्णवेcit-śaktiḥ cit-maya-arṇavethe power of consciousness in the ocean of consciousness; the might of awareness in the sea woven of awareness
Translation
“‘It is one and unbroken’ — so let it be firmly contemplated within. And the power of consciousness in the ocean of consciousness is only slightly agitated.”
Version
32712f92f5be · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The ocean image is unfolded, and in it stands a word that removes all alarm: kiṃcit kṣubhita — “slightly agitated”.
The whole world-order, all this power of consciousness, is not a storm on the ocean but a light ripple.
Note that the ripple is not made of something else: cit-maya-arṇave, “in the ocean woven of consciousness”. Water and wave are of one substance.
This is the calmest image of unity and difference in the whole book, and the nearest to what Vaiṣṇava Vedānta says. The wave is not other than the ocean; and it is not the ocean. One can dispute this forever; to look at it is easy.
The first half gives the exercise: eka-ātmakam akhaṇḍam — “one and unbroken”, firmly and within.
The same as in 5.56.