Upanishads · Mahā 5.134
॥
Devanāgarī
चिन्तानलशिखादग्धं कोपाजगरचर्वितम् कामाब्धिकल्लोलरतं विस्मृतात्मपितामहम्
Transliteration (IAST)
cintānalaśikhādagdhaṃ kopājagaracarvitam kāmābdhikallolarataṃ vismṛtātmapitāmaham
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
चिन्ता-अनल-शिखा-दग्धम्cintā-anala-śikhā-dagdhamscorched by the flame-tongues of cares; burnt by the fiery tongues of anxieties
कोप-अजगर-चर्वितम्kopa-ajagara-carvitamchewed by the python of wrath; gnawed by the boa of fury
काम-अब्धि-कल्लोल-रतम्kāma-abdhi-kallola-ratamsporting in the billows of the ocean of lust; disporting itself in the swell of the sea of desire
विस्मृत-आत्म-पितामहम्vismṛta-ātma-pitāmahamhaving forgotten the Ātman, its grandsire; having consigned to oblivion the Ātman, its forefather
Translation
“Scorched by the flame-tongues of cares, chewed by the python of wrath, sporting in the billows of the ocean of lust, having forgotten the Ātman, its grandsire…”
Version
e8c4ae94c4fd · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three calamities and one cause, and all of the mind, which the next verse will be pulling out.
Cares are a flame. Wrath is the ajagara, the python that does not tear but slowly swallows and digests.
Lust is an ocean, and note the verb: rata, “sporting”. In the billows of lust the mind does not drown — it frolics.
This is more biting than saying “it suffers”.
And the cause of it all: vismṛta-ātma-pitāmaha — “having forgotten the Ātman, its grandsire”.
The word pitāmaha — “grandfather, forefather” — is usually a name of Brahmā. Here it is applied to the Ātman.
Recall 4.131: “what a wonder — the true Brahman is forgotten by men”. All that is listed grows out of that forgetting.