Upanishads · Mahā 5.147
॥
Devanāgarī
आकाशभावनामच्छां शब्दबीजरसोन्मुखीम् ततस्तद्घनतां यातं घनस्पन्दक्रमान्मनः
Transliteration (IAST)
ākāśabhāvanāmacchāṃ śabdabījarasonmukhīm tatastadghanatāṃ yātaṃ ghanaspandakramānmanaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आकाश-भावनाम् अच्छाम्ākāśa-bhāvanām acchāmthe pure contemplation of space; the limpid nurturing of the expanse
शब्द-बीज-रस-उन्मुखीम्śabda-bīja-rasa-unmukhīmbent toward the seed and savour of sound; turned toward the seed and sap of sounding
ततः तत्-घनताम् यातम्tataḥ tat-ghanatām yātamthen, having come to its density; afterwards, having reached its thickness
घन-स्पन्द-क्रमात् मनःghana-spanda-kramāt manaḥby the course of dense vibration — the mind; through the sequence of condensed pulsation — consciousness
Translation
“…the pure contemplation of space, bent toward the seed of sound; then, come to density by the course of dense vibration, the mind…”
Version
ffa6e7c356f4 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The first element: ākāśa, space.
Its property is sound, and it is called śabda-bīja — “the seed of sound”.
This is the base of all Indian natural philosophy: each element has its property, perceived by its own sense. Space has sound, wind touch, fire form, water taste, earth smell. And each following element retains the properties of all the preceding.
Note that the first contemplation is called acchā — “pure, transparent”. Space is still scarcely different from consciousness.
And then — ghanatā, “density”, and ghana-spanda, “dense vibration”.
The whole descent is a condensing of the same vibration. This was said already in 5.126: matter is thickened differentiation.