Upanishads · Mahā 5.153
॥
Devanāgarī
अहंकारकलायुक्तं बुद्धिबीजसमन्वितम् तत्पुर्यष्टकमित्युक्तं भूतहृत्पद्मषट्पदम्
Transliteration (IAST)
ahaṃkārakalāyuktaṃ buddhibījasamanvitam tatpuryaṣṭakamityuktaṃ bhūtahṛtpadmaṣaṭpadam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अहङ्कार-कला-युक्तम्ahaṅkāra-kalā-yuktamfurnished with a portion of selfhood; equipped with a particle of self-sense
बुद्धि-बीज-समन्वितम्buddhi-bīja-samanvitamjoined with the seed of reason; united with the seed of understanding
तत् पुर्यष्टकम् इति उक्तम्tat puryaṣṭakam iti uktamit is called the “eightfold city”; it is named the “city of eight”
भूत-हृत्-पद्म-षट्पदम्bhūta-hṛt-padma-ṣaṭpadamthe bee on the heart-lotus of beings; the honey-bee on the heart's lotus of creatures
Translation
“Furnished with a portion of selfhood and joined with the seed of reason, it is called the ‘eightfold city’ — the bee on the heart-lotus of beings.”
Version
83fdf18e8bff · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The subtle body is named and described.
Puryaṣṭaka — “the city of eight”, already mentioned in 5.132: the five subtle elements, mind, reason and selfhood.
This is what migrates from birth to birth; the gross body stays behind, the eightfold city goes on.
Note the second image: bhūta-hṛt-padma-ṣaṭpada — “the bee on the heart-lotus of beings”.
It repeats 3.24, where the bee on the heart's lotus was craving.
The coincidence is not accidental. The subtle body is craving rolled up: a bundle of vāsanās seeking their application.
And the bee image reminds again: it flits from flower to flower, staying nowhere.
So the eightfold city — from body to body.