Upanishads · Mahā 5.179
॥
Devanāgarī
लेशतः प्राप्तसत्ताकः स एव घनतां शनैः याति चित्तत्वमापूर्य दृढं जाड्याय मेघवत्
Transliteration (IAST)
leśataḥ prāptasattākaḥ sa eva ghanatāṃ śanaiḥ yāti cittatvamāpūrya dṛḍhaṃ jāḍyāya meghavat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
लेशतः प्राप्त-सत्ताकःleśataḥ prāpta-sattākaḥhaving barely gained existence; having received but a jot of being
सः एव घनताम् शनैःsaḥ eva ghanatām śanaiḥthat same one, gradually, toward density; the very same, little by little, toward thickness
याति चित्त-त्वम् आपूर्यyāti citta-tvam āpūryagoes, filling up mind-hood; proceeds, filling out the state of mind
दृढम् जाड्याय मेघ-वत्dṛḍham jāḍyāya megha-vatfirmly, toward inertness, like a cloud; solidly, toward torpor, in the manner of a cloud
Translation
“Having barely gained existence, that same sprout goes gradually toward density, filling up the state of mind — firmly, toward inertness, like a cloud.”
Version
9d357511ac3c · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sprout becomes a cloud.
The cloud image is chosen exactly, and this is now the third time the book uses it (4.95, 5.53, here).
A cloud arises out of invisible vapour and reaches such density that it blocks the sun. And still it is water.
Note the chain: leśataḥ prāpta-sattā — “having barely gained existence”; ghanatā — “density”; jāḍya — “inertness”.
From the first glimmer to petrifaction — three steps, and all gradual: śanaiḥ.
This repeats all that was said in 5.124–5.129 of the descent. Here the same is said still more briefly.
And the encouragement is the same: since the cloud was drifted in gradually, it will also be blown away (4.95).