Upanishads · Mahā 6.9
॥
Devanāgarī
दृष्टं द्रष्टव्यमखिलं भ्रान्तं भ्रान्त्या दिशो दश युक्त्या वै चरतो ज्ञस्य संसारो गोष्पदाकृतिः
Transliteration (IAST)
dṛṣṭaṃ draṣṭavyamakhilaṃ bhrāntaṃ bhrāntyā diśo daśa yuktyā vai carato jñasya saṃsāro goṣpadākṛtiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दृष्टम् द्रष्टव्यम् अखिलम्dṛṣṭam draṣṭavyam akhilamseen is all that was to be seen; beheld is everything that called for beholding
भ्रान्तम् भ्रान्त्या दिशः दशbhrāntam bhrāntyā diśaḥ daśawandered in delusion through the ten quarters; roamed in error across the ten directions
युक्त्या वै चरतः ज्ञस्यyuktyā vai carataḥ jñasyafor the knower who walks with method; for the wise one moving with good sense
संसारः गोष्पद-आकृतिःsaṃsāraḥ goṣpada-ākṛtiḥthe round has the size of a cow's hoofprint; the whirl is of the measure of a hoof-track
Translation
“Seen is all that was to be seen; wandered, in delusion, the ten quarters. For the knower who walks with method, the round is the size of a cow's hoofprint.”
Version
6737cd631dfb · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The image goṣpada — “the print of a cow's hoof” — is constant in Sanskrit letters for something negligibly small: a puddle one steps across.
And by this word is named the ocean of the round, which in the fifth chapter was crossed by boat.
The change of measure — that is the verse's chief point.
Note the first two lines: everything has been seen, all ten quarters walked. This is said of the past, and said with weariness.
The man went round everything and found nothing; and then, when he began to walk yuktyā — “with method, sensibly” — it turned out that this whole ocean reached his ankle.
Vaiṣṇava letters love this image; in the Bhāgavatam it is said that for one who has taken refuge, the sea of troubles becomes the puddle in a calf's hoofprint.