Upanishads · Mahā 6.17
॥
Devanāgarī
द्रष्टुर्दृश्यसमायोगात्प्रत्ययानन्दनिश्चयः यस्तं स्वमात्मतत्त्वोत्थं निष्पन्दं समुपास्महे
Transliteration (IAST)
draṣṭurdṛśyasamāyogātpratyayānandaniścayaḥ yastaṃ svamātmatattvotthaṃ niṣpandaṃ samupāsmahe
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
द्रष्टृ-दृश्य-समायोगात्draṣṭṛ-dṛśya-samāyogātfrom the conjunction of seer and seen; out of the joining of the looker and the looked-upon
प्रत्यय-आनन्द-निश्चयःpratyaya-ānanda-niścayaḥthe assured delight of cognition; the certainty of the joy of apprehension
यः तम् स्व-आत्म-तत्त्व-उत्थम्yaḥ tam sva-ātma-tattva-utthamhim, arisen from the essence of one's own Ātman; him, sprung from the truth of one's own self
निष्पन्दम् समुपास्महेniṣpandam samupāsmahethe motionless one, we worship; the unstirring one, we adore
Translation
“Him who is the assured delight of cognition, born from the meeting of seer and seen — him, arisen from the essence of one's own Ātman, motionless, we worship.”
Version
555b38982653 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A series of three verses begins with a common refrain: samupāsmahe — “we worship”.
This is the first place in the whole book where a word of worship appears.
Till now the talk was of knowing, discerning, leaving. Here — upāsana, “worship, the service of attention”.
Note to whom it is addressed. It says: to him who is pratyaya-ānanda — “the delight of cognition”, arising when the seer meets the seen.
Every time we recognize something, there is a brief joy of recognition. It is not from the object and not from us; it is from the meeting.
That is what we are bidden worship as Him.
And the attribute: niṣpanda — “motionless”. The joy moves; He who shines by it does not.