Upanishads · Mahā 6.19
॥
Devanāgarī
द्वयोर्मध्यगतं नित्यमस्तिनास्तीति पक्षयोः प्रकाशनं प्रकाशानामात्मानं समुपास्महे
Transliteration (IAST)
dvayormadhyagataṃ nityamastināstīti pakṣayoḥ prakāśanaṃ prakāśānāmātmānaṃ samupāsmahe
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
द्वयोः मध्य-गतम् नित्यम्dvayoḥ madhya-gatam nityamever standing between the two; perpetually placed amid the pair
अस्ति नास्ति इति पक्षयोःasti nāsti iti pakṣayoḥof the positions “is” and “is not”; of the sides “it exists” and “it exists not”
प्रकाशनम् प्रकाशानाम्prakāśanam prakāśānāmthe illumining of the illuminers; the lighting of those that give light
आत्मानम् समुपास्महेātmānam samupāsmahethe Ātman we worship; the Self we adore
Translation
“Him who stands ever between the two positions — ‘is’ and ‘is not’ — the illumining of the illuminers: the Ātman we worship.”
Version
0ec2bce15ad3 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The third and last verse of the series, and in it a definition that is the best of its kind: prakāśanaṃ prakāśānām — “the illumining of the illuminers”.
There are things that shine: the sun, fire, reason. All of them light up other things. And all of them are themselves lit — otherwise we should not know them.
By what? By this.
Note the first half: between “is” and “is not”. That very sad-asator madhyam of 5.69 and 5.172.
The three verses of worship stand apart in the chapter. After five and a half chapters of inquiry the book suddenly begins to pray.
This is the turn that will bring it to the name of Nārāyaṇa at the end.
Vaiṣṇava thought would say it cannot be otherwise: knowledge that has reached its limit turns into worship, because it comes up not against a law but against a Person.