Upanishads · Mahā 6.31
॥
Devanāgarī
गृहीततृष्णाशबरीवासनाजालमाततम् संसारवारिप्रसृतं चिन्तातन्तुभिराततम्
Transliteration (IAST)
gṛhītatṛṣṇāśabarīvāsanājālamātatam saṃsāravāriprasṛtaṃ cintātantubhirātatam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
गृहीत-तृष्णा-शबरीgṛhīta-tṛṣṇā-śabarīheld by the huntress craving; gripped by the wild-woman thirst
वासना-जालम् आततम्vāsanā-jālam ātatamthe net of vāsanās, outspread; the toils of inclinations, stretched wide
संसार-वारि-प्रसृतम्saṃsāra-vāri-prasṛtamspread over the waters of the round; laid out upon the flood of the whirl
चिन्ता-तन्तुभिः आततम्cintā-tantubhiḥ ātatamstretched with the threads of care; extended with the filaments of anxiety
Translation
“The net of vāsanās, stretched with the threads of care and spread over the waters of the round, is held by the huntress craving…”
Version
24a4c1a8f4e3 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A fishing image, repeating 3.46, where the line was the evil inclinations and the bait the object of desire.
Here the net is held by a śabarī — “a wild-woman, a woman of the forest tribe of the Śabaras”. In Sanskrit letters the Śabaras are hunters and fowlers.
Note what the net is woven of: cintā-tantu — “the threads of care”.
Care is named a thread because it is thin, long, and does not break of itself.
Ātatam — “stretched” — is repeated twice, and it gives the verse the feel of an expanse flooded with nets.
The next verse will give the tool with which it is cut.