Upanishads · Mahā 6.38
॥
Devanāgarī
स्वदनं केवलं ध्यायन्परमात्ममयो भव अवलम्ब्य निरालम्बं मध्येमध्ये स्थिरो भव
Transliteration (IAST)
svadanaṃ kevalaṃ dhyāyanparamātmamayo bhava avalambya nirālambaṃ madhyemadhye sthiro bhava
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्वदनम् केवलम् ध्यायन्svadanam kevalam dhyāyancontemplating tasting alone; musing on nothing but the savouring
परमात्म-मयः भवparamātma-mayaḥ bhavabecome made of the Supreme Ātman; be made one woven of the highest Self
अवलम्ब्य निरालम्बम्avalambya nirālambamleaning upon the supportless; having taken hold of what has no prop
मध्ये-मध्ये स्थिरः भवmadhye-madhye sthiraḥ bhavabe firm in the very middle; be unshaken in the midmost midst
Translation
“Contemplating the tasting alone, become made of the Supreme Ātman; leaning upon the supportless, be firm in the very middle.”
Version
5cef73fd6cd7 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
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The word is given: svadana — “tasting, savouring”.
It has occurred once before, in 4.9, where reality is defined as svadana-mātra — “mere tasting”.
There it was a description of Brahman; here, the object of contemplation.
Note that one is bidden contemplate neither the taster nor the tasted, but the taste itself.
This is the subtlest of the book's pointings. Taste can be neither seen nor held; it is neither a thing nor I. It is pure “happening”.
The second half is a beautiful oxymoron: avalambya nirālambam — “leaning on the leanless”.
A support that has no support. The word nirālamba was already in 5.45, of Brahman.
Madhye-madhye — “in the very middle”, with doubling: in the middle of the middle.