Upanishads · Tripurātāpinī 13
॥
Devanāgarī
स्थाणुभूतेन लकारेण ज्योतिर्लिङ्गमात्मानं धियो बुद्धयः परे वस्तुनि ध्यानेच्छारहितं निर्विकल्पके प्रचोदयात्प्रेरयेदित्युच्चारणरहितं चेतसैव चिन्तयित्वा भावयेदिति
Transliteration (IAST)
sthāṇubhūtena lakāreṇa jyotirliṅgamātmānaṃ dhiyo buddhayaḥ pare vastuni dhyānecchārahitaṃ nirvikalpake pracodayātprerayedityuccāraṇarahitaṃ cetasaiva cintayitvā bhāvayediti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्थाणु-भूतेन ल-कारेणsthāṇu-bhūtena la-kāreṇaby the sound «la», become a pillar
ज्योतिः-लिङ्गम् आत्मानंjyotiḥ-liṅgam ātmānaṃthe shining mark, oneself
धियः बुद्धयः परे वस्तुनिdhiyaḥ buddhayaḥ pare vastunithoughts, understandings, in the highest object
ध्यान-इच्छा-रहितं निर्-विकल्पकेdhyāna-icchā-rahitaṃ nir-vikalpakedevoid of the wish to contemplate, in the indifferent
चेतसा एव चिन्तयित्वा भावयेत्cetasā eva cintayitvā bhāvayethaving thought with the mind alone, let one visualize
Translation
«By the sound «la», become a pillar — the shining mark, oneself; thoughts, understandings — in the highest object, devoid of the wish to contemplate, in the indifferent: «may he impel» — may he prompt; without uttering, having thought with the mind alone, let one visualize».
Version
f3872642ece9 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
This line must be parsed by two turns of phrase, and both are remarkable. The first — dhyāna-icchā-rahitam, «devoid of the wish to contemplate»: the thoughts must be on the highest object without the wish to contemplate. The phrase seems strange at first glance, but it is profound in substance. The wish to contemplate is itself a hindrance: as long as a person wants to concentrate, he is occupied with his own wanting, not with the object. Anyone who has tried knows this trap — the harder one tries, the further away one goes.
The second turn: uccāraṇa-rahitam cetasaiva cintayitvā, «without uttering, having thought with the mind alone», that is, repetition without voice. This is called mānasa-japa, «mental repetition», and among the three kinds — aloud, whispered, mental — it is set above the others. This rule is correct, with a qualification worth stating. Mental repetition is higher for one whose mind holds steady; for one whose mind does not hold, it soon turns into nothing, and the person supposes he is repeating while in fact he is thinking of his own affairs. Hence a beginner is told to repeat aloud: the voice is a witness, and it is harder to deceive it than oneself.