द्वात्रिंशदक्षर्या गायत्र्या तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं तस्मादात्मन आकाश आकाशाद्वायुः स्फुरति तदधीनं वरेण्यं समुदीयमानं सवितुर्वा योग्यो जीवात्मपरमात्मसमुद्भवस्तं प्रकाशशक्तिरूपं जीवाक्षरं स्पष्टमापद्यते
dvātriṃśadakṣaryā gāyatryā tatsaviturvareṇyaṃ tasmādātmana ākāśa ākāśādvāyuḥ sphurati tadadhīnaṃ vareṇyaṃ samudīyamānaṃ saviturvā yogyo jīvātmaparamātmasamudbhavastaṃ prakāśaśaktirūpaṃ jīvākṣaraṃ spaṣṭamāpadyate
«By the thirty-two-syllabled gāyatrī: «of that Savitṛ's desired» — from that Ātman — space, from space wind flashes forth; …the arising of the jīva-ātman and the Highest Ātman; it, having the form of the power of light — the syllable of the jīva — is plainly obtained».
20ba572e61e4 · published Aug 7, 2026, 5:19:24 AM UTC
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A chain of the origination of the elements is cited: from the Ātman, space; from space, wind — the same passage of the Taittirīya (2.1.1) discussed when reading Kuṇḍikā (13p1). An unusual verb is used with it: sphurati, «flashes, quivers, breaks forth». Not «arises» and not «is emitted», but precisely flashes — this is said of lightning, and of the trembling of an eyelid.
This word is one of the chief ones in tantric literature: sphuraṇa is the first stirring of power, not yet become a thing. The choice is precise: between «nothing exists» and «wind exists» lies not gradualness but a flash. The second expression is jīvātma-paramātma-samudbhavaḥ, «the arising of the jīva and the Highest Ātman»: again two are named, and named together. A qualification is needed here. Of the Highest one cannot properly say «arising», for He is beginningless; the talk, apparently, is of manifestation — of the fact that both become distinguishable within the syllable being analyzed.
And they are distinguishable precisely as two: the syllable is called jīva-akṣara, «the syllable of the jīva», as distinct from what will be called the syllable of Śiva (22).