Upanishads · Tripurātāpinī 37
॥
Devanāgarī
जाते आद्यक्षरे मातृकायाः शिरसि बैन्दवममृतरूपिणीं कुण्डलिनीं त्रिकोणरूपिणीं चेति वाक्यार्थः । एवं प्रथमस्याद्यं वाग्भवम् । द्वितीयं कामकलालयम् । जात इत्यनेन परमात्मनो जृम्भणम्
Transliteration (IAST)
jāte ādyakṣare mātṛkāyāḥ śirasi baindavamamṛtarūpiṇīṃ kuṇḍalinīṃ trikoṇarūpiṇīṃ ceti vākyārthaḥ | evaṃ prathamasyādyaṃ vāgbhavam | dvitīyaṃ kāmakalālayam | jāta ityanena paramātmano jṛmbhaṇam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जाते आद्य-अक्षरे मातृकायाःjāte ādya-akṣare mātṛkāyāḥin «jāta», the first syllable of the mātṛkā
शिरसि बैन्दवम्śirasi baindavamon the head — the point
अमृत-रूपिणीं कुण्डलिनींamṛta-rūpiṇīṃ kuṇḍalinīṃhaving the form of immortality, Kuṇḍalinī
त्रि-कोण-रूपिणीं च इतिtri-koṇa-rūpiṇīṃ ca itiand having the form of a triangle
जात इति अनेन परमात्मनः जृम्भणम्jāta iti anena paramātmanaḥ jṛmbhaṇam«jāta» — by this, the unfolding of the Highest Ātman
Translation
«In «jāta», the first syllable of the mātṛkā, on the head — the point, — having the form of immortality, Kuṇḍalinī, and having the form of a triangle: such is the meaning of the utterance. …«Jāta» — by this [is meant] the unfolding of the Highest Ātman».
Version
14b5fb6f8ebe · published Aug 7, 2026, 5:19:24 AM UTC
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The word jāta, «born», is taken as the basis of the analysis and explained as paramātmano jṛmbhaṇam, «the unfolding of the Highest Ātman». Jṛmbhaṇa means «yawning, stretching, opening» — what one who has just woken does, and what an opening flower does; the word has already occurred (7, 17) and is one of this book's favorites. It is good for this reason. One who yawns does not produce the yawn by effort: he stretches, and this is a movement from within outward, without goal and without strain. So too, of the unfolding of the world it is said — not labor, but a stretching.
This description coincides with what Vaishnava books call līlā, «play»: creation is neither toil nor need, but a movement out of fullness. The Vedānta-sūtra settles the question in the same words: «[Creation is] mere play, as in the world» (2.1.33). The alphabet is here called mātṛkā, «mother», as discussed when reading Paśupata (1.3). Its first syllable is called a head, and on the head a point is placed: the letter is described as a body, with a head on which a mark is set. This device is constant in tantra and speaks to its character — letters are not signs for it, but beings.