Upanishads · Tripurātāpinī 68
॥
Devanāgarī
सर्वोर्ध्वे सर्वसंहृति स्वमध्यमानामिकान्तरे कनीयसि पार्श्वयोस्तर्जन्यावङ्कुशाढ्ये युक्ता साङ्गुष्ठयोगतोऽन्योन्यं सममञ्जलिं कृत्वाष्टमी
Transliteration (IAST)
sarvordhve sarvasaṃhṛti svamadhyamānāmikāntare kanīyasi pārśvayostarjanyāvaṅkuśāḍhye yuktā sāṅguṣṭhayogato'nyonyaṃ samamañjaliṃ kṛtvāṣṭamī
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सर्व-ऊर्ध्वे सर्व-संहृतिsarva-ūrdhve sarva-saṃhṛtiwith all upward — «universal drawing-in»
स्व-मध्यमा-अनामिका-अन्तरेsva-madhyamā-anāmikā-antarebetween one's own middle and ring fingers
कनीयसि पार्श्वयोःkanīyasi pārśvayoḥthe little fingers at the sides
तर्जन्यौ अङ्कुश-आढ्येtarjanyau aṅkuśa-āḍhyethe forefingers furnished with a hook
समम् अञ्जलिं कृत्वा अष्टमीsamam añjaliṃ kṛtvā aṣṭamīhaving made an even joining of the palms — the eighth
Translation
«With all [fingers] upward — «universal drawing-in»: …the little fingers at the sides, the forefingers with a hook, …having made an even joining of the palms — the eighth».
Version
f8c15530a747 · published Aug 7, 2026, 5:19:24 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The eighth seal is built on añjali, «the joining of the palms» — that very gesture with which one greets, asks, and bows from Kashmir to Sri Lanka. The word añjali literally means «a handful»: two palms joined so that something can be held in them. And this is the whole meaning of the gesture — the hands are joined as a cup, that is, prepared to receive, not to take.
This gesture stands out among the other seals in that it need not be learned. All the rest require a finger to lie on a finger at a definite spot, and cannot be formed without a description; but añjali is made by everyone without any instruction, children included. In Vaishnava practice it is the chief one. One greets with it, one takes leave with it, one begins a prayer with it, one ends with it; and the Gītā describes Arjuna at the decisive moment with the words kṛtāñjaliḥ, «with joined palms» (11.14). The simplest of the signs turns out to be the most used — as is usually the case.
The name of the eighth seal, sarva-saṃhṛti, «universal drawing-in», points to the limit: that by which everything is taken back. The joining of these two — a gesture of receiving and a name of drawing-in — is fitting: one who takes back also receives.