Upanishads · Tripurātāpinī 92
॥
Devanāgarī
एतद्वै वासुदेवस्य द्वादशार्णमभ्येति । सोपप्लवं तरति । स सर्वमायुरेति । विन्दते प्राजापत्यं रायस्पोषं गौपत्यं च तमश्नुते प्रत्यगानन्दं ब्रह्मपुरुषं प्रणवस्वरूपमकार उकारो मकार इति
Transliteration (IAST)
etadvai vāsudevasya dvādaśārṇamabhyeti | sopaplavaṃ tarati | sa sarvamāyureti | vindate prājāpatyaṃ rāyaspoṣaṃ gaupatyaṃ ca tamaśnute pratyagānandaṃ brahmapuruṣaṃ praṇavasvarūpamakāra ukāro makāra iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एतत् वै वासुदेवस्य द्वादश-अर्णम्etat vai vāsudevasya dvādaśa-arṇamthis indeed is the twelve-sounded [name] of Vāsudeva
स उपप्लवं तरतिsa upaplavaṃ taratihe crosses beyond calamity
सः सर्वम् आयुः एतिsaḥ sarvam āyuḥ etihe attains a full lifespan
तम् अश्नुते प्रत्यक्-आनन्दंtam aśnute pratyak-ānandaṃhe attains it — inward bliss
ब्रह्म-पुरुषं प्रणव-स्वरूपम्brahma-puruṣaṃ praṇava-svarūpamthe Brahman-Person, the form of the praṇava
Translation
«This is indeed the twelve-sounded [name] of Vāsudeva. He crosses beyond calamity; he attains a full lifespan; he obtains the offspring of Prajāpati, abundance of wealth, and possession of herds; he attains it — inward bliss, the Brahman-Person, the form of the praṇava: «a», «u», «ma»».
Version
9d7962620311 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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The count is complete: three plus four plus five — dvādaśa-arṇa, «twelve-sounded». This is om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, the famous twelve-syllable mantra by which, in the Bhāgavatam, Dhruva receives a vision of the Lord (4.8.53), and by which Vasudeva and Devakī pray for a son. The composition, then, ends by naming the chief Vaishnava mantra, citing its Vedic foundation (89), explaining it by oil and a sesame cake (90), analyzing its name by root (91), and counting its syllables. Four parts of the book led to the Goddess; the last leads to Vāsudeva.
The promises given here are everyday, and hence plausible: to cross beyond calamity, to live out one's life, to have offspring, cattle, and prosperity. After nine hundred thousand repetitions for the sake of power over others (73), this modesty sounds almost like a correction. But the line ends differently than it began: pratyag-ānandam brahma-puruṣam, «inward bliss, the Brahman-Person».
The expression brahma-puruṣa deserves being transcribed. Puruṣa means «man, person, human being»; and the highest is here named not simply «Brahman», but Brahman-Person. This word does not allow the limit to be read as an impersonal principle: where puruṣa stands, someone stands.
And the last thing: pratyag-ānanda, «inward bliss». Pratyak means «turned inward», and this turning was discussed when reading the sixteenth line. Bliss, then, is named not as something obtained, but as the One who is within; and within turns out to be not emptiness, but a Person.