Upanishads · Tripurā 9
॥
Devanāgarī
षष्ठं सप्तममथ वह्निसारथिमस्या मूलत्रिक्रमा देशयन्तः । कथ्यं कविं कल्पकं काममीशं तुष्टुवांसो अमृतत्वं भजन्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
ṣaṣṭhaṃ saptamamatha vahnisārathimasyā mūlatrikramā deśayantaḥ | kathyaṃ kaviṃ kalpakaṃ kāmamīśaṃ tuṣṭuvāṃso amṛtatvaṃ bhajante
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
षष्ठं सप्तमम् अथ वह्नि-सारथिम्ṣaṣṭhaṃ saptamam atha vahni-sārathimthe sixth, the seventh, then the charioteer of fire
अस्याः मूल-त्रि-क्रमाः देशयन्तःasyāḥ mūla-tri-kramāḥ deśayantaḥpointing to its root three-steppings
कथ्यं कविं कल्पकंkathyaṃ kaviṃ kalpakaṃthe sayable, the seer, the fashioner
कामम् ईशं तुष्टुवांसःkāmam īśaṃ tuṣṭuvāṃsaḥhaving praised Kāma the lord
अ-मृत-त्वं भजन्तेa-mṛta-tvaṃ bhajantepartake of immortality
Translation
«The sixth, the seventh, then the charioteer of fire — pointing to its root three-steppings — having praised the sayable, the seer, the fashioner, Kāma the lord, they partake of immortality».
Version
9d13a92f6643 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse ends with a word on which the whole weight should rest: amṛtatvaṃ bhajante, “they partake of immortality.”
The verb bhaj has been examined more than once (Parabrahma 5, Devī 15): it means “to divide, to allot, to have a share,” and from it comes bhakti. It says, then, not “they attain immortality” and not “they become immortal,” but — they have a share in it.
The difference between these ways of speaking matters. One attains what one takes; one partakes of what one divides with someone. The first can be done alone; the second cannot: a share presupposes both a whole and one who allots it.
Worth noting too is by what this share is won: tuṣṭuvāṃsaḥ, “having praised.” Not “having known,” not “having concentrated,” not “having exhausted the mind,” but — having praised; and the verb stu, from which comes stotra, “hymn of praise,” is the most ordinary occupation of a person before the Highest in Vedic literature.
A separate word must be said about the three names by which the object of praise is called: kavim, “the seer”; kalpakam, “the fashioner”; kāmam īśam, “Kāma the lord.” The first was examined reading Tripurātāpinī (75): kavi is one who sees the hidden. The second, from klip, “to arrange, to fit,” means one who makes fit; and this word speaks of an agent, not of a first principle.
So the whole verse comes together: those who have praised the One who sees and fashions receive a share in immortality. Every word here presupposes two.