Upanishads · Kaṭharudra 7
॥
Devanāgarī
विपरीतं ब्रह्मचर्यमनुष्ठेयं मुमुक्षुभिः । यज्जगद्भासकं भानं नित्यं भाति स्वतः स्फुरत्
Transliteration (IAST)
viparītaṃ brahmacaryamanuṣṭheyaṃ mumukṣubhiḥ | yajjagadbhāsakaṃ bhānaṃ nityaṃ bhāti svataḥ sphurat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विपरीतं ब्रह्मचर्यम्viparītaṃ brahmacaryamthe opposite — celibacy
अनुष्ठेयं मुमुक्षुभिःanuṣṭheyaṃ mumukṣubhiḥto be practiced by those who desire freedom
यत् जगत्-भासकं भानंyat jagat-bhāsakaṃ bhānaṃthat light, illuminating the world
नित्यं भाति स्वतः स्फुरत्nityaṃ bhāti svataḥ sphuratalways shines, flashing forth of itself
Translation
The opposite [of this] — celibacy, to be practiced by those who desire freedom. That light, illuminating the world, always shines, flashing forth of itself.
Version
a968e7842902 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A definition is given negatively: viparītaṃ brahmacaryam, "celibacy is the opposite" — that is, the absence of all eight steps. It is worth noting that to define this way is a legitimate device, common in science: to define through the negation of what has been listed. It is useful in that it leaves no room for self-deception: one need not decide whether one is celibate in general; one need only look at which of the eight steps one is standing on.
The second half of the verse changes the subject: from rules, the book turns to what they are for. Svataḥ sphurat, "flashing forth of itself," is named. The word sphur was discussed when reading the Tripurā-tāpanī (21): it means "to flash, to tremble, to break forth." Here it stands with svataḥ, "of itself," and together they say: this light is not kindled or maintained — it flashes forth of itself.
This definition is accepted entirely in the Vaiṣṇava reading and only supplemented with what it lacks. That the light shines of itself is not disputed; the question is whether it shines for anyone. A light that illuminates no one is indistinguishable from darkness; but here it says jagad-bhāsakam, "illuminating the world" — that is, the light has something it illuminates, and hence there are two.