Upanishads · Yogakuṇḍalinī 1.68
॥
Devanāgarī
विष्णुग्रन्थिं प्रयात्युच्चैः सत्वरं हृदि संस्थिता । ऊर्ध्वं गच्छति यच्चास्ते रुद्रग्रन्थिं तदुद्भवम्
Transliteration (IAST)
viṣṇugranthiṃ prayātyuccaiḥ satvaraṃ hṛdi saṃsthitā | ūrdhvaṃ gacchati yaccāste rudragranthiṃ tadudbhavam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विष्णु-ग्रन्थिं प्रयाति उच्चैःviṣṇu-granthiṃ prayāti uccaiḥto the knot of Vishnu it goes, on high
स-त्वरं हृदि संस्थिताsa-tvaraṃ hṛdi saṃsthitāswiftly, abiding in the heart
ऊर्ध्वं गच्छति यत् च आस्तेūrdhvaṃ gacchati yat ca āsteand upward goes what remains
रुद्र-ग्रन्थिं तत्-उद्भवम्rudra-granthiṃ tat-udbhavamto the knot of Rudra, born from that
Translation
"It goes to the knot of Vishnu, on high, swiftly, abiding in the heart; and what remains goes upward, to the knot of Rudra, born from that".
Version
801c942fcd1c · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The second knot bears the name Vishnu and is placed in the heart; this was discussed when reading the thirty-ninth line. Having reached it in order, let us say what this scheme unwittingly testifies to. Three knots are distributed among three names: at the base, Brahma; in the heart, Vishnu; between the brows, Rudra. The scheme was made in a Shaivite-yogic milieu, and Shiva is placed above in it; but the heart is given to Vishnu.
This correspondence is not theological but, so to speak, customary: the compiler, distributing, placed in the heart the name that was, in fact, linked with the heart. Such unwitting arrangements say more about a milieu than direct declarations do, and the same was noted when reading Tripuratapini (14), where a letter was called "Narayana's." The Vaishnava side builds no theology from this and should not. Her observation here is modest: wherever in these books there is speech of the heart, His name appears there; and this recurs too often to be chance.
It is worth adding that the heart's knot is called the hardest in every scheme; and anyone who has tried to change not his conduct but his attachment knows why.