Upanishads · Yogakuṇḍalinī 3.20
॥
Devanāgarī
तस्या वाचः परो देवः कूटस्थो वाक्प्रबोधकः । सोऽहमस्मीति निश्चित्य यः सदा वर्तते पुमान्
Transliteration (IAST)
tasyā vācaḥ paro devaḥ kūṭastho vākprabodhakaḥ | so'hamasmīti niścitya yaḥ sadā vartate pumān
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तस्याः वाचः परः देवःtasyāḥ vācaḥ paraḥ devaḥof that speech, the highest god
कूट-स्थः वाक्-प्रबोधकःkūṭa-sthaḥ vāk-prabodhakaḥunshaken, the awakener of speech
सः अहम् अस्मि इति निश्चित्यsaḥ aham asmi iti niścitya"he am I", so having resolved
यः सदा वर्तते पुमान्yaḥ sadā vartate pumānwhat man ever abides
Translation
"Of that speech, the highest god — unshaken, the awakener of speech. "He am I", so resolved, what man ever abides…**
Version
0ca88df71ae9 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Vak-prabodhaka, "the awakener of speech," is named; and this word deserves unpacking, for it matters more than the formula standing beside it. Prabodhaka is from pra-budh, "to awaken"; the same root as in buddha, "awakened." That is, the highest is named as the one who awakens speech.
Let us compare this with what was discussed when reading Devi (5): there Speech was begotten by the gods, and this answered her own words, "I hold Vishnu." Here it is said still more definitely: speech has an awakener, that is, someone who starts it. This word, I think, settles more than the formula standing beside it, so'ham asmi, "he am I." For the awakener and the awakened are not one; one awakens another.
The formula itself was discussed when reading Katharudra (12) and Rudra-hridaya (48); there is no need to repeat it. Separately, a word must be said about kutastha, "unshaken," literally "standing on a summit" or "standing as an anvil." It is interpreted two ways: some — "abiding unchanged amid the changing"; others — from kuta, "anvil": that which is struck and does not itself change.
The second interpretation, I think, is livelier and better explains why this word is so beloved in these books. An anvil does not respond to blows and does not change from them; and what stands behind all changes is called by this same name.