Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.10
॥
Devanāgarī
पशुपाशविमोचकं पुरुषं कृष्णपिङ्गलमूर्ध्वरेतं विरूपाक्षं विश्वरूपं सहस्राक्षं सहस्रशीर्षं सहस्रचरणं विश्वतोबाहुं विश्वात्मानमेकमद्वैतं निष्कलं निष्क्रियं शान्तं शिवमक्षरमव्ययं
Transliteration (IAST)
paśupāśavimocakaṃ puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇapiṅgalamūrdhvaretaṃ virūpākṣaṃ viśvarūpaṃ sahasrākṣaṃ sahasraśīrṣaṃ sahasracaraṇaṃ viśvatobāhuṃ viśvātmānamekamadvaitaṃ niṣkalaṃ niṣkriyaṃ śāntaṃ śivamakṣaramavyayaṃ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पशु-पाश-विमोचकं पुरुषंpaśu-pāśa-vimocakaṃ puruṣaṃthe releaser of the bonds of the herd, the Person
कृष्ण-पिङ्गलम् ऊर्ध्व-रेतंkṛṣṇa-piṅgalam ūrdhva-retaṃdark-and-tawny, urdhva-retas
विरूपाक्षं विश्व-रूपंvirūpākṣaṃ viśva-rūpaṃodd-eyed, all-formed
सहस्र-अक्षं सहस्र-शीर्षंsahasra-akṣaṃ sahasra-śīrṣaṃthousand-eyed, thousand-headed
एकम् अ-द्वैतं निष्कलंekam a-dvaitaṃ niṣkalaṃone, non-dual, partless
Translation
«…the releaser of the bonds of the herd, the Person, dark-and-tawny, urdhva-retas, odd-eyed, all-formed, thousand-eyed, thousand-headed, thousand-footed, hands everywhere, the universal self, one, non-dual, partless, actionless, at peace, benign, imperishable, undiminishing…»
Version
1488deecbe35 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
In the description stand sahasra-akṣa sahasra-śīrṣa, «thousand-eyed, thousand-headed»; and this is straight from the Puruṣa-sūkta (Ṛgveda 10.90.1), where the Puruṣa is described: «thousand-headed, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed». Worth noting that this hymn is one of the chief ones in Vaishnava literature and is interpreted as being about Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa; here it is applied to Śiva. This transfer is usual in Indian books, and it is pointless to argue over it: the great hymns are used by everyone, and every school applies them to its own.
Worth noting, though, the word standing first: puruṣa, «Person, the One with a Face». It was discussed when reading Tripurātāpinī (99–100), where it was noted, above all, that wherever puruṣa stands, someone stands; and no abstraction can bear this word. Here it is placed beside paśu-pāśa-vimocaka, «releaser of the bonds of the herd» — that is, beside a deed directed toward others.
And it is this combination of the two words that is, to my mind, why the line deserves unpacking. A Person who releases; and everything standing further on — non-dual, partless, actionless — stands after this and does not cancel it.