Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.15
॥
Devanāgarī
नातस्तारकः परमो मन्त्रः । तारकोऽयं पञ्चाक्षरः । कोऽयं शैवो मनुः । शैवस्तारकोऽयमुपदिश्यते मनुरविमुक्ते शैवेभ्यो जीवेभ्यः । शैवोऽयमेव मन्त्रस्तारयति
Transliteration (IAST)
nātastārakaḥ paramo mantraḥ | tārako'yaṃ pañcākṣaraḥ | ko'yaṃ śaivo manuḥ | śaivastārako'yamupadiśyate manuravimukte śaivebhyo jīvebhyaḥ | śaivo'yameva mantrastārayati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न अतस् तारकः परमः मन्त्रःna atas tārakaḥ paramaḥ mantraḥthere is no higher crossing-mantra than this
तारकः अयं पञ्च-अक्षरःtārakaḥ ayaṃ pañca-akṣaraḥthe crossing one — this five-syllable one
शैवः तारकः अयम् उपदिश्यतेśaivaḥ tārakaḥ ayam upadiśyatethe śaiva crossing one is taught
मनुः अविमुक्ते शैवेभ्यः जीवेभ्यःmanuḥ avimukte śaivebhyaḥ jīvebhyaḥthe mantra, in Avimukta, to living śaivas
Translation
«There is no higher, supreme crossing-mantra than this; the crossing one — this five-syllable one. What then is the śaiva crossing-mantra? — the śaiva crossing-mantra is taught in Avimukta to living śaiva beings; this śaiva mantra carries across».
Version
20e1593ff905 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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Tāraka, «the crossing one», is named, and the word deserves unpacking, for it is shared by both sides. From the root tṝ, «to cross over»; hence also tīrtha, «ford, holy place», and tāriṇī, «the one who carries across», discussed when reading Devī (19). That is, the mantra is called not «liberating» and not «sin-destroying», but — ferrying; and this image, as noted more than once, presupposes two banks and two persons.
Worth noting too the place: avimukte, «in Avimukta» — that is, in Kāśī, Vārāṇasī. The word avimukta means «unabandoned»: by tradition Śiva never abandons this city. The second half of the book will be almost entirely about it, and it is worth saying in advance that a new subject appears here: not substance, not rite, but place.
The Vaishnava side has its own word about tāraka, worth citing. For it the crossing-mantra is the Name; and the Kali-santaraṇa-upaniṣad, discussed at its own reading, is titled the same way — «the crossing of Kali» — and gives sixteen names for it. The word coincides fully; the object differs. There it is the Name that carries across; here, the Name and the city; and what gives the city such power the book will say further on.