Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.19
॥
Devanāgarī
विश्वं भूतं भुवनं चित्रं बहुधा जातं जायमानं च यत्सर्वस्य सोमोऽहमेव जनिता विश्वाधिको रुद्रो महर्षिः
Transliteration (IAST)
viśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃ bahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānaṃ ca yatsarvasya somo'hameva janitā viśvādhiko rudro maharṣiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विश्वं भूतं भुवनं चित्रंviśvaṃ bhūtaṃ bhuvanaṃ citraṃthe whole world, what has come to be, the manifold universe
बहुधा जातं जायमानं चbahudhā jātaṃ jāyamānaṃ caborn and being born in many ways
यत् सर्वस्य सोमः अहम्yat sarvasya somaḥ ahamof all that, Soma am I
एव जनिताeva janitāindeed the begetter
विश्व-अधिकः रुद्रः महा-ऋषिःviśva-adhikaḥ rudraḥ mahā-ṛṣiḥRudra, surpassing the world, the great seer
Translation
«The whole world, what has come to be, the manifold universe, born and being born in many ways — of all that, Soma am I, indeed the begetter, Rudra surpassing the world, the great seer».
Version
d3b07a4de09f · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Viśva-adhika, «surpassing the world», is named, and the word deserves noting. Adhika means «beyond, more, surpassing»; and it is said He is greater than the world, not equal to it. This definition matters and plays a role in disputes about oneness. For if the highest is equal to the world, then the world exhausts it; but if it is greater, then something remains beyond the world.
The Vaishnava side stands on this word and cites it constantly. The Gītā says: «by Me, in an unmanifest form, this whole world is pervaded; all beings dwell in Me, but I do not dwell in them» (9.4); and the next verse adds: «nor do beings dwell in Me — such is My sovereign yoga» (9.5). This was discussed when reading Tripurātāpinī (90), where the same was expressed by the image of oil in oilcake: it pervades, and it remains beyond.
Worth noting too the word maharṣi, «great seer», applied here to the highest. This turn occurs in the Śvetāśvatara too: «He, the seer, knowing all» (3.4). A seer is one who sees; and this definition, like everything in this series, is a definition of a person, not of a principle.