Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.31
॥
Devanāgarī
पशवश्चामानवान्तं मध्यवर्तिनश्च युक्तात्मानो यतन्ते मामेव प्राप्तुम् । प्राप्यन्ते मां न पुनरावर्तन्ते
Transliteration (IAST)
paśavaścāmānavāntaṃ madhyavartinaśca yuktātmāno yatante māmeva prāptum | prāpyante māṃ na punarāvartante
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पशवः च आ-मानव-अन्तंpaśavaḥ ca ā-mānava-antaṃand the herd, up to man
मध्य-वर्तिनः चmadhya-vartinaḥ caand those in between
युक्त-आत्मानः यतन्ते माम् एव प्राप्तुम्yukta-ātmānaḥ yatante mām eva prāptumsouls yoked, strive to attain me
प्राप्यन्ते मां न पुनः आवर्तन्तेprāpyante māṃ na punaḥ āvartantehaving attained me, they do not return again
Translation
«And the herd — up to man — and those in between; souls yoked, strive to attain me; having attained me, they do not return again».
Version
f9cdb8ec2508 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is said a-mānava-antam, «up to man»: that is, among the «herd» are counted all beings, man included. This removes half of the previous image's unpleasantness. Not only animals are called bound: all are bound, and only their position on the ladder differs.
Worth noting the phrase na punaḥ āvartante, «they do not return again». This turn is constant in the upaniṣads and denotes departure from the cycle of birth. It stands in the Gītā too: «having attained Me, the great souls do not come to a new birth» (8.15); and there too — «that is My highest abode, having attained which, they do not return» (15.6).
Compare the two expressions, for they are almost identical, differing in one word. Here: mām eva prāptum, «to attain me». There: mām upetya, «having come to Me».
Both verbs are verbs of attainment; and both presuppose one who goes and a goal. This, to my mind, is what is worth holding onto from this whole passage. Whatever way the teaching of oneness is set out, the verbs of motion remain; and so long as the book says «strive to attain» and «having attained, do not return», it contains one who strives and the One who is attained.