Upanishads · Bhasmajābāla 2.59
॥
Devanāgarī
दक्षिणस्यां दिशि विष्णुः कृत्वैव मूर्धाञ्जलिं मामुपास्ते । प्रतीच्यामिन्द्रः सन्नताङ्ग उपास्ते । उदीच्यामग्निकायमुमानुरक्ता हेमाङ्गविभूषणा हेमवस्त्रा मामुपासते मामेव वेदाश्चतुर्मूर्तिधराः
Transliteration (IAST)
dakṣiṇasyāṃ diśi viṣṇuḥ kṛtvaiva mūrdhāñjaliṃ māmupāste | pratīcyāmindraḥ sannatāṅga upāste | udīcyāmagnikāyamumānuraktā hemāṅgavibhūṣaṇā hemavastrā māmupāsate māmeva vedāścaturmūrtidharāḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
दक्षिणस्यां दिशि विष्णुःdakṣiṇasyāṃ diśi viṣṇuḥin the southern quarter, Viṣṇu
कृत्वा एव मूर्ध-अञ्जलिं माम् उपास्तेkṛtvā eva mūrdha-añjaliṃ mām upāstehaving joined his palms above his head, worships me
प्रतीच्याम् इन्द्रः सन्नत-अङ्गः उपास्तेpratīcyām indraḥ sannata-aṅgaḥ upāstein the west, Indra, with bowed body, worships
उदीच्याम् अग्नि-कायम् उमा अनुरक्ताudīcyām agni-kāyam umā anuraktāin the north, fire-bodied, Umā, devoted [to him]
माम् उपासते वेदाः चतुर्-मूर्ति-धराःmām upāsate vedāḥ catur-mūrti-dharāḥworship me, the Vedas, bearing four forms
Translation
«In the southern quarter, Viṣṇu, having joined his palms above his head, worships me; in the west, Indra, with bowed body, worships; in the north — fire-bodied — Umā, devoted, worships, golden-bodied, golden-adorned, in golden garments; me indeed worship the Vedas, bearing four forms».
Version
48fe71cf311a · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
That Viṣṇu is depicted here as worshipping has already been discussed at the thirty-eighth line, and there is no need to repeat the analysis. Worth looking instead at something else — the arrangement. Brahmā is placed in the east, Viṣṇu in the south, Indra in the west, Umā in the north. And ten lines further on this book will say that the place of liberation, too, is in the south (2.60).
South in Indian reckoning is the quarter of Yama, lord of the dead; toward it the face of the deceased is turned, from it death comes. And it is precisely in this quarter that the book places both Viṣṇu and the gates of liberation. This proximity is not remarked upon and most likely not intended. But it is curious in that it agrees with what is said of Viṣṇu in his own books: the name of Viṣṇu is the name invoked at the hour of death.