Upanishads · Tārasāra 3.7
॥
Devanāgarī
ओं यो ह वै श्रीपरमात्मा नारायणः स भगवान्कलास्वरूपो लक्ष्मणो भूर्भुवः सुवस्तस्मै वै नमोनमः
Transliteration (IAST)
oṃ yo ha vai śrīparamātmā nārāyaṇaḥ sa bhagavānkalāsvarūpo lakṣmaṇo bhūrbhuvaḥ suvastasmai vai namonamaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कला-स्वरूपः लक्ष्मणःkalā-svarūpaḥ lakṣmaṇaḥhaving the form of the fraction, Lakṣmaṇa
भूः भुवः सुवःbhūḥ bhuvaḥ suvaḥearth, atmosphere, heaven
तस्मै वै नमः नमःtasmai vai namaḥ namaḥhomage, homage to him
Translation
«…having the form of the fraction, Lakṣmaṇa; earth, atmosphere, heaven; homage, homage to him».
Version
bf01ac0e59f0 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Lakṣmaṇa and Śeṣa were discussed when reading the second pāda (2.9); here it is worth examining the word kalā, "fraction," by which he is denoted here. Kalā means "part, fraction, a sixteenth"; and in the teaching on descents it is one of three categories. The categories are these: aṃśa, "part"; kalā, "fraction of a part"; and svayaṃ-rūpa, "own form." The Bhāgavatam, having listed the descents, concludes: ete cāṃśa-kalāḥ puṃsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, "all these are parts and portions of the Puruṣa, but Kṛṣṇa is the Lord Himself" (1.3.28).
That is, the word kalā is a categorical designation, not a poetic one, and it places Lakṣmaṇa at a definite point in the reckoning. It is worth noting that this reckoning does not demean. A fraction is a fraction of the whole and of the same being as the whole; and in Vaiṣṇava teaching it is spoken of not as a lesser dignity, but as a less complete manifestation.
The distinction between "lesser in dignity" and "less fully manifest" deserves stating, because they are constantly confused. The sun at noon and the sun through a cloud are one sun; and the second is not a worse sun — it is the same sun, shown less. Let us add what follows from this for reading all such lists. Disputing who is higher makes sense only where different persons are meant. Where it says "part" and "fraction," the dispute dissolves by itself: parts do not compete with the whole.