Upanishads · Pañcabrahma 22
॥
Devanāgarī
पञ्चधा वर्तमानं तं ब्रह्मकार्यमिति स्मृतम् । ब्रह्मकार्यमिति ज्ञात्वा ईशानं प्रतिपद्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
pañcadhā vartamānaṃ taṃ brahmakāryamiti smṛtam | brahmakāryamiti jñātvā īśānaṃ pratipadyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पञ्चधा वर्तमानं तंpañcadhā vartamānaṃ taṃthat which abides fivefold
ब्रह्म-कार्यम् इति स्मृतम्brahma-kāryam iti smṛtamis remembered as the effect of brahman
ब्रह्म-कार्यम् इति ज्ञात्वाbrahma-kāryam iti jñātvāhaving known [it] as the effect of brahman
ईशानं प्रतिपद्यतेīśānaṃ pratipadyateone attains Īśāna
Translation
"That which abides fivefold is remembered as the effect of brahman; having known [it] as the effect of brahman, one attains Īśāna."
Version
4321b7fc8c29 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A pair of concepts is introduced, on which the whole remainder of the book will rest: kāraṇa and kārya, "cause and effect." It is said that the fivefold set is brahma-kārya, "the effect of brahman"; and that one who knows it as such attains Īśāna. It is worth examining what is asserted here, for this assertion is pivotal in Vedānta.
If the world is an effect, it is not an illusion: illusion has no cause, it is an error of sight. The Vaiṣṇava side insists on precisely this and distinguishes two teachings on effect, discussed when reading the Jābāla-darśana (6.49). Pariṇāma-vāda, "the teaching of transformation": the cause truly becomes the effect, as milk becomes curd. The effect, in this case, is real.
Vivarta-vāda, "the teaching of appearance": the cause only seems to be the effect, as a rope seems a snake. The effect, in this case, is unreal. It is worth noting that the present line uses the word kārya, "effect," not vivarta, "appearance"; and the verses to come will speak of clay and gold — that is, of transformation, not of illusion.
Let us add a distinction Vaiṣṇava commentators introduce that removes an old difficulty. They say: it is not He Himself who is transformed, but His śakti, "power." Milk is entirely transformed, and no milk is left; here what proceeds from Him is transformed, and the Source remains intact.
This teaching is called śakti-pariṇāma-vāda, and it was discussed when reading the Jābāla-darśana (5.1), where the image of fire and light was cited: light is fire and is not fire; and fire, meanwhile, remains in its place.