Upanishads · Kṛṣṇa 2.10
॥
Devanāgarī
स एव भगवान् युगे तुरीयेऽपि ब्रह्मकुले जायमानः सर्व उपनिषद उद्दिधीर्षुः सर्वाणि धर्मशास्त्राणि विस्तारयिष्णुः सर्वानपि जनान् संतारयिष्णुः सर्वानपि वैष्णवान् धर्मान् विजृम्भयन् सर्वानपि पाषण्डान्निचखान
Transliteration (IAST)
sa eva bhagavān yuge turīye'pi brahmakule jāyamānaḥ sarva upaniṣada uddidhīrṣuḥ sarvāṇi dharmaśāstrāṇi vistārayiṣṇuḥ sarvānapi janān saṃtārayiṣṇuḥ sarvānapi vaiṣṇavān dharmān vijṛmbhayan sarvānapi pāṣaṇḍānnicakhāna
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः एव भगवान्saḥ eva bhagavānhe himself, the lord
युगे तुरीये अपिyuge turīye apieven in the fourth age
ब्रह्म-कुले जायमानःbrahma-kule jāyamānaḥbeing born in a brahmin lineage
सर्वाः उपनिषदः उद्दिधीर्षुःsarvāḥ upaniṣadaḥ uddidhīrṣuḥwishing to extract all the upaniṣads
सर्वान् अपि जनान् संतारयिष्णुःsarvān api janān saṃtārayiṣṇuḥand wishing to ferry across all people
सर्वान् अपि वैष्णवान् धर्मान् विजृम्भयन्sarvān api vaiṣṇavān dharmān vijṛmbhayanunfolding all the Vaiṣṇava codes
Translation
"He himself, the lord, even in the fourth age, being born in a brahmin lineage, wishing to extract all the upaniṣads, wishing to disseminate all doctrines, wishing to ferry across all people, unfolding all the Vaiṣṇava codes, destroyed all false teachers."
Version
e6ac87fdb843 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The line speaks of an appearance in the fourth age, that is, in kali-yuga, and moreover in a brahmin lineage. It is worth noting what the one who appears is occupied with: he is uddidhīrṣuḥ, "wishing to extract" the upaniṣads; vistaraiṣṇuḥ, "wishing to disseminate" doctrines; santāraiṣṇuḥ, "wishing to ferry across" all people. That is, his occupation is not battle but explanation.
This distinction from the previous appearances is worth voicing. Lakṣmaṇa destroyed rākṣasas, Balarāma destroyed armies; this one interprets books. Let us add the words sarvān api janān, "all people": not the righteous, not the chosen, but all.
The Vaiṣṇava side reads this line as an indication of her own teachers — of Rāmānuja, of Madhva, of Caitanya; and it is worth saying that this reading is legitimate, for the description fits. All of them were born in brahmin lineages, all wrote commentaries on the upaniṣads and on the Vedānta-sūtra, all argued with other teachings, and all insisted on universal accessibility. Let us add, however, a qualification that honesty requires.
The last words of the line — sarvān api pāṣaṇḍān nyacakhāna, "destroyed all false teachers" — are polemical words; and every community reads them as being about its opponents. Hence it is worth remembering how "the destruction of false teachers" differs from the destruction of rākṣasas: it is accomplished by argument, not by weapons. And as long as this is so, it is a legitimate matter; the moment it turns against people, it ceases to be what is spoken of here.