Upanishads · Varāha 2.4
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं जितेन्द्रियो भूत्वा सर्वत्र ममतामतिम् । विहाय साक्षिचैतन्ये मयि कुर्यादहंमतिम्
Transliteration (IAST)
evaṃ jitendriyo bhūtvā sarvatra mamatāmatim | vihāya sākṣicaitanye mayi kuryādahaṃmatim
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एवं जित-इन्द्रियः भूत्वाevaṃ jita-indriyaḥ bhūtvāthus, having conquered the senses
सर्वत्र ममता-मतिम्sarvatra mamatā-matimthe notion of 'mine' everywhere
विहाय साक्षि-चैतन्येvihāya sākṣi-caitanyehaving abandoned, in the witnessing consciousness
मयि कुर्यात् अहं-मतिम्mayi kuryāt ahaṃ-matimin me, let him form the notion of 'I'
Translation
"Thus, having conquered the senses, having abandoned everywhere the notion of 'mine,' — let him form, in the witnessing consciousness, in me, the notion of 'I'."
Version
763c0511d48d · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The structure of this verse deserves examination, for it is subtle and usually slips by unnoticed. Two acts are prescribed: to abandon the notion "mine" and to form the notion "I." And the second — mayi, "in me," that is, in the speaker.
That is, a person is told to transfer his "I" from himself to Him. Worth noting is that this is not the same as "I am He." The formula "I am He" makes me the subject. Here, however, it says mayi kuryad aham-matim, "let him form the notion 'I' in Me": He remains the subject, and the notion "I" is transferred to Him.
The difference is grammatical and hence reliable; and the Vaishnava side gladly points to such phrasings. Let us add the first half, no less important: mamata-mati vihaya, "having abandoned the notion 'mine'." In the Indian analysis of bondage, two knots are distinguished: ahanta, "I-ness," and mamata, "mine-ness." The first knot is considering oneself the body; the second is considering things one's own.
And the book bids one untie both: leave "mine," transfer "I." The Vaishnava side does the same and calls it sharanagati, "surrender of oneself"; and of its six marks, discussed when reading the Krishna Upanishad (2.12). The first of the six is anukulyasya sankalpa, "resolve toward the favorable"; the last is karpanya, "acknowledging one's own helplessness."