Upanishads · Varāha 2.62
॥
Devanāgarī
सुषुप्तिकाले सकले विलीने तमसावृते । स्वरूपं महदानन्दं भुङ्क्ते विश्वविवर्जितः
Transliteration (IAST)
suṣuptikāle sakale vilīne tamasāvṛte | svarūpaṃ mahadānandaṃ bhuṅkte viśvavivarjitaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सुषुप्ति-काले सकले विलीनेsuṣupti-kāle sakale vilīneat the time of deep sleep, when all has dissolved
तमसा आवृतेtamasā āvṛtecovered by darkness
स्वरूपं महत् आनन्दंsvarūpaṃ mahat ānandaṃone's own nature, great bliss
भुङ्क्ते विश्व-विवर्जितःbhuṅkte viśva-vivarjitaḥone enjoys, free of the world
Translation
"At the time of deep sleep, when all has dissolved and is covered by darkness, — one, free of the world, enjoys one's own nature, great bliss."
Version
50499321f0f3 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Worth noting is that deep sleep is called the enjoyment of bliss, and, moreover, tamasa avrite, "covered by darkness." This combination is constant in the Upanishads and forms the chief difficulty of the teaching on deep sleep. If bliss is there, why is it covered by darkness? If darkness, what bliss can there be?
This is resolved thus: bliss is present, but is not known; a person enjoys it and does not know he enjoys it. Hence the usual testimony: in the morning one says "I slept sweetly and knew nothing"; discussed when reading the first chapter (1.6). The Vaishnava side accepts the testimony and draws a conclusion from it worth citing, for it settles the matter.
If the highest state is like deep sleep, it is a bliss one does not know about; and such a bliss is no different from non-being for the one in it. Hence it does not hold peace to be the goal; discussed when reading the Jabala-darshana (10.12). Let us add what it offers instead, following from the very difficulty.
If the trouble of deep sleep is that there is no one there to know, it is remedied not by deepening the sleep, but by awakening while bliss is preserved. And this is its description of the highest: not dreamless sleep, but a waking in which there is an object; and hence one who has attained is called, for it, nitya-jagaruka, "eternally awake."