Upanishads · Varāha 3.22
॥
Devanāgarī
क्व धनानि महीपानां ब्रह्मणः क्व जगन्ति वा । प्राक्तनानि प्रयातानि गताः सर्गपरम्परः । कोटयो ब्रह्मणां याता भूपा नष्टाः परागवत्
Transliteration (IAST)
kva dhanāni mahīpānāṃ brahmaṇaḥ kva jaganti vā | prāktanāni prayātāni gatāḥ sargaparamparaḥ | koṭayo brahmaṇāṃ yātā bhūpā naṣṭāḥ parāgavat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
क्व धनानि मही-पानांkva dhanāni mahī-pānāṃwhere are the riches of kings
ब्रह्मणः क्व जगन्ति वाbrahmaṇaḥ kva jaganti vāwhere the worlds of Brahma
प्राक्तनानि प्रयातानिprāktanāni prayātānithe former have gone
कोटयः ब्रह्मणां याताःkoṭayaḥ brahmaṇāṃ yātāḥmyriads of Brahmas have gone
भूपाः नष्टाः पराग-वत्bhūpāḥ naṣṭāḥ parāga-vatkings have perished, like dust
Translation
"Where are the riches of kings? Where the worlds of Brahma? The former have gone, cycles of creation have passed; myriads of Brahmas have gone, kings have perished, like dust."
Version
75b3947ad2e1 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse is a lament on the passing, and it has a thousand parallels in world literature; it deserves noting what distinguishes this one. Ordinarily kings and cities are listed. Here Brahmas are listed: kotayah brahmanam yatah, "myriads of Brahmas have gone."
That is, the reckoning proceeds not by human time-spans, but by the time-spans of creators; and this, in my view, is the distinctive feature of the Indian view. Let us add what stands behind this. If even Brahmas pass, then there is no rung on which to fix oneself; and every attainment, however highest in the world, is a temporary attainment.
We noted this when reading the Jabala-darshana (2.6), where Prahlada was cited: "I have seen that even Brahma comes to an end" (Bhagavatam 7.9.24–25). Let us add what the Vaishnava side draws from this, and which forms its usual move. From transience it draws not an aversion to life, but the choice of an object: since everything ends, one must occupy oneself with what does not end.
And its verse, cited when reading the Yajnavalkya (17), states: the fulfillment of every duty, not leading to devotion, is shrama eva hi kevalam, "nothing but vain labor" (1.2.8). The word paraga-vat, "like dust," deserves noting: dust is not destroyed, but scattered; and this image is gentler than an image of perishing — kings have not vanished, but been dispersed.