Upaniṣads · Kaṭha 4.12
॥
Devanāgarī
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति ।
ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते ॥
एतद् वै तत्
Transliteración (IAST)
aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati /
īśāno bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate //
etad vai tat
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रःaṅguṣṭhamātraḥof the size of a thumb (aṅguṣṭha-mātra); a finger's measure; proportioned to a thumb
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥPuruṣa; the inner person
मध्येmadhyein the middle; in the midst; in the core
आत्मनिātmaniin the Ātman; in the heart-self
तिष्ठतिtiṣṭhatistands; abides
ईशानःīśānaḥthe Lord (īśāna); the Master; the Sovereign
भूतभव्यस्यbhūtabhavyasyaof past and future; of what was and what will be
नnanot; no
ततःtataḥafter this; from Him
विजुगुप्सतेvijugupsateshrinks back; he fears aversion
एतत्etatthis; he
वैvaiverily; indeed
तत्tatthat; That
Traducción
The Puruṣa of a thumb's size abides in the middle, within [the very heart] — the Lord of what has been and what shall be. [He who has known Him] no longer hides in fear. This, truly, is That.
Versión
7483c6e9f36b · publicado 26 jul 2026, 21:13:03 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ puruṣaḥ — "the Puruṣa of a thumb's size": one of the most enigmatic and best-loved formulas of the Kaṭha. The Lord of the times is contemplated in the heart as commensurate with the heart — of the size of a thumb: not because He is small but because He makes himself containable. The Infinite, wishing to be found, takes the measure of the cave in which He is sought — as the sun fits into a dewdrop while remaining the sun.
madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati — "he stands in the middle, within": in the middle of the being, in the core of the heart — not on the outskirts of experience but in the very centre from which all life radiates. īśāno bhūta-bhavyasya — "the Lord of what has been and what shall be": the title from verse 76 is repeated so that no doubt may remain: the small in measure is the very Great in power; in the heart there dwells not a "particle of the divine" but the Lord of the times in person.
na tato vijugupsate — "after that he does not hide in fear": the refrain of fearlessness. He who carries in his breast the Master of the future has no ambush in the future. This "Puruṣa of a thumb" is what later tradition will call the Paramātmā, the inner Lord; the Gītā (18.61) will point to Him by the same coordinates: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe… tiṣṭhati — "the Lord stands in the region of the heart of all beings".