Upaniṣads · Śvetāśvatara 1.15
॥
Devanāgarī
तिलेषु तैलं दधनीव सर्पिर् आपः स्रोतःस्व् अरणीषु चाग्निः ।
एवम् आत्मा आत्मनि गृह्यते ऽसौ सत्येनैनं तपसा यो ऽनुपश्यति
Transliteración (IAST)
tileṣu tailaṃ dadhanīva sarpir āpaḥ srotaḥsv araṇīṣu cāgniḥ /
evam ātmā ātmani gṛhyate 'sau satyenainaṃ tapasā yo 'nupaśyati
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
तिलेषुtileṣuin sesame seeds; in sesamum
तैलम्tailamoil; sesame oil
दधनिdadhaniin curds; in sour milk
इवivaas; like
सर्पिःsarpiḥclarified butter; ghee
आपःāpaḥwaters; water
स्रोतःसुsrotaḥsuin the streams; in river beds
अरणीषुaraṇīṣuin the fire-boards; in the araṇis
चcaand; as well as
अग्निःagniḥfire; flame
एवम्evamthus; in the very same way
आत्माātmāthe Ātman; He, the Highest
आत्मनिātmaniin one's own self; within one's own soul
गृह्यतेgṛhyateis grasped; is taken hold of
असौasauthat one; He
सत्येनsatyenaby truth; by truthfulness
एनम्enamHim; Him precisely
तपसाtapasāby austerity; by tapas
यः अनुपश्यतिyaḥ anupaśyatiwho looks after Him; who gazes along the way
Traducción
As oil in sesame seeds, as clarified butter in curds, as waters in river beds, as fire in the fire-boards — so is He grasped within one's own soul by him who looks for Him with truth and austerity.
Versión
7a406738e5c3 · publicado 28 jul 2026, 14:13:46 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Four images, and all of them about a hidden presence. Oil is in the sesame seed, though the seed does not look oily; ghee is in the curds, but it must be churned; water is in the dry bed, but it must be dug for; fire is in the wood, but it must be rubbed out. In no case is what is sought brought from outside — it is drawn from what is already at hand.
Hence it is said: ātmani gṛhyate, "He is grasped in one's own self". The place of the search is indicated with full definiteness: not there where one must go, but here where we already are.
But each image has a second side, easily forgotten: without labour not one of the four comes out. Sesame is pressed, curds are churned, the bed is dug, wood is rubbed. Presence does not mean availability; it means that the labour is not in vain.
The means are named briefly and without mystique: satyena tapasā, by truth and austerity. Truth stands first, and not by accident: one who distorts the truth in small things will not be able to see the Truth in the whole; a heart accustomed to dissembling makes a poor instrument of sight. Tapas is concentrated effort, a voluntary burden by which every practice is sustained.
The verb at the end is anupaśyati, literally "looks along", "discerns after". The prefix betrays that seeing follows a trail: first an indication — from a teacher, from śruti — and then one's own gaze following the indication. This string of images will later be taken up by Vaiṣṇava Vedānta as well: Baladeva cites the oil in sesame and in curds as an image of the Lord's nearness, who pervades everything while remaining indiscernible to the outward eye.