Upaniṣads · Atharvaśiras 37
॥
Devanāgarī
बालाग्रमात्रं हृदयस्य मध्ये विश्वं देवं जातरूपं वरेण्यम् । तम् आत्मस्थं ये तु पश्यन्ति धीरास् तेषां शान्तिर् भवति नेतरेषाम्
Transliteración (IAST)
bālāgramātraṃ hṛdayasya madhye viśvaṃ devaṃ jātarūpaṃ vareṇyam / tam ātmasthaṃ ye tu paśyanti dhīrās teṣāṃ śāntir bhavati netareṣām
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
बालाग्रमात्रम् हृदयस्य मध्येbālāgramātram hṛdayasya madhyethe measure of a hair-tip, in the middle of the heart; a hair's tip in size, in the midst of the heart
विश्वम् देवम् जातरूपम् वरेण्यम्viśvam devam jātarūpam vareṇyamthe universal God, gold-born, most excellent; the world-god, gold-formed, desirable
तम् आत्मस्थम् ये पश्यन्तिtam ātmastham ye paśyantiwhom they see abiding in themselves; the one whom they behold dwelling in the self
तु धीराःtu dhīrāḥbut the steadfast; the firm of spirit
तेषाम् शान्तिः भवति न इतरेषाम्teṣām śāntiḥ bhavati na itareṣāmtheirs is peace, and not others'; to them falls quiet, to the rest none
Traducción
The measure of a hair-tip, in the middle of the heart — the universal God, gold-born, most excellent; those steadfast who see him abiding in themselves, theirs is peace, and not others'.
Versión
cea5fba9ad90 · publicado 29 jul 2026, 3:17:52 UTC
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A verse, not prose; and a verse the Upaniṣads share — both the Śvetāśvatara and the Kaivalya know it.
First the size: bālāgra-mātra — “the measure of a hair-tip”. The Śvetāśvatara sharpens it further: “the tip of a hair split a hundredfold, and a hundredth part of that”.
Why such minuteness?
Because the sought does not occupy space. Whatever has magnitude can be measured and compared with something; here magnitude is named only to mark a point.
Then it is said that this very one is viśva deva — “the universal God”. In a point the size of a hair — He who is the whole world.
This conjunction is constant in the Upaniṣads, and in it lies all their daring: the greatest is lodged in the smallest. The Chāndogya says the same of the seed of the fig.
Note the word dhīrāḥ — “the steadfast, the firm”. Not “the learned”, not “the saints”: those who do not waver.
And the last words, which the book does not soften: “theirs is peace, and not others'”. Śāntir bhavati netareṣām.
Said plainly and without consolation. Peace does not come of itself; it belongs to those who have seen.