Upaniṣads · Mahā 5.161
॥
Devanāgarī
अपश्यत्सर्गवृन्दानि समतीतान्यनेकशः स्मरत्यथो स सकलान्सर्वधर्मगुणक्रमात्
Transliteración (IAST)
apaśyatsargavṛndāni samatītānyanekaśaḥ smaratyatho sa sakalānsarvadharmaguṇakramāt
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अपश्यत् सर्ग-वृन्दानिapaśyat sarga-vṛndānihe beheld the hosts of creations; he saw the multitudes of creations
समतीतानि अनेकशःsamatītāni anekaśaḥgone by, many times over; passed away, in great numbers
स्मरति अथ सः सकलान्smarati atha saḥ sakalānand then he remembers them all; and thereupon he recalls every one
सर्व-धर्म-गुण-क्रमात्sarva-dharma-guṇa-kramātin the order of all their laws and qualities; by the sequence of all their rules and properties
Traducción
“He beheld the countless hosts of bygone creations and remembered them all — in the order of all their laws and qualities.”
Versión
287d8e53cd37 · publicado 29 jul 2026, 6:29:20 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The answer to “what is first?” is received, and it is negative: there is no first.
Brahmā sees sarga-vṛndāni samatītāni — “hosts of bygone creations”.
That is, before him there already was — and beyond counting.
Note the verb smarati — “he remembers”. Not “learns of”, but precisely remembers: all this is already within him.
This is the ancient and coherent picture of the world: not a single creation, but an endless series of world-days.
The consequence for our question is important. To ask “whence did it all begin” is senseless not because the answer is hidden, but because there is no beginning.
Sarva-dharma-guṇa-kramāt — “in the order of all laws and qualities”. Each creation had its own order, and all are remembered.