Upaniṣads · Tripurātāpinī 99
॥
Devanāgarī
क्रियाकाण्डं सविषयं त्रैपुरमिति । अथ परमनिर्विशेषं कथयस्वेति । तान्होवाच भगवांस्तुरीयया माययान्त्यया निर्दिष्टं परमं ब्रह्मेति । परमपुरुषं चिद्रूपं
Transliteración (IAST)
kriyākāṇḍaṃ saviṣayaṃ traipuramiti | atha paramanirviśeṣaṃ kathayasveti | tānhovāca bhagavāṃsturīyayā māyayāntyayā nirdiṣṭaṃ paramaṃ brahmeti | paramapuruṣaṃ cidrūpaṃ
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
क्रिया-काण्डं स-विषयं त्रैपुरम् इतिkriyā-kāṇḍaṃ sa-viṣayaṃ traipuram itithe section on action, with objects, Tripura
अथ परम-निर्विशेषं कथयस्व इतिatha parama-nirviśeṣaṃ kathayasva itinow speak of the highest, devoid of distinctions
तुरीयया मायया अन्त्यया निर्दिष्टम्turīyayā māyayā antyayā nirdiṣṭamby the fourth māyā, the last, is indicated
परमं ब्रह्म इतिparamaṃ brahma itithe highest Brahman
परम-पुरुषं चित्-रूपम्parama-puruṣaṃ cit-rūpamthe highest Puruṣa, the form of consciousness
Traducción
«…the section on action, Tripura, with objects. Now speak of the highest, devoid of distinctions». — Said the Lord to them: by the fourth māyā, the last, is indicated — the highest Brahman, the highest Puruṣa, the form of consciousness…»
Versión
d3fe168fa9f4 · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
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Here is a passage for whose sake this book must be read to the end, and the most contested passage of all. What is asked for is parama-nirviśeṣa, «the highest, devoid of distinctions» — that is, in the very words that constitute advaita's banner. Nirviśeṣa means «without particulars, without distinguishing marks»; and the advaitic teaching holds that this, in the proper sense, is the highest, and that everything said about Him with marks is a concession to our weakness.
The question, then, is put point-blank. And it is worth seeing what is answered. The answer given is this: paramam brahma… parama-puruṣam cid-rūpam, «the highest Brahman, the highest Puruṣa, the form of consciousness». That is, to the request to describe the qualityless, an answer is given containing the word puruṣa, «person, man, human being».
This is the first thing, but not the main thing. The main thing is in the next line, where His properties are listed; and this list is such that after it, one can no longer speak of qualitylessness. We shall analyze it there.
For now, look at one thing. The request «speak of what is devoid of distinctions» and the answer given in the words «the highest Puruṣa» stand together in one sentence; and the author, apparently, felt no contradiction here. This is, incidentally, the usual state of affairs in these books: qualitylessness is proclaimed, and yet it is always someone who is being described.