Upaniṣads · Bhāvanā p33
॥
Devanāgarī
चिदग्निस्वरूपपरमानन्दशक्तिस्फुरणं वस्त्रम्
Transliteración (IAST)
cidagnisvarūpaparamānandaśaktisphuraṇaṃ vastram
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
चित्-अग्नि-स्वरूप-परम-आनन्द-cit-agni-svarūpa-parama-ānanda-of supreme bliss, whose form is the fire of consciousness
शक्ति-स्फुरणं वस्त्रम्śakti-sphuraṇaṃ vastrama flash of power — clothing
Traducción
A flash of the power of supreme bliss, whose form is the fire of consciousness — clothing.
Versión
4ef5a675cd1b · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The seventh service — vastra, clothing: the guest is dressed. It is reinterpreted as sphuraṇa, "flash," of power; this word was discussed when reading the Tripurā-tāpanī (21) and means the first stirring, not yet become a thing. It is worth noting why clothing in particular is matched with a flash, and the matching is no accident. Clothing is what envelops, that is, gives outline; and a flash of power does the same — what was formless takes on form.
In this sense the reinterpretation is correct, and the Vaiṣṇava side would agree with it, only turning it inside out. Where here it is said "clothing is a flash of power," she would say: power that has taken on form is the Lord's garment; and the world, in her books, is more than once called His clothing or His body. The very custom of dressing the image is among the most beloved of the Vaiṣṇavas and is worked out to the smallest detail: clothes are changed by season and by hour of day, warmer in winter, lighter in summer. From outside this looks like a child's game; but it is explained simply — this is how one treats one considered living, and one cannot treat him otherwise.
Here it is seen where the two methods lead. Reinterpretation frees one from the labor of sewing and washing; keeping the custom leaves the labor — and with it leaves the one for whom the labor is done.