Upaniṣads · Varāha 2.65
॥
Devanāgarī
आरोपितस्य जगतः प्रविलापनेन चित्तं मदात्मकतया परिकल्पितं नः । शत्रून्निहत्य गुरुषट्कगणान्निपाताद्गन्धद्विपो भवति केवलमद्वितीयः
Transliteración (IAST)
āropitasya jagataḥ pravilāpanena cittaṃ madātmakatayā parikalpitaṃ naḥ | śatrūnnihatya guruṣaṭkagaṇānnipātādgandhadvipo bhavati kevalamadvitīyaḥ
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
आरोपितस्य जगतः प्रविलापनेनāropitasya jagataḥ pravilāpanenaby the dissolution of the superimposed world
चित्तं मद्-आत्मकतया परिकल्पितंcittaṃ mad-ātmakatayā parikalpitaṃconsciousness, having become of my own nature
शत्रून् निहत्य गुरु-षट्क-गणात्śatrūn nihatya guru-ṣaṭka-gaṇāthaving slain the enemies from the sixfold host
गन्ध-द्विपः भवति केवलम्gandha-dvipaḥ bhavati kevalambecomes a musk-elephant, alone
Traducción
"By the dissolution of the superimposed world, consciousness becomes of my own nature; having slain the enemies from the sixfold host of grave ones, one becomes a musk-elephant, alone and non-dual."
Versión
b5bde9b0d2ed · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
An image is given, rare and hence worth examining: gandha-dvipa, "musk-elephant." So is called an elephant in must, when a fragrant fluid oozes from its temples; in this period it is unstoppable, and other elephants avoid it. This image, in Indian literature, means solitary superiority: it walks alone, and no one approaches.
Worth noting is that the image is precisely chosen and betrays a mood. Solitude here is not endured, but taken as a reward: he is alone — and this is good. Let us add what deserves saying of this in substance.
Solitary superiority is a state austerity leads to easily and unnoticed; and anyone who has observed people who have long worked on themselves in isolation has noticed this manner in them. The Vaishnava side sets against it not an argument, but the very structure of its practice: its service is communal, its singing choral, its food shared; and there is nowhere for a musk-elephant to remain there. Let us add its rule, discussed more than once: amanina mana-dena, "not seeking honor for oneself, but giving honor to others" (Shikshashtaka 3).
The sixfold enemy mentioned here is examined when reading the first chapter (1.10); and worth noting is that among them is mada, "pride" — the very thing the musk-elephant is famed for.