उपनिषद् · Kaṭha 6.5
॥
देवनागरी
यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके ।
यथाप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोर् इव ब्रह्मलोके
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
yathādarśe tathātmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke /
yathāpsu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke chāyātapayor iva brahmaloke
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
यथाyathāhow; like
आदर्शेādarśein a mirror (ādarśa); as in a looking-glass; in a reflecting surface
तथाtathāthus; like
आत्मनिātmaniin the Ātman; in himself
यथाyathāhow; like
स्वप्नेsvapnein dream; in the dream-state
तथाtathāthus; like
पितृलोकेpitṛlokein the world of the fathers (pitṛ-loka); in the world of the forefathers; in the abode of the departed
यथाyathāhow; like
अप्सुapsuin the waters; upon water
परीवparīvaas if a trembling [reflection] (parī-iva); waveringly, as in ripples; as though blurred
ददृशेdadṛśeis seen (perfect of √dṛś); is beheld; is beheld
तथाtathāthus; like
गन्धर्वलोकेgandharvalokein the world of the gandharvas (gandharva-loka); in the world of the celestial musicians; in the world of the spirits of beauty
छायातपयोःchāyātapayoḥof shade and sunshine (chāyā-ātapa); as shadow and radiance; of darkness and light
इवivahow; as it were
ब्रह्मलोकेbrahmalokein the world of Brahman (brahma-loka); in the highest abode of creation; in the world of the Creator
अनुवाद
As in a mirror — [so is He seen] in oneself; as in a dream — in the world of the fathers; as a [trembling reflection] in water — in the world of the gandharvas; as shade and sunshine — in the world of Brahman.
संस्करण
e9bf8d83daba · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 9:13:03 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
A ladder of the clarity of God-vision, ranged by worlds. yathādarśe tathātmani — "as in a mirror, so in oneself": in a purified heart He is seen clearly and directly, as a face in a good mirror: here is the highest appraisal of the human state — here, in the ātman, is the best vision available to an embodied being. yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke — "as in a dream, so in the world of the fathers": the after-death world of the forefathers sees Him dimly, through the drowse of satisfied desires; yathāpsu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharva-loke — "as [a reflection] in [rippling] water, so in the world of the gandharvas": the celestial musicians see the ripple of beauty, a trembling gleam; chāyātapayor iva brahmaloke — "as shade and sunshine, so in the world of Brahman": only at the summit of creation is the difference seen with final distinctness — like black and white at noon.
The hierarchy astonishes by its unexpectedness: human birth is set above the heavens! The worlds of enjoyment are worlds of dim vision: the sweeter the medium, the drowsier the soul; the earth, with its sobriety, its pain and its memory of death, is the best mirror. That is why there is such a contest for a human body (verse 105): the gods see worse than we.
And the summit of the scale is chāyā-tapau, "shade and sunshine": the very words with which vallī 3 (verse 55) named the two in the cave of the heart — the soul and the Lord. Perfect vision, then, is not the dissolving of all differences but their final clarity: to see oneself as the shade, Him as the Light, and never to confuse them again.