उपनिषद् · Śvetāśvatara 4.21
॥
देवनागरी
अजात इत्य् एवं कश्चिद् भीरुः प्रपद्यते ।
रुद्र यत् दक्षिणं मुखम् तेन मां पाहि नित्यम्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
ajāta ity evaṃ kaścid bhīruḥ prapadyate /
rudra yat dakṣiṇaṃ mukham tena māṃ pāhi nityam
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अजातः इतिajātaḥ iti"Unborn!" — thus; with the words "beginningless"
एवम्evameven so; in just this way
कश्चित्kaścitsomeone; a certain man
भीरुःbhīruḥfrightened; in fear
प्रपद्यतेprapadyatetakes refuge; surrenders, seeking shelter
रुद्रrudraO Rudra; Rudra
यत् दक्षिणम् मुखम्yat dakṣiṇam mukhamthat right-hand face; that gracious countenance
तेनtenaby that; by that very one
माम् पाहिmām pāhiprotect me; guard me
नित्यम्nityamalways; at all times
अनुवाद
"Unborn!" — so, in fear, does a man take refuge in Him. O Rudra, by that gracious face of Thine protect me always.
संस्करण
4df0f1d25542 · प्रकाशित 28 जुल॰ 2026, 2:13:46 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The mantra is short, but in it stands a word destined to become one of the chief words of the whole tradition: prapadyate — "takes refuge", "surrenders, seeking shelter". From it come prapatti, self-surrender, and the śaraṇāgati of the later schools.
And it is notable who takes refuge: bhīru, "frightened", timid. Not a hero of contemplation, not a conqueror of the senses such as the second adhyāya spoke of, but one who is afraid. The Upaniṣad does not look down on him: fear is named a lawful ground for taking shelter.
With what word does he take refuge? "Unborn". That is, one who fears birth and death is given the Unborn to hold to. The refuge is chosen out of need — and it is a rightly chosen refuge.
The second half asks for the "right-hand face", dakṣiṇa mukha. The word dakṣiṇa means both "right" and "favourable, gracious". This is the same request as at 3.5: do not abolish Thy formidable side, but turn Thy benign one toward me.
And nityam is added — "always". The refuge-seeker asks not for a single rescue from trouble but for constant protection: the fear that brought him has already turned into a wish never to part.