उपनिषद् · Gopāla-tāpanī Pūrva 17
॥
देवनागरी
ते होचुः । उपासनमेतस्य परमात्मनो गोविन्दस्याखिलाधारिणो ब्रूहीति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
te hocuḥ | upāsanametasya paramātmano govindasyākhilādhāriṇo brūhīti
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
ते होचुःte hocuḥthey said; then they asked
उपासनम्upāsanamworship; upāsanā, the order of veneration
एतस्य परमात्मनःetasya paramātmanaḥof this Supreme Soul; of the Highest Self
गोविन्दस्यgovindasyaof Govinda; belonging to Govinda
अखिलाधारिणःakhilādhāriṇaḥthe support of everything; who holds up all by Himself
ब्रूहि इतिbrūhi ititell, thus; relate it to us
अनुवाद
They said: tell us then the order of worship of this Supreme Soul, of Govinda, on whom everything rests.
संस्करण
e23deb222040 · प्रकाशित 28 जुल॰ 2026, 2:22:17 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The sages have had their answer about the form, the mantra and bhakti; now they ask about the order of worship — upāsanā. The question is practical: how is it to be done?
The word upāsanā literally means "sitting near": not reflection on a distant object but a staying beside. Hence everything that will be described further — the lotus seat, the drawing, the placing of the companions: this is the arrangement of a place where one sits near.
Two names given to the Deity here are remarkable. Paramātman — "Supreme Soul", a philosophical name from the language of Vedānta. Akhilādhārin — "support of everything", a cosmic name. And both are applied to Govinda, a cowherd's name. The book consistently keeps together what is usually kept apart: philosophical height, cosmic scale and village closeness.
What follows will be mantras full of tantric detail — the eight-petalled lotus, the triangle, the seed-syllables, the placing of the companions. To a reader used to abstract Upaniṣads they will come as a surprise; but it is precisely in them that one sees this book was written for those who mean to serve, and not only to reflect.