उपनिषद् · Mahā 2.5
॥
देवनागरी
आकाशं बाह्यशून्यत्वादनाकाशं तु चित्त्वतः न किंचिद्यदनिर्देश्यं वस्तु सत्तेति किंचन
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
ākāśaṃ bāhyaśūnyatvādanākāśaṃ tu cittvataḥ na kiṃcidyadanirdeśyaṃ vastu satteti kiṃcana
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
आकाशम् बाह्य-शून्यत्वात्ākāśam bāhya-śūnyatvātspace — by outer emptiness; expanse — because outwardly void
अनाकाशम् तु चित्त्वतःanākāśam tu cittvataḥyet not space — by consciousness; and not expanse — for it is awareness
न किंचित् यत् अनिर्देश्यम्na kiṃcit yat anirdeśyamnothing — for it cannot be pointed out; nothing, since it cannot be indicated
वस्तु सत्ता इति किंचनvastu sattā iti kiṃcanasomething — for there is being; and something, for it exists
अनुवाद
It is space, for outwardly it is empty; and not space, for it is consciousness. It is nothing, for it cannot be pointed out; and it is something, for it is.
संस्करण
6097f50339a1 · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Four assertions, cancelling each other in pairs. This is no confusion; it is a device.
Vedānta uses it where the subject fits none of our concepts. Of the Ātman one cannot say “space” — nor can one say “not space”. Both answers are wrong in their own way.
It is like space in that nothing is in it and it hinders nothing. Unlike it in that space is blind, while this shines.
“Nothing” — because there is nothing at which one can point a finger and say: here. “Something” — because being as such is He.
It is important to catch the order: what is denied is not His existence but our capacity to define Him. The difference is enormous, and on it depends whether the reader slides into emptiness or not.