उपनिषद् · Mahā 4.63
॥
देवनागरी
मत्त ऐरावतो बद्धः सर्षपीकोणकोटरे मशकेन कृतं युद्धं सिंहौघैरेणुकोटरे
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
matta airāvato baddhaḥ sarṣapīkoṇakoṭare maśakena kṛtaṃ yuddhaṃ siṃhaughaireṇukoṭare
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
मत्तः ऐरावतः बद्धःmattaḥ airāvataḥ baddhaḥthe frenzied Airāvata is tied; the raging Airāvata is tethered
सर्षपी-कोण-कोटरेsarṣapī-koṇa-koṭarein the hollow of a corner of a mustard seed; in the socket of a mustard grain's corner
मशकेन कृतम् युद्धम्maśakena kṛtam yuddhamby a mosquito a battle is waged; by a gnat a combat is contrived
सिंह-ओघैः रेणु-कोटरेsiṃha-oghaiḥ reṇu-koṭarewith hosts of lions in the hollow of a mote; with prides of lions in the socket of a dust-grain
अनुवाद
“The frenzied elephant Airāvata is tied up in the hollow of a corner of a mustard seed; a mosquito has waged battle with hosts of lions inside a mote of dust.”
संस्करण
3eafdb918b72 · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
A series of absurdities begins, and they are not here for amusement.
Airāvata is Indra's elephant, huge and white. He is tied “in the hollow of a corner of a mustard seed” — in the smallest thing that can be named.
A mosquito wars with hosts of lions, and wars inside a dust-mote.
The device is familiar in Sanskrit letters: to describe the impossible as calmly as one describes the everyday.
Why — verse 4.64 will say. For now note the construction of both pictures: in both, the enormous is placed inside the negligible.
This, by the way, is exactly what was said in earnest in 2.4: within a particle of consciousness universes drift like dust. Then it was of the Highest; now the same device depicts the world.