उपनिषद् · Mahā 5.138
॥
देवनागरी
केचिच्चासंख्यजन्मानः केचिद्द्वित्रिभवान्तराः केचित्किन्नरगन्धर्वविद्याधरमहोरगाः
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
keciccāsaṃkhyajanmānaḥ keciddvitribhavāntarāḥ kecitkinnaragandharvavidyādharamahoragāḥ
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
केचित् च असङ्ख्य-जन्मानःkecit ca asaṅkhya-janmānaḥand some with countless births; certain ones with innumerable lives
केचित् द्वि-त्रि-भव-अन्तराःkecit dvi-tri-bhava-antarāḥsome with two or three existences between; others at a distance of two or three becomings
केचित् किन्नर-गन्धर्वkecit kinnara-gandharvasome are kinnaras, gandharvas; certain ones are kinnaras and gandharvas
विद्याधर-महा-उरगाःvidyādhara-mahā-uragāḥvidyādharas and great serpents; vidyādharas and mighty nāgas
अनुवाद
“…some with countless births, some but two or three existences old; some are kinnaras, gandharvas, vidyādharas and great serpents…”
संस्करण
f54d29eb4c03 · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The catalogue passes to the classes of beings, and first are named not gods and not men, but the semi-divine tribes.
The kinnaras are half-men half-horses, or half-birds — singers. The gandharvas are heavenly musicians. The vidyādharas are “bearers of knowledge”, wizards of the mid-air. The great nāgas are serpents of the underground waters.
All of them in the tradition occupy the place between men and gods.
Note that the catalogue proceeds not by rank but pell-mell, and this is deliberate. The next verses will set Viṣṇu and a blade of grass side by side.
Behind the different forms is one and the same thing: souls devising their vāsanās and receiving their shape accordingly.