उपनिषद् · Pañcabrahma 25
॥
देवनागरी
नकारादियकारान्तं ज्ञात्वा पञ्चाक्षरं जपेत् । सर्वं पञ्चात्मकं विद्यात्पञ्चब्रह्मात्मतत्त्वतः
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
nakārādiyakārāntaṃ jñātvā pañcākṣaraṃ japet | sarvaṃ pañcātmakaṃ vidyātpañcabrahmātmatattvataḥ
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
न-कार-आदि-य-कार-अन्तंna-kāra-ādi-ya-kāra-antaṃfrom the sound "na" to the sound "ya"
ज्ञात्वा पञ्च-अक्षरं जपेत्jñātvā pañca-akṣaraṃ japethaving known, let him repeat the five syllables
सर्वं पञ्च-आत्मकं विद्यात्sarvaṃ pañca-ātmakaṃ vidyātlet him know everything as fivefold
पञ्च-ब्रह्म-आत्म-तत्त्वतःpañca-brahma-ātma-tattvataḥby the essence of the five brahmans
अनुवाद
"Having known [it] from the sound 'na' to the sound 'ya,' let him repeat the five syllables; let him know everything as fivefold by the essence of the five brahmans."
संस्करण
031162c7fd8d · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
It is worth noting the order: jñātvā ... japet, "having known ... let him repeat." That is, knowledge first, repetition after. This order is usual in ritual books and has a basis: a mantra is not given to just anyone, and not before explanation. The Vaiṣṇava side reverses this order, and it is worth saying why, for the divergence here matters.
She says: repetition works even before understanding; and so the name is given at once, and understanding comes along the way. The basis given is not abstract but drawn from stories. Ajāmila knew nothing and was calling his son; this has been discussed more than once. Children singing along with adults understand nothing; and yet they are not sent away.
Let us add the argument from the very nature of the matter that she brings. If understanding were required before repetition, repetition would become a reward for learning; and the name, by her reckoning, is not a reward. There is, however, also something to be said in favor of the order given here, so it does not seem one-sided.
Repetition without understanding easily turns into habit, and habit into meaninglessness; and anyone who has heard how quickly and indistinctly a memorized text is recited knows how that ends. Hence the relation, to my mind, is this: one may begin without understanding, but one cannot continue without it. The first repetition is a call; the hundredth requires that a person know whom he is calling.