उपनिषद् · Varāha 2.29
॥
देवनागरी
यः शरीरेन्द्रियादिभ्यो विहीनं सर्वसाक्षिणम् । परमार्थैकविज्ञानं सुखात्मानं स्वयंप्रभम्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
yaḥ śarīrendriyādibhyo vihīnaṃ sarvasākṣiṇam | paramārthaikavijñānaṃ sukhātmānaṃ svayaṃprabham
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
यः शरीर-इन्द्रिय-आदिभ्यःyaḥ śarīra-indriya-ādibhyaḥwho, from body, senses, and the rest
विहीनं सर्व-साक्षिणम्vihīnaṃ sarva-sākṣiṇamfree, witness of all
परम-अर्थ-एक-विज्ञानंparama-artha-eka-vijñānaṃthe one realization of the highest meaning
सुख-आत्मानं स्वयं-प्रभम्sukha-ātmānaṃ svayaṃ-prabhamblissful, self-luminous
अनुवाद
"Who [contemplates] the one, free from body, senses, and the rest, witness of all, — the one realization of the highest meaning, blissful, self-luminous…"
संस्करण
b95058daaf5f · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Worth noting is the definition sarva-sakshin, "witness of all," which stands in this chapter for the third time already (2.13, 2.24, and here). This repetition is no accident: it is the book's central definition, discussed when reading the Panchabrahma (36). Let us briefly repeat: a witness of all presupposes many; and this definition, repeated more insistently than any other, is, in my view, the best testimony against the reading the book leans toward elsewhere.
Let us add an examination of the word sakshin, not yet done. Sakshin is from sa-aksha, "with eyes present at": one who is present at and sees. In court usage this is the witness — one who saw and can testify.
Worth noting is that a witness, by his very position, is not a participant: he was present, but did not act. Hence this definition serves, in Vedanta, to separate the self from deeds: it is present at them, but does not perform them. The Vaishnava side accepts the definition and adds what was discussed when reading the Panchabrahma (14): the witness is also called preraka, "the impeller"; and the union of witnessing with impelling is resolved through anumatti, "consent."
That is, He is present, sees, and permits; while the person acts. And hence His witnessing is not dispassionate observation, but a participation of a kind in which responsibility remains with the doer.