SĀVITRĪ
UPANIṢAD
Part I –
Invocation and the First Two Verses
Introduction
The Sāvitrī Upaniṣad is a short but
philosophically rich Upaniṣad centered on the Gāyatrī Mantra:
tat savitur vareṇyaṃ
bhargo devasya dhīmahi
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt
Unlike many other Upaniṣads that directly
discuss Brahman, Ātman, or liberation, this text explains what
"Savitṛ" actually means.
Its central doctrine is:
Every force in existence appears as a
complementary pair.
The two are never truly separate.
Their union is called Mithuna (creative pair).
Ultimately both are one Brahman.
This is remarkably similar to:
- Śiva–Śakti
- Puruṣa–Prakṛti
- Consciousness–Energy
- Subject–Object
- Fire–Heat
The Upaniṣad repeatedly asks:
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
and answers through examples from the cosmos.
Opening
Benediction
ಸಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯುಪನಿಷದ್ವೇದ್ಯಚಿತ್ಸಾವಿತ್ರಪದೋಜ್ಜ್ವಲಂ ।
ಪ್ರತಿಯೋಗಿವಿನಿರ್ಮುಕ್ತಂ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರಪದಂ ಭಜೇ ॥
Translation
"I adore the state called Rāmacandra,
revealed through the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad,
radiant as the Consciousness denoted by the word Sāvitrī,
free from every duality and opposition."
Commentary
This verse is not part of the original
Upaniṣad.
It is a later maṅgalācaraṇa (auspicious
invocation).
Important expressions:
"ಚಿತ್ಸಾವಿತ್ರ"
Means
Consciousness itself as Savitṛ.
Thus Savitṛ is not merely the physical Sun.
He is
Consciousness that illumines everything.
This agrees with the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad
"The Sun shines because of Brahman."
"ಪ್ರತಿಯೋಗಿವಿನಿರ್ಮುಕ್ತ"
Literally:
free from every opposite.
No
- subject/object
- male/female
- existence/non-existence
- bondage/liberation
remain there.
This is pure Advaita.
Śānti
Mantra
ಓಂ ಆಪ್ಯಾಯಂತು ಮಮಾಂಗಾನಿ...
This is the standard Taittirīya Upaniṣad
peace invocation.
Translation
"May my limbs flourish.
May my speech,
my life-force,
my eyes,
my ears,
my strength,
and all my senses become strong.
Everything is Brahman,
revealed through the Upaniṣads.
May I never reject Brahman.
May Brahman never reject me.
May there never be separation between us.
May all the virtues taught in the Upaniṣads
abide in me,
who seeks the Self.
Om.
Peace.
Peace.
Peace."
Commentary
Notice the prayer is not
"Give me wealth."
Nor
"Give me heaven."
Instead it asks for
- healthy senses
- steady mind
- realization of Brahman
Knowledge is impossible without properly
functioning instruments.
Verse 1
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಅಗ್ನಿರೇವ ಸವಿತಾ
ಪೃಥಿವೀ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರಾಗ್ನಿಸ್ತತ್ಪೃಥಿವೀ।
ಯತ್ರ ವೈ ಪೃಥಿವೀ ತತ್ರಾಗ್ನಿಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Literal Translation
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Fire indeed is Savitā.
Earth is Sāvitrī.
Where Fire is,
there is Earth.
Where Earth is,
there is Fire.
These two are two wombs.
Together they are one pair.
Explanation
This establishes the Upaniṣad's recurring teaching.
Every pair consists of
Active Principle (Savitā)
and
Receptive Principle (Sāvitrī).
Why Fire?
Fire represents
- energy
- transformation
- sacrifice
- upward movement
- activity
Hence it is called
Savitā
the impeller.
Why Earth?
Earth represents
- support
- receptivity
- nourishment
- manifestation
- form
Hence
Sāvitrī.
"Where
Fire is, there is Earth"
A fire cannot exist independently.
It always needs
- fuel
- location
- substance.
"Where
Earth is, there is Fire"
Modern science beautifully confirms this.
Earth contains
- geothermal heat
- volcanic fire
- metabolic heat
- latent energy
Matter always contains energy.
Thus the Upaniṣad refuses absolute separation.
"Two
wombs"
Yoni literally
means
womb,
source,
origin.
Fire produces Earth.
Earth produces Fire.
Each becomes the source of the other.
This reciprocal causality is a recurring Vedic
idea: cause and effect continually interpenetrate rather than standing in a
one-way relationship.
"One
Mithuna"
"Mithuna" means
- pair
- couple
- union
- complementary polarity
The Upaniṣad does not say
Fire dominates Earth.
Nor
Earth dominates Fire.
Instead
together they form one reality.
This anticipates later Śākta philosophy, where
Śiva without Śakti is inert, and Śakti without Śiva is directionless. The two
are distinct in thought but inseparable in existence.
Philosophical
Meaning
Fire = Conscious Energy
Earth = Manifest Form
Reality consists of
Energy expressing itself as Matter.
The Upaniṣad teaches
Consciousness and manifestation are
distinguishable for understanding, but never ultimately separate.
Verse 2
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ವರುಣ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ಆಪಃ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ವರುಣಸ್ತದಾಪಃ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ಆಪಸ್ತದ್ವರುಣಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Varuṇa is Savitā.
Waters are Sāvitrī.
Where Varuṇa is,
there are waters.
Where waters are,
there is Varuṇa.
These are two wombs.
Together they are one pair.
Commentary
Varuṇa is often misunderstood simply as the
"god of the sea." In the Vedas he is far more than that.
He is:
- the guardian of ṛta (cosmic order),
- the sovereign of the waters,
- the deity associated with depth, moral order, and all-encompassing
presence.
The waters (āpaḥ) are not merely rivers
or oceans. They symbolize the flowing, life-giving, manifest aspect of reality.
Thus:
- Varuṇa (Savitā) is
the ordering, governing intelligence.
- Waters (Sāvitrī) are
its expressive medium.
Just as fire and earth are inseparable, law
and its manifestation are inseparable. Cosmic order is meaningful only where it
is expressed, and the flowing world presupposes an underlying order.
Philosophical
Insight
The first two verses reveal a consistent
pattern:
|
Savitā |
Sāvitrī |
Symbolism |
|
Fire |
Earth |
Energy and Form |
|
Varuṇa |
Waters |
Order and Manifestation |
In both cases, the Upaniṣad rejects dualism.
What appears as two principles is, in reality, a single creative unity (ekaṃ
mithunam). This refrain prepares the reader for the deeper insight that all
such pairs—cosmic, psychological, and even male and female—are ultimately
expressions of one Brahman.
SĀVITRĪ
UPANIṢAD
Part II –
Verses 3–9
The
Doctrine of the Cosmic Pairs (Mithuna)
Beginning with verse 3, the Upaniṣad continues
the same pedagogical method. Each verse asks:
Who is Savitā? Who is Sāvitrī?
The repetition is deliberate. It trains the
seeker to recognize that every apparent duality is a complementary
expression of one Reality. The Upaniṣad is not constructing a list of independent
correspondences but revealing a universal pattern.
Verse 3
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ? ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ವಾಯುರೇವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ಆಕಾಶಃ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ವಾಯುಸ್ತದಾಕಾಶಃ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ಆಕಾಶಸ್ತದ್ವಾಯುಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Literal
Translation
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Air indeed is Savitā.
Space is Sāvitrī.
Where air is,
there is space.
Where space is,
there is air.
These are two wombs.
They are one pair.
Commentary
Why Air?
In the Vedas, Vāyu is more than
atmospheric wind. It is:
- movement,
- life-force (prāṇa),
- dynamism,
- invisible activity.
Because it moves and impels, it is called Savitā.
Why Space?
Ākāśa is not
merely empty vacuum. It is the all-containing field in which everything exists.
The Taittirīya Upaniṣad even describes space as the first manifest element
emerging from Brahman.
Space:
- accommodates,
- contains,
- allows manifestation.
Therefore it is Sāvitrī.
"Where
air is, there is space"
Movement requires a field.
Without space, movement is impossible.
"Where
space is, there is air"
Pure space is never experienced apart from
activity.
Even modern physics sees "empty"
space as full of quantum activity rather than absolute nothingness.
The Upaniṣad is not making a scientific statement
but expressing a metaphysical insight: potential and activity are
inseparable.
Philosophical
Meaning
Air symbolizes dynamic consciousness.
Space symbolizes infinite possibility.
Movement and the field of movement are
mutually dependent.
Verse 4
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಯಜ್ಞ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ಛಂದಾಂಸಿ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ಯಜ್ಞಸ್ತತ್ರ ಛಂದಾಂಸಿ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ಛಂದಾಂಸಿ ಸ ಯಜ್ಞಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Sacrifice is Savitā.
The Vedic metres are Sāvitrī.
Where sacrifice is,
there are the metres.
Where the metres are,
there is sacrifice.
These two are one pair.
Commentary
This verse moves from cosmology to Vedic
ritual.
Why Yajña?
Yajña is action.
Offering.
Transformation.
Creation itself is described as yajña in the
Puruṣa Sūkta.
Hence it is Savitā.
Why
Chandas?
The Chandas are the Vedic metres:
- Gāyatrī
- Triṣṭubh
- Jagatī
- Anuṣṭubh
- etc.
The Vedas cannot exist without metre.
The sacrifice cannot exist without properly
recited mantras.
Thus Chandas become Sāvitrī.
Deeper
Meaning
Action without wisdom becomes chaos.
Knowledge without action remains sterile.
The Upaniṣad joins them into one living whole.
Psychological
Interpretation
Yajña
= purposeful effort
Chandas
= discipline and order
Together they produce meaningful life.
Verse 5
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಸ್ತನಯಿತ್ರುರೇವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ಸ್ತನಯಿತ್ರುಸ್ತದ್ವಿದ್ಯುತ್।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ವಿದ್ಯುತ್ತತ್ರ ಸ್ತನಯಿತ್ರುಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
Thunder is Savitā.
Lightning is Sāvitrī.
Where thunder is,
there is lightning.
Where lightning is,
there is thunder.
They are one pair.
Commentary
Thunder represents
- power
- command
- unseen force
Lightning represents
- visible illumination
- manifestation
- revelation
Thunder is heard.
Lightning is seen.
One reveals itself through sound.
The other through light.
Symbolically
Thunder
= hidden cause
Lightning
= visible effect
One cannot exist independently of the other.
Spiritual
Interpretation
The guru's teaching may first appear like
thunder—awakening and unsettling.
Insight flashes like lightning, illuminating
truth.
The Upaniṣad presents revelation itself as a
union of power and illumination.
Verse 6
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಆದಿತ್ಯ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ದ್ಯೌಃ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರಾದಿತ್ಯಸ್ತದ್ದ್ಯೌಃ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ದ್ಯೌಸ್ತದಾದಿತ್ಯಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
The Sun is Savitā.
Heaven is Sāvitrī.
Where the Sun is,
there is heaven.
Where heaven is,
there is the Sun.
They are one pair.
Commentary
This is perhaps the most obvious pairing.
Savitṛ is originally a solar deity.
Yet the Upaniṣad carefully distinguishes:
Āditya
(the luminous source)
from
Dyauḥ
(the celestial realm).
The source and its field are inseparable.
Deeper
Meaning
Sun
= illumination
Heaven
= the realm illuminated
Knowledge
= illuminator
Mind
= illuminated field
This anticipates Vedānta's distinction
between:
- the witness-consciousness (sākṣin), and
- the field of experience (kṣetra),
while reminding us that experience is
impossible without consciousness.
Verse 7
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಚಂದ್ರ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ನಕ್ಷತ್ರಾಣಿ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ಚಂದ್ರಸ್ತನ್ನಕ್ಷತ್ರಾಣಿ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ನಕ್ಷತ್ರಾಣಿ ಸ ಚಂದ್ರಮಾಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
The Moon is Savitā.
The stars are Sāvitrī.
Where the Moon is,
there are the stars.
Where the stars are,
there is the Moon.
These are one pair.
Commentary
This pairing is poetic rather than
astronomical.
The Moon governs
- rhythm,
- cycles,
- nourishment,
- mind.
The stars provide
- orientation,
- multiplicity,
- beauty,
- cosmic order.
The Moon appears as a central luminary among
countless stars.
Likewise,
One Consciousness appears amidst countless
individual minds.
Symbolically
Moon
= unity
Stars
= multiplicity
Advaita repeatedly teaches
The One appears as the many.
This verse expresses exactly that.
Verse 8
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಮನ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ವಾಕ್ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ಮನಸ್ತದ್ವಾಕ್।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ವಾಕ್ ತನ್ಮನಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
Mind is Savitā.
Speech is Sāvitrī.
Where mind is,
there is speech.
Where speech is,
there is mind.
They are one pair.
Commentary
This is among the most profound verses of the
Upaniṣad.
Why Mind?
Mind initiates.
It intends.
It imagines.
It decides.
Hence it is Savitā.
Why Speech?
Speech expresses.
It manifests.
It reveals what was hidden.
Therefore it is Sāvitrī.
The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad frequently explores
the relationship between manas (mind) and vāk (speech), showing
that thought and language are deeply intertwined. The Sāvitrī Upaniṣad echoes
this insight: thought seeks expression, and meaningful speech presupposes
thought.
Tantric
Interpretation
In Śrīvidyā,
Vāk is Divine Mother.
She is
- Parā
- Paśyantī
- Madhyamā
- Vaikharī
Speech gradually descends from pure
consciousness into audible words.
Thus
Mind
becomes
Speech,
just as Śiva manifests through Śakti.
Psychological
Insight
Every civilization begins
as an idea
before becoming
language,
then
culture.
Verse 9
Original
ಕಃ ಸವಿತಾ?
ಕಾ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ?
ಪುರುಷ ಏವ ಸವಿತಾ।
ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀ।
ಸ ಯತ್ರ ಪುರುಷಸ್ತತ್ಸ್ತ್ರೀ।
ಯತ್ರ ವಾ ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಸ ಪುರುಷಃ।
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ।
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
Translation
Man is Savitā.
Woman is Sāvitrī.
Where man is,
there is woman.
Where woman is,
there is man.
These are two wombs.
They are one pair.
Commentary
This is often misunderstood if read through
the lens of social hierarchy. The Upaniṣad is not assigning superiority or
inferiority. It follows the same symbolic structure used throughout the
previous verses.
Just as:
- Fire and Earth,
- Air and Space,
- Mind and Speech,
are complementary and interdependent, so too
are Man and Woman.
The concluding refrain is unchanged:
ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ — "They are one pair."
The emphasis falls not on difference but on
inseparability.
Beyond
Biology
On one level, this verse refers to human
procreation: life arises through the union of male and female.
On a deeper level, puruṣa and strī
symbolize complementary principles present in every being:
- initiative and receptivity,
- consciousness and creative power,
- stillness and expression.
Later Śākta and Śaiva traditions articulate
this as Śiva–Śakti, while Sāṅkhya speaks of Puruṣa–Prakṛti. The Upaniṣad
anticipates these later formulations by presenting duality as a pedagogical
distinction rather than an ultimate division.
Summary
of Verses 3–9
|
Savitā |
Sāvitrī |
Symbolic Meaning |
|
Air |
Space |
Movement and Field |
|
Sacrifice |
Vedic Metres |
Action and Sacred Order |
|
Thunder |
Lightning |
Hidden Power and Manifest Light |
|
Sun |
Heaven |
Illumination and Realm |
|
Moon |
Stars |
Unity and Multiplicity |
|
Mind |
Speech |
Thought and Expression |
|
Man |
Woman |
Consciousness and Creative Manifestation |
The Central
Teaching So Far
Across all nine pairs (including Fire–Earth
and Varuṇa–Waters), the Upaniṣad repeats a single refrain:
ತೇ ದ್ವೇ ಯೋನೀ । ತದೇಕಂ ಮಿಥುನಂ॥
"These are two sources; together they are
one creative pair."
The message is not that reality is
fundamentally divided into two. Rather, the "two" are complementary
modes through which the one Brahman becomes knowable. The Upaniṣad uses
familiar cosmic and human relationships to train the mind to see unity in
apparent duality.
In Part III (Verses 10–12), the text
turns from these symbolic pairs to the three pādas (feet) of the Gāyatrī
mantra, interpreting each segment of the mantra in light of the cosmology
established in the first nine verses. This is the theological heart of the
Upaniṣad.
SĀVITRĪ
UPANIṢAD
Part III –
Verses 10–12
The Three
Pādas (Feet) of the Gāyatrī
Having established that the entire universe
consists of complementary Savitā–Sāvitrī pairs, the Upaniṣad now turns
to the Gāyatrī Mantra itself.
It interprets each of its three pādas
(metrical feet) not merely as words to be recited but as cosmic principles.
The mantra is no longer seen as a prayer alone; it becomes a map of reality.
The
Gāyatrī Mantra
ॐ
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात्
The mantra consists of three pādas of eight
syllables each (excluding Om), making the Gāyatrī metre of twenty-four
syllables.
The Upaniṣad associates each pāda with one of
the three worlds (vyāhṛtis):
|
Pāda |
World |
|
तत्सवितुर्वरेण्यं |
Bhūḥ (Earth) |
|
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि |
Bhuvaḥ (Mid-region) |
|
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् |
Svaḥ (Heaven) |
This echoes the Vedic understanding that the
Gāyatrī pervades all three realms.
Verse 10
Original
ತಸ್ಯಾ ಏವ (ಏಷ) ಪ್ರಥಮಃ ಪಾದೋ ಭೂಃ
ತತ್ಸವಿತುರ್ವರೇಣ್ಯಮಿತಿ
ಅಗ್ನಿರ್ವೈ ವರೇಣ್ಯಂ
ಆಪೋ ವರೇಣ್ಯಂ
ಚಂದ್ರಮಾ ವರೇಣ್ಯಂ॥
Literal
Translation
This indeed is its first pāda:
Bhūḥ
namely,
tat savitur vareṇyam.
Fire is indeed worthy of adoration.
Waters are worthy of adoration.
The Moon is worthy of adoration.
Grammatical
Note
The important word is
वरेण्य (vareṇya)
from the root
√वृ (vṛ)
meaning
to choose,
to prefer,
to select.
Thus
vareṇyam
means
worthy of being chosen,
worthy of reverence,
adorable,
excellent.
Why
Fire?
Earlier,
Fire represented
Savitā.
Now it becomes
Vareṇya
because
it transforms everything.
Fire cooks.
Fire purifies.
Fire illuminates.
Fire performs sacrifice.
In Vedic thought,
every transformation is sacred.
Why
Water?
Water nourishes.
Purifies.
Sustains life.
Without water,
fire cannot function in creation,
nor can living beings survive.
Thus
Water is equally worthy of reverence.
Why
Moon?
The Moon governs
- plants
- sap
- growth
- rhythm
- fertility
- mind
The Vedas frequently connect Soma (the Moon)
with nourishment and immortality.
Thus
Moon also becomes
Vareṇya.
Critical
Commentary
Notice something striking.
The mantra says
Tat Savitur Vareṇyam
The Upaniṣad does not interpret
"Vareṇya" as referring exclusively to the Sun.
Instead,
it expands the meaning.
Anything through which Divine Reality shines
is worthy of reverence.
This is characteristic of the Upaniṣadic
movement from ritual symbolism toward metaphysical universality.
Philosophical
Meaning
The first pāda teaches
Learn to perceive the sacred in creation.
Fire,
Water,
Moon—
all become windows to Brahman.
This recalls the Īśā Upaniṣad's opening
declaration:
īśāvāsyam idaṃ sarvam
"All this is pervaded by the Lord."
Verse 11
Original
ತಸ್ಯಾ ಏವ ದ್ವಿತೀಯಃ ಪಾದಃ
ಭುವಃ
ಭರ್ಗೋ ದೇವಸ್ಯ ಧೀಮಹೀತಿ
ಅಗ್ನಿರ್ವೈ ಭರ್ಗಃ
ಆದಿತ್ಯೋ ವೈ ಭರ್ಗಃ
ಚಂದ್ರಮಾ ವೈ ಭರ್ಗಃ॥
Literal
Translation
This indeed is its second pāda:
Bhuvaḥ
namely,
bhargo devasya dhīmahi.
Fire indeed is Bharga.
The Sun indeed is Bharga.
The Moon indeed is Bharga.
Meaning
of Bharga
The word
Bharga (भर्ग)
is one of the most discussed words in the
Gāyatrī.
It comes from the root
√भृज् (bhṛj)
meaning
to burn,
to shine,
to purify.
Hence
Bharga means
- divine radiance,
- purifier,
- remover of ignorance,
- effulgent consciousness.
Śaṅkara and Sāyaṇa both understand bharga
as the luminous power that destroys ignorance, though they emphasize different
aspects of its radiance.
Why
Fire?
Fire burns impurities.
Therefore
Fire
is Bharga.
Why Sun?
The Sun removes darkness.
Therefore
Sun
is Bharga.
This is perhaps the most intuitive
identification, as the Vedic Savitṛ is closely linked to the solar deity.
Why
Moon?
At first glance,
Moon seems opposite to Fire.
Yet the Upaniṣad again joins them.
The Moon removes
the darkness of night
through gentle light.
Moreover,
the Moon nourishes medicinal herbs.
Its illumination is not destructive,
but soothing.
Thus
both fiery brilliance
and cooling brilliance
are expressions of
Bharga.
"Dhīmahi"
The mantra says
dhīmahi
"We meditate."
The Upaniṣad does not elaborate here,
but meditation is implied.
Knowledge does not arise
merely by hearing.
It requires
steady contemplation.
Philosophical
Insight
The second pāda shifts attention
from
reverence
to
illumination.
The first pāda says
"Recognize the sacred."
The second says
"Meditate upon its radiance."
Verse 12
Original
ತಸ್ಯಾ ಏಷ ತೃತೀಯಃ ಪಾದಃ
ಸ್ವಃ
ಧಿಯೋ ಯೋ ನಃ ಪ್ರಚೋದಯಾತ್
ಇತಿ
ಸ್ತ್ರೀ ಚೈವ ಪುರುಷಶ್ಚ
ಪ್ರಜನಯತಃ॥
Literal
Translation
This is the third pāda:
Svaḥ
namely,
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt.
Woman and man together generate offspring.
At first reading, this conclusion may seem
abrupt, but it follows directly from the Upaniṣad's earlier cosmology.
Meaning
of "Dhiyo"
Dhī means:
- intelligence,
- insight,
- higher understanding,
- contemplative faculty.
The plural dhiyo ("our intellects")
refers to the collective human capacity for discernment.
The prayer is not merely for information or
cleverness but for awakened understanding.
Meaning
of "Pracodayāt"
Derived from the root:
√चुद् (cud)
to impel,
to inspire,
to set in motion.
Thus:
"May He inspire our intellects."
The request is for the inner awakening that
turns knowledge into wisdom.
Why Does
the Upaniṣad Mention Man and Woman Here?
This surprises many readers.
After discussing the intellect,
the Upaniṣad suddenly says
Man and woman generate offspring.
This is intentional.
Throughout the text,
every creative act has arisen from a mithuna
(pair).
Now the Upaniṣad concludes:
The highest form of creation is not merely
biological reproduction. Rather, all generation—whether of children, ideas,
speech, or spiritual insight—depends on the harmonious cooperation of
complementary principles.
In the context of the mantra, inspired
intellect is itself a kind of "birth." Just as physical life arises
through the union of complementary forces, awakened wisdom arises when
consciousness and its expressive power work together.
The
Three Pādas as a Spiritual Journey
The Upaniṣad's interpretation can be
summarized as follows:
|
Pāda |
Key Word |
Inner Meaning |
|
tat savitur vareṇyam |
Reverence |
Recognize the Divine in the world |
|
bhargo devasya dhīmahi |
Meditation |
Contemplate the Divine radiance |
|
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt |
Inspiration |
Allow that radiance to awaken the intellect |
This progression mirrors many Upaniṣadic
paths:
- Recognition (śravaṇa
– hearing the truth),
- Contemplation (manana
– reflecting on it),
- Transformation (nididhyāsana
– assimilating it until it shapes one's life).
While the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad does not explicitly
use these Vedāntic terms, its movement from reverence to meditation to inspired
understanding resonates strongly with that later framework.
Connection
with Earlier Verses
The first nine verses taught:
Every duality is one reality.
These verses teach:
The Gāyatrī mantra itself embodies that one
reality.
The mantra is therefore not only a prayer
addressed to the Divine but also a contemplative summary of the universe:
- the Divine is worthy of reverence (vareṇya),
- shines as purifying radiance (bharga),
- and awakens the intellect (dhiyo... pracodayāt).
The Upaniṣad thus transforms the Gāyatrī from
a liturgical recitation into a philosophical vision of creation, consciousness,
and spiritual awakening.
SĀVITRĪ
UPANIṢAD
Part IV –
Verses 13–15
The Fruit
of Realizing Sāvitrī and the Balā–Atibalā Vidyā
With verse 13, the Upaniṣad reaches its
conclusion. Having explained:
- the universe as complementary Savitā–Sāvitrī pairs,
- the Gāyatrī as the essence of the three worlds,
- and the awakening of the intellect,
it now asks:
What is gained by knowing this?
The answer is strikingly Upaniṣadic.
Not heaven.
Not miraculous powers.
Not ritual merit.
But freedom from repeated death.
Verse 13
Original
ಯೋ ವಾ ಏತಾಂ ಸಾವಿತ್ರೀಮೇವಂ ವೇದ
ಸ ಪುನರ್ಮೃತ್ಯುಂ ಜಯತಿ॥
Literal
Translation
"He who thus knows this Sāvitrī,
conquers repeated death."
Word-by-Word
Analysis
ಯಃ (yaḥ)
"He who"
Not restricted by caste, gender, or social
status in the wording itself. The Upaniṣadic emphasis is on the knower (vidvān),
not merely the ritual performer.
ಏವಂ ವೇದ (evaṃ
veda)
"Knows thus."
This is one of the most important expressions
in the Upaniṣads.
It does not mean
memorizes,
or
recites.
It means
realizes through direct knowledge.
Compare:
ya evaṃ veda
appears repeatedly in
- Chāndogya
- Bṛhadāraṇyaka
- Taittirīya
- Praśna Upaniṣads.
The Upaniṣads consistently distinguish between
information and realization.
ಪುನರ್ಮೃತ್ಯು (punar-mṛtyu)
Literally:
repeated death.
Not merely physical death.
It means
the endless cycle of
- birth,
- death,
- ignorance,
- sorrow,
- rebirth.
The same expression occurs in the Kaṭha
Upaniṣad, where Yama contrasts transient attainments with the knowledge
that leads beyond death.
Commentary
Why does knowledge of Sāvitrī destroy death?
The Upaniṣad has spent twelve verses teaching
one central insight:
There are not two realities.
Only one Reality appearing as two.
Death belongs to
- body,
- personality,
- individuality,
- ego.
But
the Reality underlying all complementary pairs
never dies.
The knower ceases to identify exclusively with
the transient and recognizes the ever-present Brahman.
This echoes the Bhagavad Gītā (2.20):
"The Self is never born and never
dies."
Thus
one who knows
Sāvitrī
knows
Brahman.
Balā–Atibalā
Vidyā
The Upaniṣad now introduces a mantra tradition.
This section seems, at first glance,
unrelated.
Actually,
it represents
the practical application
of Gāyatrī.
Introductory
Statement
ಬಲಾತಿಬಲಯೋರ್ವಿರಾಟ್ ಪುರುಷ ಋಷಿಃ।
ಗಾಯತ್ರೀ ಛಂದಃ।
ಗಾಯತ್ರೀ ದೇವತಾ।
Translation:
"The seer (ṛṣi) of Balā and Atibalā is Virāṭ
Puruṣa.
The metre is Gāyatrī.
The deity is Gāyatrī."
What are
Balā and Atibalā?
These are ancient Vidyās (sacred
contemplative formulas).
They are also famous from the Vālmīki
Rāmāyaṇa (Bāla Kāṇḍa).
There Viśvāmitra teaches Balā and Atibalā
to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.
He says these Vidyās bestow:
- freedom from fatigue,
- freedom from hunger,
- freedom from thirst,
- brilliance,
- memory,
- protection.
The Upaniṣad assumes familiarity with that
tradition and presents these powers as flowing from the Gāyatrī.
Nyāsa and
Bīja
ಅಕಾರೋಕಾರಮಕಾರಾ ಬೀಜಾದ್ಯಾಃ
The seed syllables are
A
U
M
the components of
Om.
The Upaniṣad thus connects Balā–Atibalā
directly with the Praṇava (Om), indicating that their deepest source is
not magical sound but the primordial vibration identified with Brahman.
Dhyāna
Verse
Original
ಅಮೃತಕರತಲಾಗ್ರೌ
ಸರ್ವಸಂಜೀವನಾಢ್ಯೌ
ಅಘಹರಣಸುದಕ್ಷೌ
ವೇದಸಾರೇ ಮಯೂಖೇ
ಪ್ರಣವಮಯವಿಕಾರೌ
ಭಾಸ್ಕರಾಕಾರದೇಹೌ
ಸತತಮನೂಭವೇಽಹಂ
ತೌ ಬಲಾತಿಬಲಾಂತೌ
Translation
"I constantly contemplate those two—
Balā and Atibalā—
whose hands bestow nectar,
who possess the power of restoring life,
who are skilled in removing sin,
who shine as the very essence of the Vedas,
who are transformations of Om,
whose forms resemble the radiant Sun."
Commentary
Notice
Balā and Atibalā
are personified.
This is common in Tantra.
Knowledge itself
becomes
a Goddess.
Power
becomes
Divine.
"Hands
holding nectar"
Nectar
(amṛta)
means
immortality.
Thus
knowledge
bestows
deathlessness.
This echoes verse 13.
"Essence
of the Vedas"
The Upaniṣad is making a remarkable claim.
The essence of
all Vedic knowledge
is
the realization symbolized by Gāyatrī.
This recalls the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad,
which distinguishes lower knowledge (ritual, grammar, recitation, etc.) from
the higher knowledge by which the Imperishable is known.
"Transformations
of Om"
This is pure Vedānta.
Everything originates from
Om.
Balā and Atibalā
are not independent deities.
They are manifestations
of
Praṇava.
The
Balā–Atibalā Mantra
The mantra begins:
ಓಂ ಹ್ರೀಂ ಬಲೇ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ
ಹ್ರೀಂ ಮಹಾಬಲೇ
ಕ್ಲೀಂ...
This is unmistakably Tantric in style.
Notice the presence of
- Om
- Hrīṃ
- Klīṃ
- Huṃ
- Phaṭ
- Svāhā
These are bīja-mantras that became
especially prominent in later Śākta and Tāntric traditions.
Is This
Original?
This is an important textual question.
Most scholars believe:
- Verses 1–13 form the older Upaniṣadic core.
- The Balā–Atibalā section was incorporated later, when the Upaniṣad
came to be transmitted within Śākta circles.
Several features support this view:
- The earlier prose resembles the style of ancient Upaniṣads.
- The mantra section uses later Tantric bījas such as Hrīṃ, Klīṃ,
Huṃ, and Phaṭ.
- The emphasis shifts from philosophical exposition to mantra
practice.
This does not diminish its spiritual value; it
simply reflects the historical development of the text.
Verse 15
Original
ಏವಂ ವಿದ್ವಾನ್
ಕೃತಕೃತ್ಯೋ ಭವತಿ।
ಸಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯಾ ಏವ ಸಲೋಕತಾಂ ಜಯತಿ।
ಇತ್ಯುಪನಿಷತ್॥
Literal Translation
"Thus the knower becomes one who has
accomplished what is to be accomplished.
He attains the same world as Sāvitrī.
Thus ends the Upaniṣad."
"ಕೃತಕೃತ್ಯಃ"
One of the greatest expressions in Vedānta.
Literally
"one who has done
what had to be done."
Nothing remains.
No existential incompleteness.
No spiritual lack.
No compulsion.
The Bhagavad Gītā (3.17) expresses a
similar ideal:
"For one who delights in the Self and is
satisfied in the Self alone, there remains nothing that must be done."
This does not imply inactivity, but freedom
from the sense of deficiency that drives action.
"ಸಲೋಕತಾ"
Literally
dwelling in the same world.
In Bhakti literature,
this is often understood as reaching the
deity's divine abode.
From an Upaniṣadic standpoint,
it can also be read as abiding in the same
plane of consciousness as Sāvitrī—sharing in the Divine Reality rather than
merely reaching a physical location.
Thus, "Sāvitrī's world" symbolizes
participation in the luminous consciousness celebrated throughout the Upaniṣad.
Final
Philosophical Summary
The Upaniṣad begins with:
Who is Savitā?
It ends with:
Become one with Sāvitrī.
Between those two points lies its entire
teaching.
The
Progressive Structure
|
Stage |
Teaching |
|
Verses 1–9 |
Reality appears as complementary pairs (mithuna). |
|
Verses 10–12 |
The Gāyatrī mantra embodies the structure of the cosmos and the ascent
of understanding. |
|
Verse 13 |
Realization of this truth frees one from repeated death (punar-mṛtyu). |
|
Verse 14 |
The Balā–Atibalā tradition expresses this realization in contemplative
and mantra form. |
|
Verse 15 |
The realized person becomes kṛtakṛtya and attains unity with
Sāvitrī. |
The
Central Message of the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad
The Upaniṣad is not fundamentally about the
physical Sun, nor merely about the recitation of the Gāyatrī mantra. It is a
meditation on the unity underlying all apparent dualities.
Every pair—Fire and Earth, Varuṇa and Waters,
Air and Space, Mind and Speech, Man and Woman—is presented as a mithuna,
a complementary union. These pairs are pedagogical tools that train the seeker
to recognize that distinction need not imply separation.
The Gāyatrī mantra then becomes the
contemplative expression of this vision. It teaches us to:
- Recognize the Divine as worthy of reverence (vareṇya),
- Meditate upon Its purifying radiance (bharga),
- Allow that radiance to awaken our
understanding (dhiyo... pracodayāt).
When this knowledge ceases to be merely
conceptual and becomes lived realization (evaṃ veda), the seeker is said
to conquer repeated death—not by escaping the world, but by knowing the
imperishable Reality that shines through every form.
Thus, the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad offers a vision in
which the cosmos, the Gāyatrī mantra, and the awakened intellect are all
expressions of one luminous Brahman. Its recurring refrain, tad ekaṃ
mithunam ("that is one pair"), points beyond duality toward the
non-dual truth in which all complementary principles find their unity.
SĀVITRĪ
UPANIṢAD
Complete
English Translation
Invocation
ಸಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯುಪನಿಷದ್ವೇದ್ಯಚಿತ್ಸಾವಿತ್ರಪದೋಜ್ಜ್ವಲಂ ।
ಪ್ರತಿಯೋಗಿವಿನಿರ್ಮುಕ್ತಂ ರಾಮಚಂದ್ರಪದಂ ಭಜೇ ॥
I adore the supreme state called Rāmacandra,
revealed by the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad, radiant as the Consciousness signified by the
word Sāvitrī, and free from all duality and opposition.
ಸಾವಿತ್ರ್ಯಾತ್ಮಾ ಪಾಶುಪತಂ ಪರಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾವಧೂತಕಂ ।
ತ್ರಿಪುರಾತಪನಂ ದೇವೀತ್ರಿಪುರಾ ಕಠಭಾವನಾ ॥
The essence of Sāvitrī is the Pāśupata
doctrine, the Supreme Brahman beyond all limitations, the teaching of the
Tripurātāpana Upaniṣad, and the contemplation of the Divine Mother Tripurā as
taught in the Kaṭha tradition.
Śānti
Mantra
Om. May my limbs, speech, life-force, eyes,
ears, strength, and all my senses be nourished. May all be established in
Brahman, as taught by the Upaniṣads. May I never reject Brahman, nor may
Brahman reject me. May there never be separation between us. May all the virtues
taught in the Upaniṣads abide in me, who am devoted to the realization of the
Self. Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!
Verse 1
Who is Savitā? Who is Sāvitrī?
Fire indeed is Savitā.
Earth is Sāvitrī.
Where fire exists, there is earth.
Where earth exists, there is fire.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 2
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Varuṇa is Savitā.
The waters are Sāvitrī.
Where Varuṇa is, there are the waters.
Where the waters are, there is Varuṇa.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 3
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Air is Savitā.
Space is Sāvitrī.
Where air is, there is space.
Where space is, there is air.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 4
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Sacrifice is Savitā.
The Vedic metres are Sāvitrī.
Where sacrifice is, there are the Vedic
metres.
Where the Vedic metres are, there is
sacrifice.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 5
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Thunder is Savitā.
Lightning is Sāvitrī.
Where thunder is, there is lightning.
Where lightning is, there is thunder.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 6
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
The Sun is Savitā.
Heaven is Sāvitrī.
Where the Sun is, there is heaven.
Where heaven is, there is the Sun.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 7
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
The Moon is Savitā.
The stars are Sāvitrī.
Where the Moon is, there are the stars.
Where the stars are, there is the Moon.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 8
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
The mind is Savitā.
Speech is Sāvitrī.
Where the mind is, there is speech.
Where speech is, there is the mind.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
Verse 9
Who is Savitā?
Who is Sāvitrī?
Man is Savitā.
Woman is Sāvitrī.
Where man is, there is woman.
Where woman is, there is man.
These are two sources, yet they are one
complementary pair.
The Three
Feet of Sāvitrī
Verse 10
This is the first foot of Sāvitrī,
corresponding to Bhūḥ (the Earth):
"Tat Savitur Vareṇyam."
Fire is indeed worthy of adoration.
The waters are worthy of adoration.
The Moon is worthy of adoration.
Verse 11
This is the second foot, corresponding to Bhuvaḥ
(the Mid-region):
"Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi."
Fire indeed is the Divine Radiance (Bharga).
The Sun indeed is the Divine Radiance.
The Moon indeed is the Divine Radiance.
Verse 12
This is the third foot, corresponding to Svaḥ
(Heaven):
"Dhiyo Yo Naḥ Pracodayāt."
Woman and man together generate offspring.
Verse 13
Whoever knows this Sāvitrī in this manner
conquers repeated death.
Balā–Atibalā
Vidyā
The seer of the Balā and Atibalā Vidyā is the
Cosmic Person (Virāṭ Puruṣa).
The metre is Gāyatrī.
The deity is Gāyatrī.
Its seed syllables are A, U, and
M.
It is employed for removing hunger, thirst,
and other afflictions.
Dhyāna
(Meditation)
I constantly meditate upon Balā and Atibalā,
whose hands bestow the nectar of immortality,
who possess the power to restore life,
who are supremely skilled in removing sin,
who shine as the very essence of the Vedas,
who are manifestations of the sacred Om,
whose forms are radiant like the Sun.
Balā–Atibalā
Mantra
Om. Hrīṃ. O Balā, Great Goddess! Hrīṃ. O Great
Balā! Klīṃ! Bestower of the four aims of human life, embodiment of the
boon-giving Savitṛ! Hrīṃ! O embodiment of "Vareṇyam" and "Bhargo
Devasya," O Atibalā, embodiment of compassion! O Balā, destroyer of
hunger, thirst, fatigue, and delusion! We meditate upon You. Inspire our
intellects abundantly. O embodiment of "Pracodayāt," O embodiment
crowned by Praṇava (Om)! Huṃ. Phaṭ. Svāhā.
ಓಂ ಹ್ರೀಂ ಬಲೇ ಮಹಾದೇವಿ ಹ್ರೀಂ ಮಹಾಬಲೇ ಕ್ಲೀಂ
ಚತುರ್ವಿಧಪುರುಷಾರ್ಥಸಿದ್ಧಿಪ್ರದೇ ತತ್ಸವಿತುರ್ವರದಾತ್ಮಿಕೇ
ಹ್ರೀಂ ವರೇಣ್ಯಂ ಭರ್ಗೋ ದೇವಸ್ಯ ವರದಾತ್ಮಿಕೇ ಅತಿಬಲೇ ಸರ್ವದಯಾಮೂರ್ತೇ
ಬಲೇ ಸರ್ವಕ್ಷುಚ್ಛ್ರಮೋಪನಾಶಿನಿ ಧೀಮಹಿ ಧಿಯೋ ಯೋ ನರ್ಜಾತೇ ಪ್ರಚುರ್ಯಾ
ಯಾ ಪ್ರಚೋದಯಾದಾತ್ಮಿಕೇ ಪ್ರಣವಶಿರಸ್ಕಾತ್ಮಿಕೇ ಹುಂ ಫಟ್ ಸ್ವಾಹಾ
ॐ ह्रीं
बले महादेवि ह्रीं
महाबले क्लीं
चतुर्विधपुरुषार्थसिद्धिप्रदे तत्सवितुर्वरदात्मिके
ह्रीं वरेण्यं भर्गो
देवस्य वरदात्मिके अतिबले
सर्वदयामूर्ते
बले सर्वक्षुच्छ्रमोपनाशिनि धीमहि
धियो यो नः प्रचुर्या
या प्रचोदयादात्मिके प्रणवशिरस्कात्मिके
हुं फट् स्वाहा॥
ಕನ್ನಡ
ಓಂ । ಹ್ರೀಂ । ಬಲೇ । ಮಹಾ-ದೇವಿ । ಹ್ರೀಂ । ಮಹಾ-ಬಲೇ । ಕ್ಲೀಂ । ಚತುರ್ವಿಧ-ಪುರುಷಾರ್ಥ-ಸಿದ್ಧಿ-ಪ್ರದೇ । ತತ್-ಸವಿತುಃ-ವರದ-ಆತ್ಮಿಕೇ । ಹ್ರೀಂ । ವರೇಣ್ಯಂ । ಭರ್ಗಃ । ದೇವಸ್ಯ । ವರದ-ಆತ್ಮಿಕೇ । ಅತಿ-ಬಲೇ । ಸರ್ವ-ದಯಾ-ಮೂರ್ತೇ । ಬಲೇ । ಸರ್ವ-ಕ್ಷುಚ್-ಛ್ರಮ-ಉಪನಾಶಿನಿ । ಧೀಮಹಿ । ಧಿಯಃ । ಯಃ । ನಃ । ನರ್ಜಾತೇ । ಪ್ರಚುರ್ಯಾ । ಯಾ । ಪ್ರಚೋದಯಾತ್-ಆತ್ಮಿಕೇ । ಪ್ರಣವ-ಶಿರಸ್ಕ-ಆತ್ಮಿಕೇ । ಹುಂ । ಫಟ್ । ಸ್ವಾಹಾ ॥
IAST
oṃ | hrīṃ | bale | mahā-devi | hrīṃ | mahā-bale | klīṃ |
caturvidha-puruṣārtha-siddhi-prade | tat-savituḥ-varada-ātmike | hrīṃ |
vareṇyam | bhargaḥ | devasya | varada-ātmike | ati-bale | sarva-dayā-mūrte |
bale | sarva-kṣuc-chrama-upanāśini | dhīmahi | dhiyaḥ | yaḥ | naḥ | narjāte |
pracuryā | yā | pracodayāt-ātmike | praṇava-śiraska-ātmike | huṃ | phaṭ | svāhā
||
देवनागरी
ॐ । ह्रीं । बले । महा-देवि । ह्रीं । महा-बले । क्लीं । चतुर्विध-पुरुषार्थ-सिद्धि-प्रदे । तत्-सवितुः-वरद-आत्मिके । ह्रीं । वरेण्यम् । भर्गः । देवस्य । वरद-आत्मिके । अति-बले । सर्व-दया-मूर्ते । बले । सर्व-क्षुच्-छ्रम-उपनाशिनि । धीमहि । धियः । यः । नः । नर्जाते । प्रचुर्या । या । प्रचोदयात्-आत्मिके । प्रणव-शिरस्क-आत्मिके । हुं । फट् । स्वाहा ॥
Verse 15
Thus the knower becomes one who has
accomplished the purpose of life.
He attains the same world as Sāvitrī.
Thus ends the Upaniṣad.
Closing
Śānti Mantra
Om. May my limbs, speech, life-force, eyes,
ears, strength, and all my senses be nourished. May all be established in
Brahman as taught by the Upaniṣads. May I never reject Brahman, nor may Brahman
reject me. May there never be separation between us. May all the virtues taught
in the Upaniṣads abide in me, who am devoted to the realization of the Self.
Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!
Hariḥ Om. Tat Sat.
Thus ends the Sāvitrī Upaniṣad.
Source - https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/savitri_u.html
No comments:
Post a Comment