Brahmavidya Upanishad: Verse 3
तत्र देवास्त्रयः प्रोक्ता लोका वेदास्त्रयोऽग्नयः । तिस्रो मात्रार्धमात्रा च त्र्यक्षरस्य शिवस्य तु ॥३॥
तत्र । देवाः । त्रयः । प्रोक्ताः । लोकाः । वेदाः । त्रयः । अग्नयः । तिस्रः । मात्राः । अर्ध-मात्रा । च । त्रि-अक्षरस्य । शिवस्य । तु ॥ ३ ॥
tatra devās trayaḥ proktā lokā vedās trayo 'gnayaḥ | tisro mātrārdhamātrā ca tryakṣarasya śivasya tu ||3||
Darin werden drei Gottheiten genannt; ebenso die Welten, die drei Veden und die Feuer. Es gibt drei Mātrās und auch die halbe Mātrā — beim dreisilbigen Śiva.
Therein, three deities are declared; (also) the worlds, the three Vedas, and the fires. (There are) three mātrās and the half-mātrā, indeed, of the three-syllabled Śiva.
- vedās trayo = vedāḥ + trayaḥ (visarga loss before t)
- trayo 'gnayaḥ = trayaḥ + agnayaḥ (visarga→’ before vowel)
- ardhamātrā = ardha + mātrā (a+m no change; written as one)
- tryakṣarasya = tri + akṣarasya (i+a→ya)
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Triadic correspondences of Oṃ; mātrā/ardhamātrā doctrine pointing beyond the threefold to the transcendent
- The mahavakyas
- Indirect—ardhamātrā suggests the ‘beyond’ that aligns with nondual realization implied by mahāvākyas; no direct quotation
- Veda
- Atharva
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (śloka)
Yoga and practice
Meditation on Oṃ’s a-u-m as structured contemplation; resting attention in the ‘ardhamātrā’ (silence after Oṃ) as a doorway to nirvikalpa-like absorption; use of correspondences as dhāraṇā supports
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Upanishads in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
