Devi Upanishad: Verse 26

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यस्याः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मादयो न जानन्ति तस्मादुच्यतेऽज्ञेया । यस्या अन्तो न विद्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽनन्ता । यस्या ग्रहणं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽलक्ष्या । यस्या जननं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यतेऽजा । एकैव सर्वत्र वर्तते तस्मादुच्यत एका । एकैव विश्वरूपिणी तस्मादुच्यते नैका । अत एवोच्यतेऽज्ञेयानन्तालक्ष्याजैका नैकेति ॥२६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

यस्याः । स्वरूपम् । ब्रह्म-आदयः । न । जानन्ति । तस्मात् । उच्यते । अज्ञेया ।

यस्याः । अन्तः । न । विद्यते । तस्मात् । उच्यते । अनन्ता ।

यस्याः । ग्रहणम् । न । उपलभ्यते । तस्मात् । उच्यते । अलक्ष्या ।

यस्याः । जननम् । न । उपलभ्यते । तस्मात् । उच्यते । अजा ।

एका । एव । सर्वत्र । वर्तते । तस्मात् । उच्यते । एका ।

एका । एव । विश्व-रूपिणी । तस्मात् । उच्यते । न-एका ।

अतः । एव । उच्यते । अज्ञेया-अनन्ता-अलक्ष्या-अजा-एका-न-एका । इति ।

Recitation with translationDevi Upanishad 26

IAST Transliteration

yasyāḥ svarūpaṃ brahmādayo na jānanti tasmāducyate'jñeyā | yasyā antaḥ na vidyate tasmāducyate'nantā | yasyā grahaṇaṃ nopalabhyate tasmāducyate'lakṣyā | yasyā jananaṃ nopalabhyate tasmāducyate'ajā | ekaiva sarvatra vartate tasmāducyata ekā | ekaiva viśvarūpiṇī tasmāducyate naikā | ata evocyate'jñeyānantālakṣyājāikā naiketi ||26||

Translation

Because even Brahmā and the other gods do not know Her essential nature, She is called “unknowable”. Because no end of Her is found, She is called “endless”. Because Her apprehension is not attained, She is called “unperceivable”. Because Her birth is not discovered, She is called “unborn”. Because She alone abides everywhere, She is called “one”. Because She alone is the very form of the universe, She is called “not-one”. Thus She is spoken of as: unknowable, endless, unperceivable, unborn, one, and not-one.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Academic Translation

Because even Brahmā and the others do not know her essential nature, she is therefore called ‘unknowable’. Because her end is not found, she is therefore called ‘endless’. Because her apprehension is not obtained, she is therefore called ‘unperceivable’. Because her birth is not obtained, she is therefore called ‘unborn’. Because she alone exists everywhere, she is therefore called ‘one’. Because she alone is of the form of the universe, she is therefore called ‘not-one’. Therefore she is spoken of as: unknowable, endless, unperceivable, unborn, one, and not-one.

Verse Context

• Nirguṇa Brahman; apophatic theology (neti-neti); non-duality with apparent multiplicity (māyā/śakti)
• Mahavakya: Closest to ‘prajñānam brahma’ and ‘aham brahmāsmi’ in implication: the ultimate is beyond objectification (ajñeyā) yet is the all-pervading reality; also resonates with ‘ekam… bahudhā’ style non-dual teaching (one appearing as many).
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (Śaunaka tradition; Śākta Upaniṣad corpus) Shakha
• Chandas: Prose (gadya)