hiranmayena-patrenaisha-upanishadishavasyavedanta

Hiranmayena Patrena (The Face of Truth is Veiled by Gold)

Hiranmayena Patrena (The Face of Truth is Veiled by Gold) in English · English

🕉️ upanishad·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 At sunrise or sunset, facing the sun, during prayer and meditation·📜 Isha Upanishad, Verse 15

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

Hiranmayena Patrena is a profound prayer from the closing verses of the Isha Upanishad, addressed to Pushan, the Sun, as the symbol of the Supreme. It laments that the radiant face of Truth is hidden behind a dazzling golden disk — the very brilliance of the manifest world and the sun's orb that conceals the Reality behind it. The seeker prays to the Lord to draw aside this veil so that, being devoted to truth, he may behold the supreme Truth face to face.

Origin & Story

Isha Upanishad, Verse 15 · Traditional (Upanishadic) · Vedic / Upanishadic

Toward its close, the Isha Upanishad turns from teaching to fervent prayer. The seeker, standing as it were before the radiant sun, cries out that the face of Truth lies hidden behind its golden, dazzling disk, and beseeches Pushan, the Sun and nourisher of all, to draw that veil aside so that he, a votary of truth, may at last behold the Reality. The following verses continue the prayer, asking the Sun to gather his rays, and asking Agni to lead the soul by the good path — making these among the most moving petitions in the Upanishads, often recited at life's end.

✦ As told in scripture

These closing verses are traditionally chanted at the hour of death, when the dying one prays that the golden veil be lifted and the soul led by Agni along the bright path to the Supreme; sages hold that the sincere prayer 'uncover the Truth' is itself answered by grace, the veil parting for the heart wholly devoted to truth.

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The Mantra

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hiraṇmayena pātreṇa satyasyāpihitaṁ mukham tat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇu satyadharmāya dṛṣṭaye

Meaning:The face of Truth is concealed by a golden disk. O Pushan (Sun), uncover it, that I, devoted to truth, may behold It.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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hiraṇmayena🔊By a golden, dazzling (lid); made of gold

pātreṇa🔊By a vessel, disk, or cover (the bright orb of the sun)

satyasya🔊Of Truth (of the supreme Reality)

apihitam🔊Covered, hidden, concealed

mukham🔊The face, the entrance, the true form

tat tvam🔊That, you (O Lord)

pūṣan🔊O Pushan (the sun, the nourisher and sustainer of all)

apāvṛṇu🔊Remove, uncover, draw aside (the veil)

satyadharmāya🔊For one devoted to truth, whose dharma is truth

dṛṣṭaye🔊For the vision, so that I may behold (the Truth)

Benefits of Chanting Hiranmayena Patrena (The Face of Truth is Veiled by Gold)

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A heartfelt prayer for the direct vision of Truth beyond the dazzling veil of appearances.

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Teaches that the very brilliance of the manifest world can hide the deeper Reality behind it.

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Cultivates devotion to truth (satya-dharma) as the qualification for receiving spiritual vision.

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Often chanted by seekers and at the time of departure, praying for the unveiling of the Supreme.

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Invokes the grace of the Lord (as Pushan, the Sun) to remove the obstacles to Self-realization.

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Inspires the longing to pass beyond the symbol to the Reality, from the seen light to the Light itself.

How to Chant Hiranmayena Patrena (The Face of Truth is Veiled by Gold)

Repetitions11times

Best TimeAt sunrise or sunset, facing the sun, during prayer and meditation

FaceEast (toward the sun)

Recite 'Hiranmayena Patrena' as a sincere prayer, ideally facing the rising or setting sun. Reflect that the sun's golden disk and the glittering world are like a lid that hides the Truth within — and ask the Lord, with the longing of one devoted to truth, to draw that veil aside. Let the prayer deepen into a yearning to see the Reality directly, beyond all dazzling appearances. It pairs beautifully with the opening verse 'Isha Vasyam Idam Sarvam'.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Hiranmayena Patrena (The Face of Truth is Veiled by Gold) written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It means 'The face of Truth is covered by a golden disk'. The seeker prays to Pushan, the Sun, to remove this dazzling cover so that he, devoted to truth, may behold the supreme Truth (Brahman) directly.

It is verse 15 of the Isha Upanishad, which belongs to the Shukla Yajur Veda. It begins the concluding prayers of the Upanishad, addressed to Pushan (the Sun) and to Agni, asking for the vision of the Supreme and for guidance on the good path.

The 'golden disk' (hiranmaya patra) is the dazzling orb of the sun and, symbolically, the brilliant veil of the manifest world. Its very splendour conceals the formless Reality behind it. The prayer asks for this veil of brilliance to be removed so the Truth itself can be seen.

Pushan is a Vedic name of the Sun, meaning 'the nourisher' or 'sustainer', who fosters and protects all beings. Here the Sun is addressed as a symbol of the Supreme Being, the source of light and life, and is implored to reveal the Truth that lies beyond his own radiant form.