Vedaham Etam Purusham Mahantam (I Have Known That Great Purusha) — Word-by-Word Meaning

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम्

Every Sanskrit word explained in English

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Word-by-Word Breakdown

वेद अहम्

veda aham

I have known, I know

एतम् पुरुषम्

etam puruṣam

This Purusha, the supreme Person, the Spirit

महान्तम्

mahāntam

The great, the infinite

आदित्यवर्णम्

ādityavarṇam

Of the colour of the sun, radiant, effulgent

तमसः परस्तात्

tamasaḥ parastāt

Beyond the darkness (of ignorance)

तम् एव विदित्वा

tam eva viditvā

Knowing Him alone

अतिमृत्युम् एति

atimṛtyum eti

One goes beyond death, crosses over mortality

न अन्यः पन्थाः

na anyaḥ panthāḥ

There is no other path, no other way

विद्यते

vidyate

Exists, is found

अयनाय

ayanāya

For going (to liberation), for the journey to the goal

Complete Translation

I have known that great Purusha, radiant as the sun, beyond all darkness. Knowing Him alone one passes beyond death; there is no other path for the journey to liberation.

Origin & History

Source: Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Verse 3.8

Author: Traditional (Upanishadic); attributed to the sage Shvetashvatara

Period: Vedic / Upanishadic

In the third chapter of the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, the seer contemplates the supreme Purusha who pervades and transcends the universe, drawing on the imagery of the ancient Purusha Sukta. Rising from description to realization, the sage declares in the first person, 'I have known that great Purusha, radiant as the sun, beyond all darkness,' affirming that this direct knowledge alone carries one beyond death, and that there is no other path to the supreme goal. The verse stands as the Upanishad's ringing testimony of liberating Self-knowledge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vedaham Etam Purusham Mahantam mean?▼

It means 'I have known that great Purusha, radiant as the sun, beyond all darkness'. The verse declares that by knowing this supreme Spirit alone one transcends death, and that there is no other way to liberation.

Where does this verse come from?▼

It is from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad (3.8), part of the Krishna Yajur Veda. The same words appear in the Purusha Sukta and the Yajur Veda, and the Bhagavad Gita (8.9) echoes the description of the Purusha as 'radiant as the sun, beyond darkness'.

Who is the 'Purusha' in this verse?▼

The Purusha is the supreme Person or Spirit — the conscious Reality (Brahman) that is the inner Self of all. Described as effulgent and beyond the darkness of ignorance, He is the one whose knowledge is said to bestow immortality.

Why does it say there is 'no other path'?▼

The verse teaches that liberation from the cycle of death comes only through direct knowledge of the supreme Self; rituals and works alone cannot grant it. Knowing the Purusha — realizing one's identity with the deathless Spirit — is therefore declared the one and only way to the highest goal.

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