vedaham-etam-purusham-mahantamshvetashvatara-upanishadvedantapurusha

𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌾𑌹𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍

वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ upanishad·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Early morning (Brahma Muhurta) during meditation and Vedanta study·📜 Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Verse 3.8

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Shvetashvatara Upanishad, Verse 3.8 · Traditional (Upanishadic); attributed to the sage Shvetashvatara · 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.

✦ As told in scripture

The Shvetashvatara Upanishad teaches that this supreme Purusha, though subtler than the subtle and hidden in the heart of all, is realized as the deathless light by the grace-touched seeker; and it affirms that only when human beings can 'roll up the sky like a piece of leather' will sorrow end without knowing Him — thus knowledge of the Purusha alone ends all sorrow and death.

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The Mantra

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𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌾𑌹𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌂 𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌂 𑌤𑌮𑌸𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌤𑍍 । 𑌤𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌮𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌨𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌨𑍍𑌥𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌯𑌨𑌾𑌯 ॥

vedāham etaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam ādityavarṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt tam eva viditvātimṛtyum eti nānyaḥ panthā vidyate'yanāya

Meaning:मैंने उस महान् पुरुष को जाना है, जो सूर्य के समान तेजस्वी है और अन्धकार से परे है। केवल उसी को जानकर मनुष्य मृत्यु को पार कर जाता है; (मोक्ष के) मार्ग के लिए इसके अतिरिक्त और कोई पथ नहीं है।

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌵𑍇𑌦 𑌅𑌹𑌮𑍍🔊veda ahamI have known, I know

𑌏𑌤𑌮𑍍 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑌮𑍍🔊etam puruṣamThis Purusha, the supreme Person, the Spirit

𑌮𑌹𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍍🔊mahāntamThe great, the infinite

𑌆𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌮𑍍🔊ādityavarṇamOf the colour of the sun, radiant, effulgent

𑌤𑌮𑌸𑌃 𑌪𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌤𑍍🔊tamasaḥ parastātBeyond the darkness (of ignorance)

𑌤𑌮𑍍 𑌏𑌵 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾🔊tam eva viditvāKnowing Him alone

𑌅𑌤𑌿𑌮𑍃𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌮𑍍 𑌏𑌤𑌿🔊atimṛtyum etiOne goes beyond death, crosses over mortality

𑌨 𑌅𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌃 𑌪𑌨𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌃🔊na anyaḥ panthāḥThere is no other path, no other way

𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇🔊vidyateExists, is found

𑌅𑌯𑌨𑌾𑌯🔊ayanāyaFor going (to liberation), for the journey to the goal

Benefits of Chanting वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम्

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Proclaims the supreme Purusha as the radiant Reality beyond the darkness of ignorance.

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Declares Self-knowledge to be the sole path beyond death to liberation.

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Strengthens faith and certainty by voicing the sage's own direct realization.

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Turns the seeker decisively toward knowledge of the Self as the one essential goal.

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Used in meditation on the effulgent inner light beyond all darkness.

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Recited for courage in the face of mortality, grounded in the deathless Spirit.

How to Chant वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम्

Repetitions11times

Best TimeEarly morning (Brahma Muhurta) during meditation and Vedanta study

FaceEast or North

Recite the verse with conviction, joining the seer in the affirmation 'I have known'. Meditate on the supreme Purusha as an effulgent light, sun-coloured, shining beyond the darkness of ignorance within you. Let the verse settle the mind in the certainty that knowing this Self is the one path beyond death. Dwell on that inner radiance until the heart rests in fearless assurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete वेदाहमेतं पुरुषं महान्तम् written in the Grantha 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 '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.

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'.

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.

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.