सायमधीयानो दिवसकृतं पापं नाशयति । प्रातरधीयानो रात्रिकृतं पापं नाशयति । सायं प्रातः प्रयुञ्जानो अपापो भवति । निशीथे तुरीयसन्ध्यायां जप्त्वा वाक्सिद्धिर्भवति । नूतनायां प्रतिमायां जप्त्वा देवतासांनिध्यं भवति । प्राणप्रतिष्ठायां जप्त्वा प्राणानां प्रतिष्ठा भवति । भौमाश्विन्यां महादेवीसंनिधौ जप्त्वा महामृत्युं तरति । स महामृत्युं तरति य एवं वेद । इत्युपनिषत् ॥
sāyamadhīyānō divasakṛtaṁ pāpaṁ nāśayati | prātaradhīyānō rātrikṛtaṁ pāpaṁ nāśayati | sāyaṁ prātaḥ prayuñjānō apāpō bhavati | niśīthē turīyasandhyāyāṁ japtvā vāksiddhirbhavati | nūtanāyāṁ pratimāyāṁ japtvā dēvatāsāṁnidhyaṁ bhavati | prāṇapratiṣṭhāyāṁ japtvā prāṇānāṁ pratiṣṭhā bhavati | bhaumāśvinyāṁ mahādēvīsaṁnidhau japtvā mahāmṛtyuṁ tarati | sa mahāmṛtyuṁ tarati ya ēvaṁ vēda | ityupaniṣat ||
Translation
Reciting it in the evening one destroys the sins of the day; reciting it in the morning, the sins of the night. Practising it evening and morning one becomes free of sin. Reciting it at midnight, the fourth juncture of the day, one gains perfection of speech. Reciting it before a new image brings the presence of the deity. Reciting it at the establishing of life in an image, the life-breaths are established. Reciting it in the presence of the great Goddess when the moon is in Aśvinī on a Tuesday, one crosses beyond great death. He crosses beyond great death who knows thus. Thus the Upaniṣad.
Word by word
- sāyam adhīyānaḥ
- reciting in the evening
- divasakṛtam pāpam
- the sin done by day
- nāśayati
- destroys
- prātaḥ adhīyānaḥ
- reciting in the morning
- rātrikṛtam pāpam
- the sin done by night
- sāyam prātaḥ prayuñjānaḥ
- practising it evening and morning
- apāpaḥ bhavati
- becomes free of sin
- niśīthē turīyasandhyāyām
- at midnight, the fourth juncture
- japtvā
- having recited
- vāksiddhiḥ
- perfection of speech
- nūtanāyām pratimāyām
- before a new image
- dēvatāsānnidhyam
- the presence of the deity
- prāṇapratiṣṭhāyām
- at the establishing of life (in an image)
- prāṇānām pratiṣṭhā
- the establishing of the life-breaths
- bhaumāśvinyām
- on a Tuesday under the asterism Aśvinī
- mahādēvīsannidhau
- in the presence of the great Goddess
- mahāmṛtyum tarati
- crosses beyond great death
- yaḥ ēvaṁ vēda
- who knows thus
- iti upaniṣat
- thus the Upaniṣad
Meaning
The Upaniṣad ends with the fruits of reciting it at particular times: at the two twilights, at midnight, at the consecration of an image, and on a Tuesday under the asterism Aśvinī. Its last words return to its first promise: whoever truly knows the Goddess crosses beyond death.