यस्याः स्वरूपं ब्रह्मादयो न जानन्ति तस्मादुच्यते अज्ञेया। यस्या अन्तो न लभ्यते तस्मादुच्यते अनन्ता। यस्या लक्ष्यं नोपलक्ष्यते तस्मादुच्यते अलक्ष्या। यस्या जननं नोपलभ्यते तस्मादुच्यते अजा। एकैव सर्वत्र वर्तते तस्मादुच्यते एका। एकैव विश्वरूपिणी तस्मादुच्यते नैका। अत एवोच्यते अज्ञेयानन्तालक्ष्याजैका नैकेति ॥ २३ ॥
yasyāḥ svarūpaṁ brahmādayō na jānanti tasmāducyatē ajñēyā | yasyā antō na labhyatē tasmāducyatē anantā | yasyā lakṣyaṁ nōpalakṣyatē tasmāducyatē alakṣyā | yasyā jananaṁ nōpalabhyatē tasmāducyatē ajā | ēkaiva sarvatra vartatē tasmāducyatē ēkā | ēkaiva viśvarūpiṇī tasmāducyatē naikā | ata ēvōcyatē ajñēyānantālakṣyājaikā naikēti || 23 ||
Translation
Her nature is not known even by Brahmā and the gods; therefore she is called the Unknowable. Her end is not found; therefore she is called the Infinite. Her mark cannot be perceived; therefore she is called the Imperceptible. Her birth is not found; therefore she is called the Unborn. She alone is present everywhere; therefore she is called the One. She alone takes the form of the universe; therefore she is called the Not-one. And so she is called the Unknowable, the Infinite, the Imperceptible, the Unborn, the One and the Not-one.
Word by word
- yasyāḥ svarūpam
- whose true nature
- brahmādayaḥ
- Brahmā and the others
- na jānanti
- do not know
- tasmāt ucyatē
- therefore she is called
- ajñēyā
- the Unknowable
- antaḥ na labhyatē
- whose end is not found
- anantā
- the Infinite
- lakṣyam nōpalakṣyatē
- whose mark is not perceived
- alakṣyā
- the Imperceptible
- jananam nōpalabhyatē
- whose birth is not found
- ajā
- the Unborn
- ēkā ēva sarvatra vartatē
- she alone is present everywhere
- ēkā
- the One
- viśvarūpiṇī
- having the form of the universe
- naikā
- the Not-one
- ata ēva
- and so
Meaning
Six names are explained one by one, and each is a way of saying that she cannot be contained. The last pair holds the deepest paradox of the Upaniṣad: she is one and she is many.