Tripura Tapini Upanishad
Translated by Dr. A. G. Krishna Warrier
Published by The Theosophical Publishing House, Chennai

Om ! Gods ! With ears let us hear what is good;
Adorable ones ! With eyes let us see what is good.
With steady limbs, with bodies, praising,
Let us enjoy the life allotted by the gods.
May Indra, of wide renown, grant us well-being;
May Pusan, and all-gods, grant us well-being.
May Tarksya, of unhampered movement, grant us well-being.
May Brihaspati grant us well-being.
Om ! Peace ! Peace ! Peace !

I-1: Now, in this sphere (of nescience), the Lord (Sadasiva), assuming the guises of Prajapati, Vishnu and Rudra, comes to be styled Goddess Tripura. By His primeval Power are fashioned the three abodes – the earth, the atmosphere and the heavens, or the heavens, the earth and the nether world. In the form of hrim, identical with the maya of Hara, the divine Hrillekha permeates, with Her terrible might, the terminus of the three peaks (above the junction of the two eyebrows), the seat of equilibrium of the three gunas, and the region where the world of objects is dissolved. This selfsame divinity is called Tripura.
I-2: On that adorable splendour
Of the divine Creator we
Meditate; may He our thoughts inspire –
Who beyond all darkness is, Om.
I-3: Let us for all-knowing Fire the soma press
Who, of our foes, the wealth consumes;
As boat over river, so may He help
Us over all difficulties, all troubles.
I-4: Let us adore with sacrifice the three-eyed God,
Fragrant increaser of earthly growth.
Like cucumber fruit from its stalk released,
Let me from death, find freedom unto immortality.
I-5: The supreme sovereign, the goddess of the three cities, is the embodiment of the three Vedas and the supreme knowledge consisting of the 108 letters. The first four divisions elucidate Brahman; the second pertains to Sakti or Power; and the third to Siva, the Good.
I-6: It is recorded that the worlds, the Vedas, the sciences, legends, codes, medical works and astronomical treatises have all proceeded from the union of Siva and Sakti (Goodness and Power).
I-7: Now we shall elucidate the supreme mystery of it (i.e. the mantra given above). The syllable tat of the great mantra is the eternal Brahman, the supreme Lord, indefinable, impeccable, unconditioned, and unconstrained. He thinks, perceives, evolves, desires the status of consciousness. Thus that sole Deity, essentially good, evolves as the visible world. In the ascetics, sacrifices, mystics, He desires and what is desired is born. Being free from desires (in truth) and impeccable, He holds sway. He puts forth (letters like) a, ka, ca, ta, ta, pa, ya and sa. Hence is the Lord named Desire. So, technically, (the Lord as) Desire pervades ka. Desire alone is this tat. Thus is karma understood. Hence it is the sense of tat. Whoso knows thus (becomes the Lord).
I-8: Savitur varenyam. The root supreme means ‘to give birth to a living thing’. Savitur gives birth to living things; power gives birth.
I-9: This primeval power is Tripura,
The supreme sovereign, Tripura;
Goddess great with ear-rings adorned
In sphere of fire abiding.
I-10: Whosoever masters (this knowledge) pervades everything. The power of the triangle (the serpent power) creates with (the aid of the) exalted letter e. So only the letter e is taken.
I-11: Varenyam means the best, the adorable, the imperishable, worthy of obeisance. So varenyam is understood as the letter e. Whoso knows this (becomes the best).
I-12: Bhargo devasya dhimahi – this we shall expound: Dha denotes bearing. By thought is the supreme Lord borne. Bharga is the shining one that dwells in the centre; the imperishable fourth (letter), the immediate Fourth, the all, the inmost of everything. The fourth letter i is in the middle of words. Thus is the form of bharga expounded, they say. So the letter i is understood as the equivalent of bhargo devasya dhi.
I-13: The exposition of mahi. The letter in which are present greatness, inertness and hardness is mahi. The letter la is the supreme abode. The letter la denotes the sphere, predominantly hard, comprising the seas, the mountains, the seven islands and the forests, and having a resplendent form. By mahi the goddess Earth is denoted.
I-14: Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat. May the supreme Self, the primeval, transcendental Sadasiva, inspire (our) thoughts, (our) luminous Self, with the steadfast letter la towards the transcendental, undifferentiated Real, which is beyond the sphere of desire for contemplation. Without verbal utterance, holding this in mind only, should one meditate.
I-15: Paro rajase savadom. Finally that (which is other than the Self) becomes the supreme Light, pure consciousness, the divinity dwelling in the heart, whose mark is consciousness, and which is (the same as) hrim, whose abode is the heart. So the group of five letters, Vagbhavakuta, which gives rise to the five elements and consists of five sections, is clarified. Who knows thus (reaps the results).
I-16: Now the next group that has become Kamakala is called Kamakuta, say the wise. In the utterance of the thirty-two sacred syllables, tat savitur varenyam, etc., tat is the supreme Self, Sadasiva, the imperishable, the pure, the unconditioned. The syllable ha, setting forth the identity (with Siva), has the form of Siva; it is held to be unarticulated, (though) a syllable. Thus, remaining external, it (ha) indicates the Power.
I-17: Along the line indicated earlier of tat savituh the moon (whose seed-syllable is sa) must be placed next to the sun (whose seed-syllable is ha). (The light of the sun) fills the region between the basic circle and the sacred orifice of the crown. The syllable sa is said to be unique. (He who is meditated on as tat and savitur) is the divine being whose essence is Siva and Sakti.
I-18: Siva is the Supreme God
So (Brahman-knowers) say;
Sakti is all that is born;
Sun and moon united are
Hamsa – Brahman attributeless.
I-19: From Siva supreme, who creates
Desire’s objects, wells up desire;
Lord of desires, the choice Light
Is described as the letter ka.
I-20: Tat Savitur varenyam Bhargo devah. The imperishable milk that wipes out the effects of acts and their agents is worth imbibing. That imperishable (milk) is won through the union of the supreme Self and the individual self. That is the clear third syllable ha. It is indeed Sadasiva, the flawless, the shining divinity. The last syllable is thus expounded as the supreme abode.
I-21: Dhi denotes upholding; the upholding of inert matter is associated with mahi, denoted by the syllable, la. The sense of la coming after ha denoting Siva is clearly (Brahman). The last syllable is the Supreme Spirit. May it inspire our thoughts !
I-22: Paro rajase savadom: This group is the abode of Kamakala (i.e. the Vagbhava group). He who treads the six paths (such as the path of letters) reaches the seat of Vishnu. Whoso knows thus (reaches that seat). Nothing besides this (exists), says the Lord.
I-23: After this the other, the third group, Saktikuta, attains (accord) with the Gayatri of thirty-two syllables.
I-24: Tat Savitur varenyam. From the Self (comes) the sky; from the sky the air stirs forth. What comes into being in dependence on It is adorable. Befitting Savitur is the coming together of the individual self and the Supreme Self. The syllable denoting the individual self, (sa), clearly attains the form of the luminous Power.
I-25: Bhargo devasya dhi. With these words is counted the syllable (ka) denoting Siva who contains (all). With mahi, etc. (la is in accord). With the desirable, lovely, visible remainder (i.e. dhiyo yo nah, etc.), the desirable, lovely (hrillekha is in accord). Thus is Saktikuta elucidated.
I-26: Whoso repeats thus the fifteen-syllabled mantra of Tripura attains all desires; he attains all enjoyments; he conquers all worlds; he causes all words to bloom; he attains the status of Rudra; breaking through the abode of Vishnu (the veil of Maya), he reaches the supreme Brahman.
I-27: Having set forth the primeval vidya (incantation), the Sakti group (sa ka la hrim) and Power and Siva (denoted by sa ka) (must be contemplated in the first abode, the wakeful state). The Lopamudra incantation (ha sa ka la hrim) (must be contemplated) in the second abode, (the dream state).
I-28: In the third abode (or the collective sleep state) must be contemplated the previous incantation, the Power, hrillekha, without the nasal sound (sa ka la hri), the incantation on which Durvasas, the wrathful sage, meditated.
I-29: The Vagbhava group of the previous incantation is described as pertaining to Manu, Chandra and Kubera.
I-30: After Madana (or klim) comes the auspicious Vagbhava; next is the Kamakala (ka, etc.); next is the Sakti group, sa, etc. This grouping, in this order, was adored by Manu, and must be contemplated in the fourth abode (the Visva state).
I-31: (First) that which is styled Siva and Sakti (namely ha, etc.); then Vagbhava; again the Siva and Sakti group; and the third (sa, etc.) – this incantation, adored of Chandra, is to be contemplated in the fifth abode (the Taijasa state).
I-32: The incantation of Siva, etc., added to that of Chandra is the incantation of Kubera; it must be contemplated in the sixth abode (the Prajna state). Whoso knows this (attains Kubera’s wealth).
I-33: Leaving out the fourth vowel i, and placing the sun and the moon (represented by ha and sa) in the beginning of all (groups), there results the vidya (incantation) promoting power over desires; it is named after Agastya and must be meditated on in the seventh abode (the Viraj state).
I-34: In the incantation (of Agastya) given above, set in twofold manner, ha ha, representing the incantations beginning with Kama and Madana; then sa, the seed-syllable of Sakti, and ka, the beginning of Vagbhava. Of sa and ka, let the vowels be shortened into half-syllables. This is the incantation of Nandi (to be contemplates) in the eighth abode (the Sutratman state).
I-35: The Vagbhava group; the incantation of Agastya, consisting of words and meanings styled Kamakala; (then) all the power of Maya (the Sakti group) – (these, integrated, were adored by the sun and so) this is called the incantation of Prabhakara. (It must be meditated on) in the mind abode (the state of the causal abode).
I-36: Again the incantation of Agastya; (then) Vagbhava; the seed-letter of Sakti (hrim); the seed-letter of Kama (klim); the seed-letters of Siva and Sakti (hamsa); (again) the seed-letter of Kama (klim); the seed-letter of the earth (lam); that of Maya (hrim); the abode of Kamakala (the six syllables beginning with ha); the seed-letters of the moon and the sun (so’ham); the seed-letter of Kama (klim); that of Siva (ham); that of Mahiman (sa); the third (i.e. hamsa, so’ham and hamsa) – (integrated), this incantation, adored by Shanmukha must be meditated on in the tenth abode.
I-37: Repeating the incantation of Agastya after that of Shanmukha, one gets the incantation of the supreme Siva who rules over the last region. It must be meditated on in the eleventh abode (in the spirit of Anujnatir).
I-38: Repeating the incantation of Agastya with Vagbhava, the incantation of Kubera, the abode of Kamakala and the sovereign group of Sakti derived from the incantation of Lopamudra, one gets the incantation of Vishnu. It must be meditated on in the twelfth abode (in the spirit of pure Anujna). He who knows thus (becomes Vishnu).
I-39: The Lord (Sadasiva) said to all the gods: Having listened to the incantation (set forth by Me) and made it clear to yourself (‘I am Brahman’), know (there is nothing other than Brahman) and reduce (whatever appears besides) to Brahman. Enthrone the supreme vidya, the Divinity in the heart – the Divinity styled Kama, the Primeval One; whose form is the Fourth; who transcends the Fourth, who exceeds all; who occupies all seats consecrated with holy spells; who is surrounded on all sides by deities seated on the main and subordinate seats; who pervades all parts (from Prana, vital breath, to naman, name); the deity who is replete with delight; who is in union with the supreme Spirit; who is in the heart; whose gift is immortality; who is complete and who is possessed of senses; who, forever, is uprisen; who comprises three groups; has three abodes, and is the supreme and most excellent Maya; who is the supreme power of Vishnu. Enthrone in the pericarp of the heart’s lotus the supreme, sacred Lakshmi, the Maya ever uprisen; who controls the senses of Her devotees; who overwhelms the god of love; who is armed with bow and arrow; who inspires eloquence; who abides in the centre of the moon’s sphere, is adorned with the crescent, and assumes the guise of the seventeen Prajapatis. She is the great one, eternally present. Her hands holding a noose and a goad are charming. She, the three-eyed one, shines like the rising sun. In the heart meditate on the goddess Mahalakshmi, comprehending all glories and possessed of all auspicious marks. Her own nature is Spirit. She is flawless. Her name is Trikuta. She has a smiling face, is beautiful, is the great Maya, and is extremely fascinating. She is adorned with great ear-rings. She rests on the threefold seat and abides in the nameless sacred abode, Sripitha. She is the great Bhairavi, the power of Spirit, the great Tripura. Meditate on Her through the great yoga of meditation. Whoso knows Her thus (fulfils his life). This is the great Upanishad.