SVU 2.17: Reverence for the Presence in All
SVU 2.17: Reverence for the Presence in All

SVU 2.17: God in Fire, Water, Herbs and Trees

The closing verse reveres the one God as present in fire, water, the world, herbs and trees, affirming this through repeated homage.

Dr. Ronald Steiner Dr. Ronald Steiner Nils Jacob Liersch Nils Jacob Liersch
Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 2.17
यो देवो अग्नौ यो अप्सु यो विशुवं भुवनमाविवेश |
yo devo agnau yo apsu; yo viśu*vaṃ, bhuvanam āviveśa | Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
who, the one who
devaḥ
nominative singular
substantive masculine
God, the divine
agnau
lokative singular
substantive masculine
in fire
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
who, the one who
apsu
lokative plural
substantive feminine
in the waters
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
who, the one who
viśvam
accusative singular neuter
pronoun quant
the whole, all-encompassing
bhuvanam
accusative singular
substantive neuter
the world, what exists
āviveśa
3rd person singular aktive perfekte
previx
verbal root
he has entered, pervaded
य ओषधीषु यो वनस्पतीषु तस्मै देवाय नमो नमः ||17||
ya oṣadhīṣu, yo vanas-patīṣu; tasmai devāya namo namaḥ ||17|| Analysis ▾ Analysis ▴
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
who, the one who
oṣadhīṣu
lokative plural
substantive feminine
in the herbs, medicinal plants
yaḥ
nominative singular masculine
pronoun rel
who, the one who
vanas
upapada-compound
substantive neuter
forest, tree
patīṣu
lokative plural
substantive masculine
among the lords, in the lords of the forest, trees
tasmai
dative singular masculine
pronoun dem
to that one
devāya
dative singular
substantive masculine
to God, the divine
namas
nominative singular
substantive neuter
homage, reverence
namaḥ
nominative singular
substantive neuter
homage, reverence
Metre: Pāda 1: Anuṣṭubh; Pāda 2: Triṣṭubh with Vajrā ending; Pāda 3: Triṣṭubh; Pāda 4: Anuṣṭubh — 9 rather than 8 syllables
The one who (yaḥ | nom sg m) is God (devaḥ | nom sg) in fire (agnau | loc sg), who (yaḥ | nom sg m) is in the waters (apsu | loc pl), who (yaḥ | nom sg m) has entered and pervaded (āviveśa | 3p sg act perf) the whole world (viśvaṃ bhuvanam | acc sg), who (yaḥ | nom sg m) [dwells] in the herbs (oṣadhīṣu | loc pl), who (yaḥ | nom sg m) [dwells] in the lords of the forest, the trees (vanas-patīṣu | loc pl): to that one (tasmai | dat sg m), to God (devāya | dat sg), [be] homage (namas | nom sg), homage again (namaḥ | nom sg).
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - historically literal
Homage—homage again and again—to the God who is present in fire and in the waters, who has pervaded the whole world and lives in herbs and trees.
Dr. Ronald Steiner - 2026 - modern transfer

After yoga, the Bhāṣya attributed to Śaṅkara introduces further means, such as obeisance. The Lord has pervaded the world he brought forth and is present in medicinal herbs, trees and all things as the Self and ground of the world. The double obeisance expresses particular reverence and at the same time concludes the chapter.

Śaṅkara's Bhāṣya on the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad

Śaṅkarānanda venerates the one Self in its manifestations: as the inner guide of fire and water and as the presence in all worlds, herbs and trees. The obeisance is to be performed in mind, speech and deed. Its repetition serves both special veneration and the conclusion of the chapter.

Śaṅkarānanda's Śvetāśvataropaniṣaddīpikā

Nārāyaṇa concludes that every power in the moving and unmoving belongs to the one Lord. Crucially, he adds that yoga serves to master mind and senses and must be joined with knowledge: Haṭha without Rājayoga and Rājayoga without Haṭha are incomplete; even great yogic power is no substitute for the steadfast knowledge of liberation.

Nārāyaṇa's Śvetāśvataropaniṣaddīpikā

Vijñānabhagavat warns against understanding the highest Self's 'entry' spatially. Like space in a pot or the moon in water, the one consciousness appears in different upādhis: in subtle elements as Hiraṇyagarbha, in gross elements as Virāṭ, in individual bodies as the respective Jīva and also as experience in plants. What is venerated is the innermost Ātman of all.

Vijñānabhagavat's Śvetāśvataropaniṣadvivaraṇa
vanaspatīṣu LV1958 ] vanaspatiṣu ASS1927

viśu*vaṃ conj. ed. ] viśvaṃ LV1958
Critical Apparatus
Der Gott, der im Feuer ist, im Wasser, Der in die ganze Welt ist eingegangen, Der in den Kräutern weilt und in den Bäumen, Diesem Gott sei Ehre!—sei Ehre!
Paul Deussen - 1921
The God who is in fire, who is in water, who has entered into the whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees—to that God be adoration!—yea, be adoration!
Robert Hume - 1921
Salutation, salutation to that Luminous Being who pervades fire, who pervades the waters, who pervades the whole universe, who pervades plants, and who pervades trees.
Siddhesvar Varma Shastri - 1916
Der Gott, der im Feuer ist, im Wasser, Der in die ganze Welt ist eingegangen, Der in den Kräutern weilt und in den Bäumen, Diesem Gott sei Ehre!—sei Ehre!
Paul Deussen - 1897
The god<1> who is in the fire, the god who is in the water, the god who has entered into the whole world, the god who is in plants, the god who is in trees, adoration be to that god, adoration!
<1: B. (not A.) reads yo rudro yo ’gnau.>
F. Max Müller - 1884
To the god who is in the fire, who is in the water, who entered the universe, who is in the annual herbs, and who is in the regents of the forest, (the trees), to this god be reverence, to him be reverence.
Edward Röer - 1853

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Dr. Ronald Steiner

From Ulm

The "Yoga Doc" - Dr. Ronald Steiner is the founder of the AYI method. This method links traditional Ashtanga Yoga with innovative Yogatherapy and living Philosophy. This forms a practice that is personal for each and... more ›

Nils Jacob Liersch

Meine Begeisterung für Yoga, indische Philosophie und Sanskrit führte mich zum Studium der Indologie und Religionswissenschaft an der Universität Heidelberg. Seit 2004 befinde ich mich auf meinem persönlichen Yogaweg... more ›

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