इह त्वष्टारमग्रियं विश्वरूपमुप ह्वये ।
अस्माकमस्तु केवलः ॥ १० ॥

Iha Tvashataram Agriyam Vishvarupam Up Hwaye
Asmakam Astu Kevalah ॥ 10 ॥

Meaning

इह (Iha): Here; in this life; in this human birth. “Iha” does not merely indicate a place. It refers to the present world of experience in which human life takes place. It teaches that the experience of the Divine and spiritual progress should not be regarded as something that occurs only after death; they should be attained in this very life. This word reminds us that human birth is a rare opportunity for attaining remembrance of the Divine and spiritual knowledge.

त्वष्टारम् (Tvashataram): Tvashata; one possessing luminous knowledge; the creator; the divine architect of the universe. The word “Tvashataram” is explained through two important meanings.

त्विष् (Tvish) to shine: God Himself shines with the light of knowledge and illumines living beings through knowledge. The divine power that removes the darkness of ignorance and gives the light of knowledge is Tvashata.

त्वक्ष् (Tvaksh) to create: It also carries the meaning of the divine architect who creates the universe. God is the cause of all powers beginning with the Sun and regulates the order of the world. He is not merely the creator of the external world; He is also the inner architect who shapes human life into a higher form.

Therefore, “Tvashataram” refers to the wise Divine Being who refines and shapes both the world and the human inner being.

अग्रियम् (Agriyam): The foremost; the one who existed in the beginning; the one who precedes everything. “Agriyam” refers to the Supreme Being who existed at the beginning of creation. As expressed in the Vedic statement “Hiranyagarbhah Samavartatagre”, God existed before creation and was its cause. Since He exists before everything that appears in the world, He is the foremost and the foundational reality. This word emphasizes that God is the primordial cause who is not limited by time or matter.

विश्व रूपम् (Vishvarupam): One whose form is spread throughout the universe; the one who reveals everything; the universal Being. “Vishvarupam” refers to the Divine Being who contains all the objects of the universe within Himself. Everything from a tiny blade of grass to the Sun is an expression of the divine order. The Vedas explain their nature and their proper use. A person who gains this divine knowledge can understand the objects of the world and use them for welfare. Therefore, “Vishvarupam” conveys the profound truth of the Supreme Being who creates the world and reveals the nature of everything within it.

उप ह्वये (Up Hwaye): I call; I pray; I approach and praise. “Up Hwaye” is not an ordinary call; it refers to approaching the Divine with devotion and a sense of closeness. A human being recognizes his limitations and shortcomings and calls upon God to receive knowledge and guidance. This is the inner prayer of devotion. Since God is the divine architect who refines human life, calling upon Him sincerely and seeking His grace is the essence of this expression.

अस्माकम् (Asmakam): Ours; belonging to us. “Asmakam” goes beyond an individual request and expresses the Divine nearness that belongs equally to all. God does not belong to one person alone; He is the source of happiness for all humanity. This word expresses a prayer characterized by unity and concern for the welfare of all.

अस्तु (Astu): May it be; may it remain established; may it come to be. “Astu” expresses a firm prayer and resolve. It is a request that the relationship with the Divine should not remain merely as a thought or desire, but should become a true condition of life.

केवलः (Kevalah): The One alone; the sole support; the One established in bliss. “Kevalah” indicates that God alone should become our principal support. When a person becomes a servant of material nature and becomes trapped in material desires and the limitations of the physical world, he loses the elevation of thought and spiritual awareness. But when he lives as a devotee of the Divine, he shares in the bliss of that blissful Supreme Being. Therefore, “Kevalah” expresses the complete surrender that God alone should be our faith, our guiding principle and our source of bliss.

Explanation:

This mantra is a profound Vedic prayer in which the Divine is recognized as the creator of the world, the source of the light of knowledge, and the divine architect who refines and shapes human life. Although outwardly it appears to be a mantra calling upon God, its inner purpose is that a human being should understand the true foundation of life, rise above bondage to the material world, and become established in divine bliss.

The opening word of the mantra, “इह (Iha)”, emphasizes the importance of human life. It does not merely mean “here” in a spatial sense; it refers to this human birth and the experience of the present life. The inner meaning of this word is that the experience of the Divine and spiritual progress should not be regarded as something available only after death. Human beings should attain divine experience and spiritual advancement in this very life. Human birth is regarded as a rare opportunity for attaining remembrance of the Divine and knowledge.

The next word, “त्वष्टारम् (Tvashataram)”, presents the Divine from several perspectives. According to the meaning of the root “त्विष् (Tvish)”, He shines with the light of knowledge and illumines living beings through knowledge. Because He removes the darkness of ignorance and gives the light of knowledge, He is regarded as the source of divine illumination. According to the meaning of the root “त्वक्ष् (Tvaksh)”, He is the divine architect who creates the universe. He is the Supreme Being who creates the powers beginning with the Sun and establishes the order of the world. Yet His creative work does not end with the external universe; He is also the inner architect who shapes human life into a higher form. Therefore, Tvashata represents the wise Divine Being who refines and shapes both the world and the human inner being.

The word “अग्रियम् (Agriyam)” expresses the primordial nature of the Divine. God existed before the beginning of creation and is its cause. In accordance with the truth expressed in the Vedic statement “Hiranyagarbhah Samavartatagre”, He is the one who existed before everything that appears in the universe and is the foundation of all that exists. This word emphasizes that He is the primordial cause, not limited by time, space or matter.

The following word, “विश्व रूपम् (Vishvarupam)”, expresses the universal nature of the Divine. Everything in the world, from a tiny blade of grass to the Sun, is an expression of the divine order. The Vedas reveal their nature and proper use. When a human being gains this divine knowledge, he can understand the objects of the world and use them for the welfare of all. Therefore, “Vishvarupam” reveals the all-encompassing nature of the Supreme Being who creates the world and reveals everything within it.

Turning towards this Supreme Being, the human being says “उप ह्वये (Up Hwaye)”, “I call.” This is not an ordinary call; it is the language of devotion through which one approaches the Divine with reverence and a sense of closeness. A person recognizes his limitations and ignorance and seeks divine guidance that can refine and shape his life. Since God is the true architect of life, sincerely calling upon Him and seeking His grace is the essence of this expression.

The second half of the mantra, “अस्माकमस्तु केवलः (Asmakam Astu Kevalah)”, expresses a profound spiritual truth. By saying “अस्माकम् (Asmakam)”, “ours”, the prayer rises beyond an individual desire and becomes a universal prayer for all humanity. God does not belong to one person alone; He is the source of happiness for everyone.

“अस्तु (Astu)” expresses a firm resolve and prayer. It contains the desire that the relationship with the Divine should not remain a temporary emotion or thought, but should become a permanent truth of life.

Finally, the word “केवलः (Kevalah)” expresses the central message of the mantra. God alone should become our sole support. When a person becomes enslaved to nature and material desire and becomes immersed in the physical world, he loses his spiritual awareness and higher thinking. But when he lives as a devotee of the Divine, he participates in the bliss of that blissful Supreme Being. Therefore, “Kevalah” expresses the complete surrender that God alone should become the centre of our faith, our path, our support and our lasting source of bliss.

Thus, the integrated meaning of this mantra is: In this human life itself, we call upon the Divine Being who shines with the light of knowledge, who refines and shapes the world and human life, who is the primordial cause and the universal Supreme Being; instead of becoming slaves to material nature, we should accept that blissful Supreme Being as our sole support and live in His grace and bliss. This is a profound Vedic prayer that presents the Divine not merely as the creator of the world, but also as the divine guide who shapes the human inner being.

Conclusion:

This mantra is a profound Vedic prayer that teaches that the true purpose of human life is to know the Divine and become established in a life filled with His knowledge and bliss. The Divine is praised here as “Tvashata”, showing that He is not merely the divine architect who creates the universe, but also the compassionate guide who removes ignorance and illumines living beings with the light of knowledge. He is “Agriyam”, the foremost and the primordial cause; and “Vishvarupam”, the universal Supreme Being who contains all that exists within Himself. Through the divine knowledge revealed by the Vedas, a human being gains the wisdom to understand the nature of worldly objects and use them for welfare.

Through the prayer “Up Hwaye”, a person recognizes his limitations and shortcomings and seeks divine grace to refine and shape life. This prayer is not directed only towards individual welfare; through the word “Asmakam”, it seeks Divine nearness and happiness for all humanity. Furthermore, “Astu” expresses the firm resolve that the relationship with the Divine should not remain a temporary emotion but should become a permanent truth of life.

The highest teaching of this mantra is contained in the word “Kevalah”. Its essence is that a human being should not fall into a material existence as a servant of nature and material desire, but should accept the Divine as his sole support. When one lives as a devotee of the Divine, one participates in the bliss of the blissful Supreme Being and preserves inner awareness and higher humanity. Therefore, this mantra presents the elevated spiritual path of seeking, in this very life, the Supreme Being who shines with the light of knowledge and who refines and shapes both the world and the human inner being, accepting Him alone as our sole faith, our guiding principle and our source of bliss, and living accordingly.