The Psychic Being

In the Upanishads

Disciple: Is the aṇguṣṭha mātraḥ puruṣaḥ, spoken of in the Upanishad the same as the psychic being?

Sri Aurobindo: It may be.

From Conversations
Recorded by A.B. Purani

अंगुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति।
ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते। एतद्वै तत्‌ ॥

The Purusha who is seated in the midst of ourself is no larger than the finger of a man. He is the lord of what was and what shall be; Him having seen one shrinketh not from aught nor abhorreth any. This is the thing thou seekest.

''हमारी आत्मसत्ता के अन्तर् में प्रतिष्ठित 'पुरुष' अङ्गुष्ठमात्र है। वही भूत और भविष्य का ईश्वर है; उसका साक्षात्कार हो जाने से व्यक्ति किसी से सकुचाता नहीं, न ही उसे किसी के प्रति जुगुप्सा होती है। यही है 'वह' जिसकी तुम्हें अभीप्सा है।

Katho Upanishad

अंगुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ज्योतिरिवाधूमकः।
ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य स एवाद्य स उ श्वः। एतद्वै तत्‌ ॥

The Purusha that is within is no larger than the finger of a man; He is like a blazing fire that is without smoke, He is lord of His past and His future. He alone is today and He alone shall be tomorrow. This is the thing thou seekest.

''अन्तःस्थ 'पुरुष' अङ्गुष्ठमात्र ही है; 'वह' धूमरहित प्रज्ज्वलित अग्नि के सदृश है। 'वही' 'अपने' भूत और 'अपने' भविष्य का ईश्वर है। आज भी केवल 'वह' है, कल भी केवल 'वह ' होगा। यही है 'वह' जिसकी तुम्हें अभीप्सा है।

Katho Upanishad

But since she knows the toil of mind and life
As a mother feels and shares her children’s lives,
She puts forth a small portion of herself,
A being no bigger than the thumb of man
Into a hidden region of the heart
To face the pang and to forget the bliss,
To share the suffering and endure earth’s wounds
And labour mid the labour of the stars. ||126.4||