Śvetāśvatara, the white-mounted, to them the partless Brahman, the supreme Brahman, the abode where the universe rests in peace —there one sees nothing else, hears nothing else, knows nothing else. Knowing this, one becomes immortal. In no other way is immortality attained.

Here the origin of this Upaniṣad’s name is revealed: Śvetāśvatara means “he who has a white seat or vehicle,” probably referring to the sun or a solar deity. Brahman niṣkala (without parts, indivisible) is the goal. This description of the final abode —where there is no “other” to perceive— is identical to that in verse 1.16, reinforcing its importance. In our yoga practice, the repetition underlines that there are no shortcuts: amṛtatva is only attained by direct knowledge of this non-dual unity.