Upanishads · Kaṭha 3.7
॥
Devanāgarī
यस् त्व् अविज्ञानवान् भवत्य् अमनस्कः सदाशुचिः ।
न स तत् पदम् आप्नोति संसारं चाधिगच्छति
Transliteration (IAST)
yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty amanaskaḥ sadāśuciḥ /
na sa tat padam āpnoti saṃsāraṃ cādhigacchati
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तुtusurely; however
अविज्ञानवान्avijñānavāndevoid of discernment; unintelligent
भवतिbhavatiis; becomes
अमनस्कःamanaskaḥwith unbridled mind (a-manaska — 'without a [collected] mind'); the unconcentrated; not master of his mind
सदाsadāalways; constantly
अशुचिःaśuciḥimpure (a-śuci); unpurified; turbid
नnanot; no
सःsaḥhe; such a man
तत्tatthat one; of this
पदम्padamthe state; realms
आप्नोतिāpnotiattains; obtains
संसारम्saṃsāraminto the round of births (saṁsāra — 'wandering'); into saṁsāra; into the succession of rebirths
चcaand; as well as
अधिगच्छतिadhigacchatihe comes (adhi-√gam); falls into; he returns
Translation
He who is without discernment, with unbridled mind and always impure, does not attain that abode and comes back into the round of births.
Version
91a68127d690 · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The terminus of the first chariot. To the two defects of the harness (no discernment, no rein) a third and decisive one is added: sadāśuciḥ — "always impure": impurity here is not a soiling of the body but a turbidity of intentions and habits, the sediment of unconquered passions. na sa tat padam āpnoti — "he does not attain that abode" (padam — that very word for the goal by which Oṁ was called and the abode of Viṣṇu will be called), saṁsāraṁ cādhigacchati — "and he comes into saṁsāra": the wheel of repeated births.
Saṁsāra in this verse is not a punishment but a route: a chariot without a charioteer does not plunge into an abyss — it simply drives round the circuit of pastures, from grass to grass, from birth to birth. The hell of the Upaniṣads is not flame but repetition; not destruction but an endless driving without arrival.
It is notable too that impurity is set in one row with lack of discernment: these are two sides of one thing — a turbid mind does not see the goal, and one who does not see the goal has no reason to purify himself. The Kaṭha has already said this sternly (verse 53): he who has not desisted from evil will not attain even with knowledge. The road and morality are one mechanism.