Upanishads · Kaṭha 3.8
॥
Devanāgarī
यस् तु विज्ञानवान् भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः ।
स तु तत् पदम् आप्नोति यस्माद् भूयो न जायते
Transliteration (IAST)
yas tu vijñānavān bhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ /
sa tu tat padam āpnoti yasmād bhūyo na jāyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यःyaḥwho; the one who
तुtusurely; however
विज्ञानवान्vijñānavānpossessed of discernment; wise
भवतिbhavatiis; becomes
समनस्कःsamanaskaḥwith a collected mind (sa-manaska); concentrated; master of his mind
सदाsadāalways; constantly
शुचिःśuciḥpure (śuci); purified; radiant
सःsaḥhe; such a man
तुtusurely; indeed
तत्tatthat one; of this
पदम्padamthe state; realms
आप्नोतिāpnotiattains; obtains
यस्मात्yasmātwhence; from whom
भूयःbhūyaḥanew; again; anew
नnanot; no
जायतेjāyateis born (from √jan); he takes body; he comes to birth
Translation
But he who has discernment, whose mind is collected and who is always pure, attains that abode from which men are not born again.
Version
56c5025dd049 · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The terminus of the second chariot — and the formula with the opposite sign: discernment, collectedness, purity (śuciḥ) — sa tu tat padam āpnoti — "he attains that abode", yasmād bhūyo na jāyate — "from which he is not born again".
To define the goal by the denial of return is more exact than any description: every other station of saṁsāra is good until the ticket expires — svarga ends, merits are spent, bodies wear out; the abode from which men do not return is the only thing that deserves the name of arrival. The Gītā (15.6) speaks of it in the same words: yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama — "having gone whither, men do not return — that is My supreme abode".
The triad of conditions deserves attention: viveka (discernment) is the work of the intellect, samanaska (collectedness) the work of the mind, śauca (purity) the work of a whole life. None will substitute for the others: the pure but undiscerning man is a cart without a charioteer; the clever but impure man is a charioteer who betrays. But when all three are in their places, the chariot, in the word of the next verse, reaches the end of the road — and the Upaniṣad will at last name the Master of the final abode.