Upanishads · Muṇḍaka 1.1.5
॥
Devanāgarī
तत्र अपरा ऋग्वेदो यजुर्वेदः सामवेदः अथर्ववेदः शिक्षा कल्पः व्याकरणं निरुक्तं छन्दः ज्योतिषम् इति ।
अथ परा यया तत् अक्षरम् अधिगम्यते ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tatra aparā ṛgvedo yajurvedaḥ sāmavedaḥ atharvavedaḥ śikṣā kalpaḥ vyākaraṇaṃ niruktaṃ chandaḥ jyotiṣam iti |
atha parā yayā tat akṣaram adhigamyate ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत्रtatrafor them; among these
अपराaparāthe lower; the secondary
ऋग्वेदःṛgvedaḥthe Ṛg-veda; the Veda of hymns
यजुर्वेदःyajurvedaḥthe Yajur-veda; the Veda of sacrificial formulas
सामवेदःsāmavedaḥthe Sāma-veda; the Veda of chants
अथर्ववेदःatharvavedaḥthe Atharva-veda; the Veda of the Atharvans
शिक्षाśikṣāphonetics (śikṣā — the science of pronunciation); the doctrine of sounds; correct utterance
कल्पःkalpaḥthe ritual code (kalpa); the rules of ritual; the order of the rite
व्याकरणम्vyākaraṇamgrammar (vyākaraṇa); the doctrine of language; the analysis of the word
निरुक्तम्niruktametymology (nirukta); the interpretation of words; the science of meanings
छन्दःchandaḥmetrics (chandas); versification; the science of metres
ज्योतिषम् इतिjyotiṣam itiastronomy (jyotiṣa); star-lore; the science of the luminaries
अथathaand then; but
पराparāthe higher; the transcendent
ययाyayāto which; by means of which
तत् अक्षरम्tat akṣaramthat imperishable; the Akṣara
अधिगम्यतेadhigamyateis attained (adhi-√gam — 'to reach'); is reached; is won
Translation
"The lower of them is the Ṛg-veda, the Yajur-veda, the Sāma-veda, the Atharva-veda, [together with] phonetics, the ritual code, grammar, etymology, metrics and astronomy. But the higher is that by which the Imperishable is attained."
Version
d5182c2f4d05 · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:10:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A verse that takes the breath away: enrolled in the "lower science" are the Vedas themselves — all four! — together with the six vedāṅgas (pronunciation, ritual, grammar, etymology, metre, astronomy): the whole sacred and learned culture entire. atha parā — "but the higher" — yayā tad akṣaram adhigamyate — "that by which the Imperishable is attained".
This is not free-thinking — it is said within the Vedic tradition itself, in its sternest voice. The measure is one: does the knowledge lead to the Akṣara, the Imperishable? Texts, even revealed ones, studied as texts — memorised, commented, turned into a profession — remain aparā: a knowledge of words about Reality, not of Reality. The Gītā (2.46) will say the same: yāvān artha udapāne — "as much use as there is in a well when water has flooded all around"; and the Bhāgavatam (1.1.2) will open by cutting away "all dharmas prompted by self-interest".
It is important not to overshoot: the lower vidyā is lower, not false; it is listed with respect, and lives are spent in its service. But to the question "what is to be known so that all is known" only the parā vidyā answers — the knowledge that is a meeting, a reaching (adhi-√gam — "to arrive at"), not a collecting of information. The Vedas are the map; the higher vidyā is the walking itself to the Imperishable. One must have the map — but one arrives not by the map but by the ground.