Upanishads · Muṇḍaka 1.2.11
॥
Devanāgarī
तपःश्रद्धे ये हि उपवसन्ति अरण्ये शान्ताः विद्वांसः भैक्ष्यचर्यां चरन्तः ।
सूर्यद्वारेण ते विरजाः प्रयान्ति यत्र अमृतः स पुरुषः हि अव्ययात्मा ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tapaḥśraddhe ye hi upavasanti araṇye śāntāḥ vidvāṃsaḥ bhaikṣyacaryāṃ carantaḥ |
sūryadvāreṇa te virajāḥ prayānti yatra amṛtaḥ sa puruṣaḥ hi avyayātmā ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तपःश्रद्धेtapaḥśraddheausterity and faith (tapas-śraddhā); asceticism and faith; heat and trust
ये हिye hiwho indeed; they who
उपवसन्तिupavasantidevote themselves to, dwell in (upa-√vas); abide in; live in
अरण्येaraṇyein the forest (araṇya); in the wilderness; in hermit life
शान्ताःśāntāḥthe tranquil; the calm
विद्वांसःvidvāṃsaḥthe knowing; the wise
भैक्ष्यचर्याम्bhaikṣyacaryāmthe life of alms (bhaikṣya-caryā); the going for alms; mendicancy
चरन्तःcarantaḥpractising; following
सूर्यद्वारेणsūryadvāreṇaby the door of the sun (sūrya-dvāra); through the solar gate; by way of the sun's gate
तेtethey; such
विरजाःvirajāḥthe dustless (vi-rajas); free of passion; unsullied
प्रयान्तिprayāntidepart; they proceed
यत्रyatrawhere; to where
अमृतःamṛtaḥimmortal; imperishable
सः पुरुषःsaḥ puruṣaḥthat Puruṣa; this Supreme Person
हिhiindeed; indeed
अव्ययात्माavyayātmāthe undiminishing Ātman (avyaya-ātman); the imperishable Self; the inexhaustible Spirit
Translation
But those who in the forest devote themselves to austerity and faith — the tranquil, the knowing, living on alms — they, dustless, depart by the door of the sun to where That immortal Puruṣa is, the undiminishing Ātman.
Version
e0bda8a347df · published Jul 26, 2026, 8:10:40 PM UTC
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The contrast of the two religiosities is completed with a portrait of the second. tapaḥ-śraddhe ye hy upavasanti araṇye — "who in the forest live by austerity and faith": not by ritual and calculation but by heat and trust; śāntāḥ — the tranquil (not at war over fruits), vidvāṁsaḥ — the knowing, bhaikṣya-caryāṁ carantaḥ — "living on alms": having reduced possession to a begging bowl — there is no one and nothing left with which to hoard merits.
sūrya-dvāreṇa te virajāḥ prayānti — "by the door of the sun they go, the dustless ones": virajāḥ — without the dust of passion (the very word with which the Praśna described the world of Brahman — "dustless", and the Kaṭha the one who has arrived). The door of the sun is the same northern path of light (Praśna 1.10), but walked to the end: yatra amṛtaḥ sa puruṣo hy avyayātmā — "where That immortal Puruṣa is, the undiminishing Ātman".
Compare the addresses of the two roads: the ritualists were met by voices "come, come" in a world made by deeds (verse 15); these are awaited not by a place but by a Face: the Puruṣa. The difference of the paths lies in the final instance: the way of works leads to the fruits of works, the way of austerity and faith to Him who is above fruits. A road always brings one exactly as far as it was aimed — which is why the Upaniṣad presses the traveller so: where exactly are you going?