Upanishads · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.21
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् एव धीरः विज्ञाय प्रज्ञां कुर्वीत ब्राह्मणः न अनुध्यायात् बहूञ् शब्दान् वाचो विग्लापनं हि तत् इति
Transliteration (IAST)
tam eva dhīraḥ vijñāya prajñāṃ kurvīta brāhmaṇaḥ na anudhyāyāt bahūñ śabdān vāco viglāpanaṃ hi tat iti
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तम्tamit; that one
एवevaindeed; only
धीरःdhīraḥthe wise (dhīra); steadfast in mind; wise
विज्ञायvijñāyahaving known (vi + √jñā); having discerned; having known
प्रज्ञांprajñāṃwisdom (prajñā, acc.); intelligence; consciousness
कुर्वीतkurvītalet him make (from √kṛ, optative); let him do; let him produce
ब्राह्मणःbrāhmaṇaḥa brāhmaṇa; the knower of Brahman
नnanot; no
अनुध्यायात्anudhyāyātlet him not brood (anu + √dhyai, optative; na anudhyāyāt); let him not meditate upon; let him not brood
बहूञ्bahūñmany; numerous
शब्दान्śabdānthe words (śabda, acc. pl.); of words; the words
वाचोvācoof speech; of words
विग्लापनंviglāpanaṃa wearing out (viglāpana — 'exhaustion'); an exhausting; fatigue
हिhiindeed; truly
तत्tatthat; this
इतिitithus; how
Translation
Having known Him, let a brāhmaṇa work wisdom [in himself]. Let him not brood over many words: that is a wearying of speech.
Version
e2594c57b930 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:17:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The practical charge of the garland of verses: tam eva dhīro vijñāya prajñāṁ kurvīta — "having known Him, work wisdom": knowledge must pass into prajñā, into a living understanding-and-state, and not remain information. And the famous prohibition: nānudhyāyād bahūñ śabdān — "do not brood over many words: that is a wearying of speech" (vāco viglāpanam)!
The Upaniṣad, itself made of words, sets a limit to words: after the knowing, wide reading and much talking are a wearing-out of the voice, not a path. The same turn appears in Sanatkumāra ("a name is only a name", ChU 7.1) and in the canon of bhakti: grantha-bāhulya, a multitude of books, is named a hindrance to mature love. Words are oars as far as the shore; on the shore the rower is given silence.