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Upanishads · Śāṭyāyanīya 27
॥
Devanāgarī
त्यक्त्वा विष्णोर्लिङ्गमन्तर्बहिर्वा यः स्वाश्रमं सेवतेऽनाश्रमं वा । प्रत्यपत्तिं भजते वातिमूढो नैषां गतिः कल्पकोट्यापि दृष्टा
Transliteration (IAST)
tyaktvā viṣṇorliṅgamantarbahirvā yaḥ svāśramaṃ sevate'nāśramaṃ vā | pratyapattiṃ bhajate vātimūḍho naiṣāṃ gatiḥ kalpakoṭyāpi dṛṣṭā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
त्यक्त्वा विष्णोः लिङ्गम्tyaktvā viṣṇoḥ liṅgamhaving abandoned the mark of Viṣṇu
अन्तः बहिः वाantaḥ bahiḥ vāinward or outward
यः स्व-आश्रमं सेवतेyaḥ sva-āśramaṃ sevatewho serves his own shelter
अन्-आश्रमं वाan-āśramaṃ vāor shelterlessness
प्रत्यपत्तिं भजते वाpratyapattiṃ bhajate vāor turns back
अति-मूढःati-mūḍhaḥutterly deluded
न एषां गतिः दृष्टाna eṣāṃ gatiḥ dṛṣṭāfor these no way out is seen
कल्प-कोट्या अपिkalpa-koṭyā apieven in a myriad cosmic ages
Translation
"Whoever, having abandoned the mark of Viṣṇu — inward or outward — serves his own shelter, or shelterlessness, or, utterly deluded, turns back — for such there is no way out seen, even in a myriad cosmic ages."
Version
601a0eddde69 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is worth noting the word pratyapatti, "turning back," from prati-ā-pad, "to go back." This is the technical word for one who, having accepted renunciation, has returned to his former state; and in the codes such a person is called ārūḍha-cyuta, "fallen from a height," as the twenty-ninth verse will say. Let us add the qualification that must be made, for otherwise this passage reads as a verdict.
The term kalpa-koṭyā api, "even in a myriad cosmic ages," is in this literature a turn of emphasis, not a measure; the same turn is used when promising a reward. It cannot be read as a count of years. Let us add what the Vaiṣṇava side has established on this question and what is worth knowing, for the question was examined by her in detail.
Caitanya, upon accepting renunciation, gave his followers a rule known from his life story: not everyone should take up the staff; and in her practice, since then, renunciation is not an obligatory step. The basis given is this: since a fall from a height is worse than not having risen, only one who will hold on should rise at all. This rule, to my mind, is more sensible than the strictness stated here, and better agrees with it: if abandoning the vow is so grave, then the vow too must be given cautiously.
Hence her own code requires a period of testing, and that the teaching is not given to the anupasanna, "the one who has not approached," this very book will say further below (32p).