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Upanishads · Śāṭyāyanīya 34
॥
Devanāgarī
यमेव विद्याश्रुतमप्रमत्तं मेधाविनं ब्रह्मचर्योपपन्नम् । अस्मा इमामुपसन्नाय सम्यक् परीक्ष्य दद्याद्वैष्णवीमात्मनिष्ठाम्
Transliteration (IAST)
yameva vidyāśrutamapramattaṃ medhāvinaṃ brahmacaryopapannam | asmā imāmupasannāya samyak parīkṣya dadyādvaiṣṇavīmātmaniṣṭhām
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यम् एव विद्यात्yam eva vidyātwhomever he should know as
श्रुतम् अ-प्रमत्तंśrutam a-pramattaṃwell-read, unfaltering
मेधाविनंmedhāvinaṃintelligent
ब्रह्मचर्य-उपपन्नम्brahmacarya-upapannamendowed with celibacy
अस्मै इमाम् उपसन्नायasmai imām upasannāyato him, having approached, this
सम्यक्samyakproperly
परीक्ष्य दद्यात्parīkṣya dadyāthaving tested, let him give
वैष्णवीम् आत्म-निष्ठाम्vaiṣṇavīm ātma-niṣṭhāmthe Vaiṣṇava standing in the self
Translation
"Whomever he should know as well-read, unfaltering, intelligent, endowed with celibacy — to him, having approached, having tested him properly, let him give the Vaiṣṇava standing in the self."
Version
372ada428b0e · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is worth noting the verb parīkṣya, "having tested," from pari-īkṣ, "to examine on all sides." That is, one is enjoined not to reject in advance but to test; and this softens the list of the preceding prose, as we discussed there. Let us add what is worth saying about testing, for in this literature it is the custom, not the exception.
In the codes the period of testing is set at a year; in others, longer. The basis is the same as in the twenty-seventh verse: since a fall from a height is graver than not having risen, not everyone should be raised. The Vaiṣṇava side holds the custom of testing and has her own expression for it: parīkṣā, and moreover mutual — not only does the teacher test the pupil, the pupil also tests the teacher.
Her rule is stated by Rūpa Gosvāmī and was cited when reading the Jābāla-darśana: before accepting a teacher, one should observe him for samvatsaram, "a year," and only then ask. This detail, to my mind, is precious and rare: usually in such codes only the pupil is tested. Let us add what she draws from this mutuality.
If the pupil too is permitted to test, then the relationship is not blind submission; and a person who demands trust before scrutiny thereby reveals that he fears scrutiny. Let us add the word apramatta, "unfaltering," from pramāda, "carelessness, negligence": in the list of virtues it stands second, after being well-read, before intelligence. That is, attentiveness is set above ability; and this, to my mind, is correct, for the able but careless loses more than the unable but attentive.