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Upanishads · Muktikā 1.18
॥
Devanāgarī
सहोवाच श्रीरामः । कैवल्यमुक्तिरेकैव परमार्थिकरूपिणी । दुराचाररतो वापि मन्नामभजनात्कपे
Transliteration (IAST)
sahovāca śrīrāmaḥ | kaivalyamuktirekaiva paramārthikarūpiṇī | durācārarato vāpi mannāmabhajanātkape
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः ह उवाच श्री-रामःsaḥ ha uvāca śrī-rāmaḥhe then said, Śrī Rāma
कैवल्य-मुक्तिः एका एवkaivalya-muktiḥ ekā eva"kaivalya-liberation alone
परम-अर्थिक-रूपिणीparama-arthika-rūpiṇīhas the form of the highest truth
दुराचार-रतः वा अपिdurācāra-rataḥ vā apieven one devoted to evil conduct
मत्-नाम-भजनात् कपेmat-nāma-bhajanāt kapefrom worship of my name, monkey"
Translation
«He then said, Śrī Rāma: “Kaivalya-liberation alone has the form of the highest truth. But even one devoted to evil conduct, monkey, — from worship of my name…»
Version
b6892fb368b7 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Rāma answers, and his answer is double; it is worth examining both halves, for they seem to contradict. The first: kaivalya-muktir ekaiva paramārthika-rūpiṇī, «kaivalya-liberation alone has the form of the highest truth». That is, by the highest reckoning liberation is one, and the four are not four ultimates but four degrees of approach to it.
The second half begins right here and will occupy eight verses: but even one living evilly, from worship of the name, receives the first of the four; and so on by degrees. Worth noting the phrase durācāra-rata, «devoted to evil conduct». It says not «one who has stumbled», but devoted to evil; that is, one who lives badly and is not about to stop.
And to him sālokya, «oneness of world», is promised. This is a sharp position, and it is worth saying how to read it, for a literal and forestalling reading turns it into a license. The reservation has been cited more than once and is Bhāgavatam (6.2.10): whoever sins nāmno balāt, «relying on the strength of the name», has no purification.
That is, the promise applies to the one who is evil and yet calls, not to the one who has calculated in advance. Add what makes this place remarkable: the name is named as acting before correction. The order of ordinary teachings is the reverse: correct yourself first, then proceed.
Here the name works with the evil one, and correction is a consequence, not a condition; and it was said at Varāha (4.4) that a change of character is a fruit, not a prerequisite.