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Upanishads · Muktikā 2.17
॥
Devanāgarī
सम्यगालोचनात्सत्याद्वासना प्रविलीयते । वासनाविलये चेतः शममायाति दीपवत्
Transliteration (IAST)
samyagālocanātsatyādvāsanā pravilīyate | vāsanāvilaye cetaḥ śamamāyāti dīpavat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सम्यक् आलोचनात् सत्यात्samyak ālocanāt satyātfrom right consideration of what is true
वासना प्रविलीयतेvāsanā pravilīyatehabit dissolves
वासना-विलये चेतःvāsanā-vilaye cetaḥat the dissolving of habit, mind
शमम् आयाति दीप-वत्śamam āyāti dīpa-vatcomes to peace, like a lamp
Translation
«From right consideration of what is true, habit dissolves; and at the dissolving of habit, the mind comes to peace, like a lamp».
Version
9d42d7305ef7 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Worth noting the comparison: dīpa-vat, «like a lamp». It is given here without explanation, and is read two ways. First reading: as a lamp in still air does not waver; this image, standing in Gītā 6.19, was spoken of at Saubhāgyalakṣmī (3.7).
Second: as a lamp whose oil has run out quietly goes out. The second reading, I think, is truer, for it stands with the word śama, «peace, quieting», and the verb vilaya, «dissolving». And then the verse says: habit is the oil, and the mind's motion the flame; the oil spent, the flame is stilled.
Worth noting that the two readings lead to different things. On the first, the mind burns evenly and remains alight. On the second, it goes out.
The Vaishnava side holds the first, and its argument was cited at Saubhāgyalakṣmī (3.8): if the ultimate is likened to something extinguished, the ultimate has been chosen wrongly. Add the first half-verse: samyag ālocanāt satyāt, «from right consideration of what is true». The word ālocana means «looking over, consideration»; and worth noting that the means named is not suppression and not distraction, but looking.
That is, habit dissolves from having been looked at directly; and this agrees with what was said at Sarasvatī-rahasya (4.26): a noticed desire weakens, for it lives as long as one is identified with it.