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Upanishads · Muktikā 2.31
॥
Devanāgarī
ततः पक्वकषायेण नूनं विज्ञात वस्तुना । शुभोऽप्यसौ त्वया त्याज्यो वासनौघो निराधिना
Transliteration (IAST)
tataḥ pakvakaṣāyeṇa nūnaṃ vijñāta vastunā | śubho'pyasau tvayā tyājyo vāsanaugho nirādhinā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ततः पक्व-कषायेणtataḥ pakva-kaṣāyeṇathen, with the residue burnt through
नूनं विज्ञात-वस्तुनाnūnaṃ vijñāta-vastunātruly, one who has known the thing
शुभः अपि असौ त्वया त्याज्यःśubhaḥ api asau tvayā tyājyaḥeven the auspicious must by you be abandoned
वासना-ओघः निराधिनाvāsanā-oghaḥ nirādhināthe flood of habit, free of sorrow
Translation
«Then, when the residue has burnt through and the thing is truly known, even the auspicious flood of habit must be abandoned by you, [grown] free of sorrow».
Version
f408ed183d20 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Worth noting the word kaṣāya, «residue, astringent taste, coloring». In this body of writing it names the remainder of passions: what has settled at the bottom and gives a taste, though the passion itself is gone. And it says pakva-kaṣāyeṇa, «when the residue has burnt through»; that is, the remainder is not removed but burnt out.
Add the main point: it is said that then even the good habit must be abandoned. This position was examined at the seventh verse of this chapter, where the good was named a way-station; and in Indian writing it is a commonplace: a golden chain is still a chain. The Vaishnava side parts from this book most sharply at this place, and it is worth saying in what.
It agrees that every claiming binds, piety's claiming included; and it was said at Varāha (3.23) that «the claiming of the spiritual» is called demonic. But it does not agree that the good occupation itself must be abandoned. Its argument was cited at the twentieth verse of this chapter: for ātmārāma, for whom nothing more is needed, service does not cease, but begins — kurvanty ahaitukīṃ bhaktim, «they render causeless service».
That is, by its count, what is abandoned is the chain, not the occupation; and a golden chain ceases to be a chain when it is worn not for the gold.