Upanishads · Śvetāśvatara 6.4
॥
Devanāgarī
आरभ्य कर्माणि गुणान्वितानि भावांश् च सर्वान् विनियोजयेद् यः ।
तेषाम् अभावे कृतकर्मनाशः कर्मक्षये याति स तत्त्वतो ऽन्यः
Transliteration (IAST)
ārabhya karmāṇi guṇānvitāni bhāvāṃś ca sarvān viniyojayed yaḥ /
teṣām abhāve kṛtakarmanāśaḥ karmakṣaye yāti sa tattvato 'nyaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आरभ्यārabhyahaving begun; having undertaken
कर्माणिkarmāṇithe works; the actions
गुणान्वितानिguṇānvitānijoined with the guṇas; bound up with the qualities of nature
भावान् च सर्वान्bhāvān ca sarvānand all the states; and every disposition
विनियोजयेत्viniyojayetHe assigns; He appoints to their work
यःyaḥwho; He who
तेषाम् अभावेteṣām abhāvein their absence; when these are no more
कृतकर्मनाशःkṛtakarmanāśaḥthe perishing of what was done; the destruction of accumulated deeds
कर्मक्षयेkarmakṣayeat the exhaustion of karma; the deeds being spent
यातिyātihe goes on; he moves further
सः तत्त्वतः अन्यःsaḥ tattvataḥ anyaḥbeing in essence other; remaining essentially distinct
Translation
He who begins the works joined with the guṇas and assigns all the states; and when these are no more, what was done perishes; with the exhaustion of deeds a man goes on, remaining in essence other.
Version
2e2055d20867 · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:13:46 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A continuation of the same long sentence. Here one more work of the Lord is named: He "assigns all the states", bhāvān viniyojayet. Not only things and elements, but moods, inclinations and dispositions of mind are laid out by Him.
Then the denouement is stated: "when these are no more, what was done perishes". Deeds are held up by the guṇas and the states; take away the fuel and the accumulation burns out. This is the same move as at 1.11, where with the exhaustion of the afflictions birth and death ceased.
The most valuable thing is in the last words: saḥ tattvataḥ anyaḥ, "he is in essence other". The word anya, "other", in this Upaniṣad almost always marks the difference of soul and Lord (4.7, 5.1). Here it is said of one who has been freed: even after passing through all deeds and states he remains essentially other than they — and, on the reading of the Vaiṣṇava commentators, other than Him toward whom he goes.
Hence the conclusion the Upaniṣad never tires of repeating: liberation is not a dissolving past distinction. The deeds end, the guṇas fall away, and he who was walking — walks.