Upanishads · Mahā 2.35
॥
Devanāgarī
तत्किमेतन्महाभाग सत्यं ब्रूहि ममाचलम् त्वत्तो विश्रममाप्नोमि चेतसा भ्रमता जगत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tatkimetanmahābhāga satyaṃ brūhi mamācalam tvatto viśramamāpnomi cetasā bhramatā jagat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् किम् एतत् महाभागtat kim etat mahābhāgaso what is this, O fortunate one; then what is all this, O favoured of fate
सत्यम् ब्रूहि मम अचलम्satyam brūhi mama acalamtell me the truth, unshakable; speak to me the unwavering verity
त्वत्तः विश्रमम् आप्नोमिtvattaḥ viśramam āpnomifrom thee I gain repose; with thee I shall find rest
चेतसा भ्रमता जगत्cetasā bhramatā jagatwith a mind wandering through the world; with consciousness roaming across the earth
Translation
“Then what is this, O fortunate one? Tell me the unshakable truth. From thee I shall gain repose — I, whose mind wanders through the world.”
Version
3a8d14d3e253 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Śuka speaks out what he was hiding.
He has stated everything correctly (2.34) — and at once confesses: cetasā bhramatā, “with a mind wandering through the world”. The knowledge is impeccable; the mind roams.
This is the very state for whose sake the whole tale is written. It is familiar to everyone who has read books: you understand everything and hold on to nothing.
And here are the chief words: tvatto viśramam āpnomi — “from thee I shall gain repose”. Not “from the teaching”, not “from reflection”, not “from practice”. From thee.
Peace proved to be not the consequence of knowledge but a gift from a person.
The Vaiṣṇava tradition stands exactly here. Refuge is not an abstract truth but the one to whom you have come; and the first such person for a man is the teacher. Śuka's request is built exactly as every prayer is built: not “explain”, but “with thee I shall find rest”.