Upanishads · Mahā 2.47
॥
Devanāgarī
अध्यात्मरतिरासीनः पूर्णः पावनमानसः प्राप्तानुत्तमविश्रान्तिर्न किंचिदिह वाञ्छति यो जीवति गतस्नेहः स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
adhyātmaratirāsīnaḥ pūrṇaḥ pāvanamānasaḥ prāptānuttamaviśrāntirna kiṃcidiha vāñchati yo jīvati gatasnehaḥ sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अध्यात्म-रतिः आसीनःadhyātma-ratiḥ āsīnaḥseated, delighting in the inner self; settled, taking joy in the ātman
पूर्णः पावन-मानसःpūrṇaḥ pāvana-mānasaḥfull, with a purifying mind; complete, with a mind that cleanses
प्राप्त-अनुत्तम-विश्रान्तिःprāpta-anuttama-viśrāntiḥhaving gained unsurpassed repose; having reached the highest rest
न किंचित् इह वाञ्छतिna kiṃcit iha vāñchatidesires nothing here; craves nothing in this world
यः जीवति गत-स्नेहःyaḥ jīvati gata-snehaḥwho lives with attachment gone; who lives rid of clinging
सः जीवन्मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvanmuktaḥ ucyatehe is called liberated while living; he is named free while yet alive
Translation
“Who is settled in the delight of the Ātman, full, with a purifying mind, who has gained unsurpassed repose, desires nothing here and lives without attachments — he is called liberated while living.”
Version
3f7d5d988475 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The sixth mark — the longest in the train, and in it at last the positive is spoken.
Till now went negations: does not exult, does not droop, is not touched, does not desire. Here it is named what is: adhyātma-rati — “delight in the Ātman”.
This is the answer to the old question whence comes the indifference to enjoyments “without any cause” (2.42). There is a cause — it is simply not negative. The man is not drawn to the small because he is full.
The word viśrānti is the very one Śuka begged in 2.35: “with thee I shall find rest”. Here it is called anuttama — “unsurpassed” — and said to be attained.
Note also pāvana-mānasa: “with a purifying mind”. Not “with a pure mind”, but precisely purifying — such a man's purity passes to others. Hence the rule in these books to seek the company of such people: their purity is contagious.
And the last: gata-sneha. Sneha means both “attachment” and “oil”. Hence the simile at the chapter's end (2.76): he goes out like a lamp without oil. Not blown out — there is simply nothing left to burn.