Upanishads · Mahā 2.50
॥
Devanāgarī
मौनवान्निरहंभावो निर्मानो मुक्तमत्सरः यः करोति गतोद्वेगः स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
maunavānnirahaṃbhāvo nirmāno muktamatsaraḥ yaḥ karoti gatodvegaḥ sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मौनवान् निर्-अहं-भावःmaunavān nir-ahaṃ-bhāvaḥsilent, without the sense of “I”; keeping stillness, void of self-conceit
निर्मानः मुक्त-मत्सरःnirmānaḥ mukta-matsaraḥwithout pride, freed from envy; without arrogance, rid of ill-will
यः करोति गत-उद्वेगःyaḥ karoti gata-udvegaḥwho acts without agitation; who acts, having lost all anxiety
सः जीवन्मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvanmuktaḥ ucyatehe is called liberated while living; he is named free while yet alive
Translation
“Who is silent, void of the sense of ‘I’, without arrogance and without envy, and acts having lost all anxiety — he is called liberated while living.”
Version
f9df07147f7b · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The ninth mark sets four qualities side by side, and the link between them is worth making out.
Mauna — “silence”. In these books it means not a ban on speaking but the absence of any need to pronounce upon oneself.
From there a straight road to the other three. He who carries no “I” within (nir-ahaṃ-bhāva) has nothing to exalt (nirmāna) and no one to compare himself with — hence nothing to envy (mukta-matsara).
Envy is not mentioned here to round out the list. Matsara is the state of one who measures himself by another's measure. It is the last thing to go; the Bhāgavatam says that true dharma begins with those who are wholly rid of envy.
And the sum: gata-udvega, “without anxiety”. Anxiety belongs to him who has something to defend.