Upanishads · Mahā 2.54
॥
Devanāgarī
कट्वम्ललवणं तिक्तममृष्टं मृष्टमेव च सममेव च यो भुङ्क्ते स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
kaṭvamlalavaṇaṃ tiktamamṛṣṭaṃ mṛṣṭameva ca samameva ca yo bhuṅkte sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कटु-अम्ल-लवणम् तिक्तम्kaṭu-amla-lavaṇam tiktamthe pungent, sour, salt, bitter; the burning, the sour, the salt, the astringent
अमृष्टम् मृष्टम् एव चamṛṣṭam mṛṣṭam eva cathe unsavoury and the savoury alike; the plain and the dainty alike
समम् एव च यः भुङ्क्तेsamam eva ca yaḥ bhuṅktewho eats them all as equal; who partakes, making no difference
सः जीवन्मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvanmuktaḥ ucyatehe is called liberated while living; he is named free while yet alive
Translation
“Who eats as equal the pungent, the sour, the salt, the bitter, the unsavoury and the dainty — he is called liberated while living.”
Version
ad10e4645dcf · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The thirteenth mark comes down from the heights into the kitchen — and rightly so.
After verses on the witness and on kalanā, suddenly the speech is of how a man eats. This is no lowering of the theme. The tongue is the touchiest of the senses and the least tractable: the Bhāgavatam observes that he who has subdued all the senses often stumbles precisely over taste.
Hence the mark is set here: indifference to taste is a sure sign, because it cannot be counterfeited.
Note: it does not say “eats the unsavoury”. It says samam — “as equal”. The liberated man does not seek out bad food as a feat; he eats what is given.
Recall too Śuka amid the palace viands (2.26). The verse explains that scene in hindsight.