Upanishads · Mahā 2.55
॥
Devanāgarī
जरामरणमापच्च राज्यं दारिद्र्यमेव च रम्यमित्येव यो भुङ्क्ते स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
jarāmaraṇamāpacca rājyaṃ dāridryameva ca ramyamityeva yo bhuṅkte sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
जरा-मरणम् आपत् चjarā-maraṇam āpat caold age, death and calamity; decrepitude, decease and misfortune
राज्यम् दारिद्र्यम् एव चrājyam dāridryam eva cakingship and poverty alike; royal power and beggary
रम्यम् इति एव यः भुङ्क्तेramyam iti eva yaḥ bhuṅktewho partakes of them as delightful; who tastes them as something pleasing
सः जीवन्मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvanmuktaḥ ucyatehe is called liberated while living; he is named free while yet alive
Translation
“Who partakes as delightful of old age, and death, and calamity, and kingship, and poverty — he is called liberated while living.”
Version
e658b7157191 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourteenth mark takes the same verb as the last — bhuṅkte, “he partakes” — and carries it over from food to fate.
The transfer is substantive. What tastes are to the tongue, old age, calamity, kingship and poverty are to a life: that which is served.
But here it is said more sharply than in the verse on food. There it was “as equal”; here — ramyam, “as delightful”. Not endures, but finds delight in it.
This is no longer equanimity. It is a change of attitude toward the serving itself: since it is served — it is for the good.
Here the verse comes closest to what the Vaiṣṇava tradition calls acceptance of the Supreme's will. The difference is only that there the server has a name. It is delightful not as “something” — it is delightful because it is from Him.