Upanishads · Mahā 2.70
॥
Devanāgarī
स्वयमेव त्वया ज्ञातं गुरुतश्च पुनः श्रुतम् स्वसंकल्पवशाद्बद्धो निःसंकल्पाद्विमुच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
svayameva tvayā jñātaṃ gurutaśca punaḥ śrutam svasaṃkalpavaśādbaddho niḥsaṃkalpādvimucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्वयम् एव त्वया ज्ञातम्svayam eva tvayā jñātamknown by thyself; grasped by thee on thy own
गुरुतः च पुनः श्रुतम्gurutaḥ ca punaḥ śrutamand heard again from the teacher; and heard anew from the preceptor
स्व-सङ्कल्प-वशात् बद्धःsva-saṅkalpa-vaśāt baddhaḥbound by the power of his own intent; fettered by the force of his own designing
निःसङ्कल्पात् विमुच्यतेniḥsaṅkalpāt vimucyateby intentlessness he is freed; by designlessness he is released
Translation
“Thou hast known this thyself, and heard it again from the teacher. A man is bound by the power of his own intent and is freed by intentlessness.”
Version
e7e1f2915007 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Janaka sums up, and the first line points straight at what the whole tale was for.
“Known by thyself, and heard again from the teacher.” Both components are named, and neither is declared superfluous.
One's own understanding is not annulled: Śuka understood rightly. And what was heard from the preceptor is not deemed needless: without it the understanding did not find its feet.
This is the answer to the riddle of verse 2.31, where Janaka said “the very same”. Knowledge needs not addition but confirmation from the lips of one acknowledged as elder.
The second half compresses the whole science into one word: saṅkalpa — “intent, design, wilful positing”. Bound by his own design; freed by its absence.
Not by the world is he bound, not by the body, not by fate. By his own “let it be so”.