Upanishads · Mahā 3.3
॥
Devanāgarī
सार्धत्रिकोटितीर्थेषु स्नानपुण्यप्रभावतः प्रादुर्भूतोमनसि मे विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः
Transliteration (IAST)
sārdhatrikoṭitīrtheṣu snānapuṇyaprabhāvataḥ prādurbhūtomanasi me vicāraḥ so'yamīdṛśaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सार्ध-त्रि-कोटि-तीर्थेषुsārdha-tri-koṭi-tīrtheṣuin three and a half crores of holy places; at three and a half koṭis of shrines
स्नान-पुण्य-प्रभावतःsnāna-puṇya-prabhāvataḥby the power of the merit of ablutions; from the might of the bathing's piety
प्रादुर्भूतः मनसि मेprādurbhūtaḥ manasi methere arose in my mind; there appeared in my consciousness
विचारः सः अयम् ईदृशःvicāraḥ saḥ ayam īdṛśaḥa pondering — and here is what it is; a reflection — behold it, such it is
Translation
“By the power of the merit of ablutions in three and a half crores of holy places a pondering has arisen in my mind; here is what it is.”
Version
e7a6aed518fb · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
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The verse's key word is vicāra, “pondering, inquiry”.
It is one of the book's chief notions. In the fifth adhyāya a ladder of seven steps of knowledge will be named, and vicāra stands second on it — right after “good willing”.
What matters here is whence it came: puṇya-prabhāva, “the power of merit”. That is, good deeds gave Nidāgha neither wealth nor heaven; they gave him the capacity to reflect.
This, in the thought of these books, is the true fruit of piety. Merit by itself is fuel for a new round; merit turned into a question leads out of the round.
All that Nidāgha says hereafter is the content of this vicāra. He does not complain — he inquires.