Upanishads · Mahā 4.2
॥
Devanāgarī
मोक्षद्वारे द्वारपालश्चत्वारः परिकीर्तिताः शमो विचारः सन्तोषश्चतुर्थः साधुसङ्गमः
Transliteration (IAST)
mokṣadvāre dvārapālaścatvāraḥ parikīrtitāḥ śamo vicāraḥ santoṣaścaturthaḥ sādhusaṅgamaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मोक्ष-द्वारे द्वार-पालाःmokṣa-dvāre dvāra-pālāḥat the gate of liberation, gatekeepers; at the door of deliverance, warders
चत्वारः परिकीर्तिताःcatvāraḥ parikīrtitāḥfour are proclaimed; four are declared
शमः विचारः सन्तोषःśamaḥ vicāraḥ santoṣaḥcalm, inquiry, contentment; tranquillity, reflection, satisfaction
चतुर्थः साधु-सङ्गमःcaturthaḥ sādhu-saṅgamaḥthe fourth — the company of the righteous; the fourth is fellowship with the good
Translation
“At the gate of liberation four gatekeepers are set: calm, inquiry, contentment, and fourth — the company of the righteous.”
Version
70eee722e8a4 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is the verse for whose sake this book is worth knowing. It is short and stays in the memory.
The image is exact: not steps, not means, but dvāra-pāla — gatekeepers. Warders at the entrance, with whom one must come to terms before entering.
They are four.
Śama — “calm, stilling”: the ceasing of the inner bustle.
Vicāra — “inquiry, reflection”: the very thing that rose in Nidāgha after the pilgrimage (3.3).
Santoṣa — “contentment”: agreement with what is.
Sādhu-saṅgama — “the company of the righteous”.
The order is not accidental, but, as the next verse will say, something matters more than the order: make friends with one — and the other three will let you pass.
The Vaiṣṇava tradition has always singled out the last of these four. And not without reason: the first three are qualities that must be grown in oneself, while the fourth is something one can simply go and find. It is where one begins, for it alone is within reach of a man who as yet has nothing.