Upanishads · Mahā 4.17
॥
Devanāgarī
नापदि ग्लानिमायान्ति निशि हेमाम्बुजं यथा नेहन्ते प्रकृतादन्यद्रमन्ते शिष्टवर्त्मनि
Transliteration (IAST)
nāpadi glānimāyānti niśi hemāmbujaṃ yathā nehante prakṛtādanyadramante śiṣṭavartmani
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
न आपदि ग्लानिम् आयान्तिna āpadi glānim āyāntiin calamity they do not wilt; at misfortune they do not fade
निशि हेम-अम्बुजम् यथाniśi hema-ambujam yathālike the golden lotus at night; just as the gold lotus in the dark
न ईहन्ते प्रकृतात् अन्यत्na īhante prakṛtāt anyatthey seek nothing other than what has come; they pursue nothing beyond what has offered itself
रमन्ते शिष्ट-वर्त्मनिramante śiṣṭa-vartmanithey rejoice on the path of the worthy; they take delight on the road of the noble
Translation
“In calamity they do not wilt — like the golden lotus at night; they seek nothing beyond what has come of itself, and rejoice on the path of the worthy.”
Version
83c001ce7ee8 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three marks, and the first is given by an image.
The lotus closes at night — but does not wilt. In the morning it is the same. So the righteous man in calamity: he draws in, withdraws into himself, and this is no withering.
The word hema-ambuja, “golden lotus”, adds worth to the image: gold does not tarnish or rust because it has grown dark.
The second mark — na īhante prakṛtāt anyat, “they seek nothing other than what has offered itself”. This is exactly the mark of the liberated man from 2.60: he partakes of what comes unsought.
The third — “they rejoice on the path of the worthy”. The word ramante speaks of joy, not of duty. Their righteousness is not a feat but a taste.
Note all three taken together: they do not wilt, do not solicit, they rejoice. Not one of the three marks is about strength of will.