Upanishads · Mahā 4.48
॥
Devanāgarī
मनसैवेन्द्रजालश्रीर्जगति प्रवितन्यते यावदेतत्संभवति तावन्मोक्षो न विद्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
manasaivendrajālaśrīrjagati pravitanyate yāvadetatsaṃbhavati tāvanmokṣo na vidyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मनसा एव इन्द्रजाल-श्रीःmanasā eva indrajāla-śrīḥby the mind alone the splendour of illusion; precisely by consciousness the glory of the phantasm
जगति प्रवितन्यतेjagati pravitanyateis stretched out over the world; is spread abroad through the world
यावत् एतत् सम्भवतिyāvat etat sambhavatiso long as this goes on; while this is taking place
तावत् मोक्षः न विद्यतेtāvat mokṣaḥ na vidyateso long there is no liberation; for so long deliverance is not
Translation
“By the mind alone is this splendour of illusion stretched over the world; and while it lasts, there is no liberation.”
Version
3c699999252f · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A repetition of 4.46 with one insertion, for whose sake the verse stands: manasā eva — “by the mind alone”.
There it was said “thereby it is stretched”, and it remained unclear by whom. Here it is named.
The phantasm is woven by the mind.
This agrees with 3.21, where the mind is named the cause of things, and with 4.27, where it is said the state is attained “by what consists of mind alone”.
The second half sets the condition without softening: yāvat etat sambhavati, tāvan mokṣo na vidyate — “while this lasts, there is no liberation”.
No merits, places or feats get around this condition. While the mind weaves, there is no freedom, wherever you sit.
The next verses will examine what this mind is and what it is made of.