Upanishads · Mahā 4.113
॥
Devanāgarī
अविद्या यावदस्यास्तु नोत्पन्ना क्षयकारिणी स्वयमात्मावलोकेच्छा मोहसंक्षयकारिणी
Transliteration (IAST)
avidyā yāvadasyāstu notpannā kṣayakāriṇī svayamātmāvalokecchā mohasaṃkṣayakāriṇī
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अविद्या यावत् अस्याः तुavidyā yāvat asyāḥ tuso long as of this ignorance; while yet for this unknowing
न उत्पन्ना क्षय-कारिणीna utpannā kṣaya-kāriṇīthere has not arisen its destroyer; there has not sprung up the one that brings it ruin
स्वयम् आत्म-अवलोक-इच्छाsvayam ātma-avaloka-icchāthe desire oneself to behold the Ātman; one's own longing to see the Self
मोह-संक्षय-कारिणीmoha-saṃkṣaya-kāriṇīwhich brings the utter wasting of delusion; which works the complete destruction of the beguilement
Translation
“…so long as there has not arisen the desire — destructive of ignorance and of delusion — to behold the Ātman for oneself.”
Version
eef1fe3d22e0 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is named the one thing that ends the swinging: icchā — “desire, longing”.
The longing for ātma-avaloka — “to behold the Ātman”.
The word deserves a pause. This whole book teaches the leaving of desires; and here liberation begins with a desire.
There is no contradiction, and it is explained by the same distinction as in 2.40: not every inclination is to be uprooted, only the impure. The desire to see is that very pure one which remains and leads.
Note too the word svayam — “oneself”. Not “the desire that someone should show”, but “the desire to see for oneself”.
And further: it is called kṣaya-kāriṇī — “working the destruction” of ignorance. That is, ignorance perishes not from efforts, but from this wanting having awoken in a man.
Hence the whole point of the company of the righteous: beside them such a longing kindles of itself, as hunger kindles at the smell of bread.