Upanishads · Mahā 5.14
॥
Devanāgarī
अरूढमथवा रूढं सर्वथा तन्मयात्मकम् यज्जाग्रतो मनोराज्यं यज्जाग्रत्स्वप्न उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
arūḍhamathavā rūḍhaṃ sarvathā tanmayātmakam yajjāgrato manorājyaṃ yajjāgratsvapna ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अरूढम् अथवा रूढम्arūḍham athavā rūḍhamunrooted or rooted; not yet settled or settled in
सर्वथा तत्-मय-आत्मकम्sarvathā tat-maya-ātmakamwholly consisting of that; in everything woven of this
यत् जाग्रतः मनः-राज्यम्yat jāgrataḥ manaḥ-rājyamthe mind's kingdom of one awake; the mental reigning of the waking man
यत् जाग्रत्-स्वप्नः उच्यतेyat jāgrat-svapnaḥ ucyateis called the waking-dream; it is named the daydream
Translation
“The mind's kingdom of one awake — rooted or not, wholly woven of itself — is called the waking-dream.”
Version
5a82ebe694a3 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth step, and it has a beautiful name: manaḥ-rājya — “the kingdom of the mind”.
So are reveries called: in his mind a man builds himself a kingdom where he is now great, now wronged, now avenged.
Note that this is assigned to the explicit steps of ignorance and set below the great waking.
The logic is clear. In the great waking a man at least holds to something actual; in reverie he holds to what does not exist at all.
Arūḍham athavā rūḍham — “rooted or not”: no matter whether it is a fleeting fancy or an old one, cherished for years.
The practical consequence is worth writing out. We count daydreaming a rest for the mind. The book counts it the next step down.