Upanishads · Mahā 5.16
॥
Devanāgarī
अल्पकालं मया दृष्टमेतन्नोदेति यत्र हि परामर्षः प्रबुद्धस्य स स्वप्न इति कथ्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
alpakālaṃ mayā dṛṣṭametannodeti yatra hi parāmarṣaḥ prabuddhasya sa svapna iti kathyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अल्प-कालम् मया दृष्टम्alpa-kālam mayā dṛṣṭam“seen by me for a little while”; “beheld by me for a brief time”
एतत् न उदेति यत्र हिetat na udeti yatra hi“this does not arise here”; “this does not appear in this place”
परामर्शः प्रबुद्धस्यparāmarśaḥ prabuddhasyathe reflection of one awakened; the reasoning of him who has woken
सः स्वप्नः इति कथ्यतेsaḥ svapnaḥ iti kathyatethat is called a dream; it is named the dream
Translation
“‘This I saw for a little while, and here it does not arise’ — such is the reflection of one awakened; that is called a dream.”
Version
59731d49031b · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fifth step: the dream proper, and it is defined not through the experience but through what is said of it afterwards.
A dream is recognized in hindsight. The one awakened reasons: I saw it briefly, and here it is not.
Note how honest this is. While a man sleeps, the dream is waking reality to him; no mark can be found inside the dream.
From this follows the uncomfortable conclusion which the book does not utter but implies by the chapter's whole structure. The same can be said of our waking: while it lasts, it is indistinguishable from the genuine.
Only he who has woken will be able to tell the difference; and his reasoning will be the very same.
The word parāmarśa — “reflection, retrospective consideration”. Not an experience, but reason looking back.