Upanishads · Mahā 5.75
॥
Devanāgarī
हस्तं हतेन सम्पीड्य दन्तैर्दन्तान्विचूर्ण्य च अङ्गान्यङ्गैरिवाक्रम्य जयेदादौ स्वकं मनः
Transliteration (IAST)
hastaṃ hatena sampīḍya dantairdantānvicūrṇya ca aṅgānyaṅgairivākramya jayedādau svakaṃ manaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हस्तम् हस्तेन सम्पीड्यhastam hastena sampīḍyapressing hand with hand; squeezing palm against palm
दन्तैः दन्तान् विचूर्ण्य चdantaiḥ dantān vicūrṇya caand grinding teeth against teeth; and crushing tooth upon tooth
अङ्गानि अङ्गैः इव आक्रम्यaṅgāni aṅgaiḥ iva ākramyaas if overpowering limbs with limbs; as though subduing members by members
जयेत् आदौ स्वकम् मनःjayet ādau svakam manaḥlet him first conquer his own mind; may he at the outset vanquish his own consciousness
Translation
“Pressing hand with hand, grinding teeth on teeth, overpowering limbs with limbs — let him first conquer his own mind.”
Version
52a2a14eb8a3 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A verse bodily to the point of coarseness, and its coarseness is deliberate.
To clench hand in hand, to grind the teeth, to strain the whole body — this describes the effort known to everyone who has forced himself.
Note the construction of all three images: hand overpowers hand, teeth teeth, limbs limbs. The selfsame thing wrestles with itself.
This continues 4.104: a king is humbled by a king; the mind is overcome by the mind.
The Bhagavad-gītā in its sixth chapter says almost the same in the same words: raise yourself by yourself, do not let yourself sink; you are your own friend and your own enemy.
And the word ādau — “first”. Before any other business.