Upanishads · Mahā 5.83
॥
Devanāgarī
एनं मनोमणिं ब्रह्मन्बहुपङ्ककलङ्कितम् विवेकवारिणा सिद्ध्यै प्रक्षाल्यालोकवान्भव
Transliteration (IAST)
enaṃ manomaṇiṃ brahmanbahupaṅkakalaṅkitam vivekavāriṇā siddhyai prakṣālyālokavānbhava
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
एनम् मनः-मणिम् ब्रह्मन्enam manaḥ-maṇim brahmanthis gem of the mind, O brāhmaṇa; the said jewel of consciousness, O brāhmaṇa
बहु-पङ्क-कलङ्कितम्bahu-paṅka-kalaṅkitamstained with abundant mire; besmirched with much slime
विवेक-वारिणा सिद्ध्यैviveka-vāriṇā siddhyaiwith the water of discernment, for attainment; with the fluid of discrimination, for the sake of success
प्रक्षाल्य आलोक-वान् भवprakṣālya āloka-vān bhavahaving washed it, become one who sees; having rinsed it, be made a seeing man
Translation
“This gem of the mind, O brāhmaṇa, stained with abundant mire — wash it with the water of discernment, and become one who sees.”
Version
41f458d135c7 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A simple order, and it continues the image.
A gem is neither manufactured nor replaced. It is washed.
Note that the mire is called abundant — bahu-paṅka. The book does not minimize: the mind is truly fouled.
But it is mire upon the gem, not a flaw of the gem.
The water is named viveka — “discernment”, the first word of all Vedāntic work (cf. 2.2, 5.79).
And the aim: āloka-vān bhava — “become one who sees”. The word āloka means both “light” and “sight”.
This echoes 4.79: the trouble is in the eye, not in the sun. Here it is said how the eye is treated: it is bathed.
The verse is good also in setting the right tone for work on oneself. Not to war with oneself, but to wash.