Upanishads · Mahā 5.105
॥
Devanāgarī
अज्ञस्यार्धप्रबुद्धस्य सर्वं ब्रह्मेति यो वदेत् महानरकजालेषु स तेन विनियोजितः
Transliteration (IAST)
ajñasyārdhaprabuddhasya sarvaṃ brahmeti yo vadet mahānarakajāleṣu sa tena viniyojitaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अज्ञस्य अर्ध-प्रबुद्धस्यajñasya ardha-prabuddhasyato the ignorant, the half-awakened; to the unknowing, to one but half roused
सर्वम् ब्रह्म इति यः वदेत्sarvam brahma iti yaḥ vadetwhoever says “all is Brahman”; whoever pronounces “everything is Brahman”
महा-नरक-जालेषुmahā-naraka-jāleṣuinto the nets of the great hell; into the toils of the vast underworld
सः तेन विनियोजितःsaḥ tena viniyojitaḥhe has thereby consigned him; that man has by it assigned him
Translation
“Whoever says to the ignorant or the half-awakened ‘all is Brahman’ has thereby consigned him to the nets of the great hell.”
Version
9b8e6832f892 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A stern verse, and its sternness is deserved.
To tell the unready “all is Brahman” is, by the book, to hurl him into hell.
Why so sharp? Because the harm is obvious and everywhere.
A man in whom neither mind nor senses have grown still, on hearing “all is Brahman”, will take it as “everything is permitted me”. The difference between good and evil is abolished; and it was abolished not by him but by the doctrine. And for his evil he has received not even permission but a blessing.
Note the expression ardha-prabuddha — “half-awakened”. He is more dangerous than the utter ignoramus: the ignoramus has no words to excuse himself, while this one has.
Recall 4.68: he who has not left evil deeds will not attain even by insight.
And further: the guilty one here is not the pupil but the one who spoke. Viniyojitaḥ tena — “assigned by him”.