Upanishads · Mahā 5.108
॥
Devanāgarī
प्रतिभासत एवेदं न जगत्परमार्थतः ज्ञानदृष्टौ प्रसन्नायां प्रबोधविततोदये
Transliteration (IAST)
pratibhāsata evedaṃ na jagatparamārthataḥ jñānadṛṣṭau prasannāyāṃ prabodhavitatodaye
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रतिभासते एव इदम्pratibhāsate eva idamthis merely appears; the said thing only seems
न जगत् परम-अर्थतःna jagat parama-arthataḥthe world is not, in the ultimate sense; the world is not, by the final truth
ज्ञान-दृष्टौ प्रसन्नायाम्jñāna-dṛṣṭau prasannāyāmwhen the eye of knowledge has cleared; upon the clearing of the sight of understanding
प्रबोध-वितत-उदयेprabodha-vitata-udayeat the wide dawning of awakening; at the broad uprising of illumination
Translation
“This merely appears; in the ultimate sense there is no world — when the eye of knowledge has cleared and awakening has widely dawned.”
Version
4b011e14924f · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse seems to contradict the previous one, but in fact refines it.
Note the proviso without which everything collapses: na jagat parama-arthataḥ — “there is no world by the ultimate truth”.
The word paramārtha — “the ultimate sense” — belongs to the pair paramārtha/vyavahāra: “final truth” and “common usage”. One and the same thing can exist in usage and not in the final account.
The light from the lamp exists — and does not exist apart from the lamp. Both statements are true, each in its own order.
The second half sets the second condition: all this is said of the state when jñāna-dṛṣṭi prasannā — “the eye of knowledge has cleared”.
That is, “there is no world” is not a thesis for dispute but a description of what the awakened one sees.
Hence it is forbidden to say it to the unready.