Upanishads · Mahā 5.114
॥
Devanāgarī
मुने नासाद्यते तद्धि पदमक्षयमुच्यते कुतो जातेयमिति ते द्विज मास्तु विचारणा
Transliteration (IAST)
mune nāsādyate taddhi padamakṣayamucyate kuto jāteyamiti te dvija māstu vicāraṇā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
मुने न आसाद्यते तत् हिmune na āsādyate tat hiO sage, that indeed is not so attained; O silent one, the said thing is not thus obtained
पदम् अक्षयम् उच्यतेpadam akṣayam ucyatethe state that is called imperishable; the station that is named unwasting
कुतः जाता इयम् इति तेkutaḥ jātā iyam iti te“whence has she arisen” — in thee; “from where did she spring” — in thee
द्विज मास्तु विचारणाdvija māstu vicāraṇāO twice-born, let there be no pondering; O twice-born, let there be no inquiry
Translation
“O sage, that imperishable state is not attained thus; and let there be in thee, O twice-born, no pondering: ‘whence has she arisen?’”
Version
d40a39f045d2 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The teacher forbids a question, and forbids it purposely.
The question “whence came ignorance?” is the oldest and most alluring in Vedānta. It has been answered in many ways and never answered.
The reason is simple and was stated in 5.112: ignorance has no nature of its own. What is not cannot have an origin either.
To ask “whence” is already to grant it being.
Note that the teacher does not say “it is a mystery”, nor palm it off with an appeal to the inconceivable. He says: do not busy yourself with it.
This agrees with 4.74, where debates on jīva and Īśvara are forbidden.
The next verse will say what question to set in its place.