Upanishads · Mahā 5.163
॥
Devanāgarī
तासां स्वर्गापवर्गार्थं धर्मकामार्थसिद्धये अनन्तानि विचित्राणि शास्त्राणि समकल्पयत्
Transliteration (IAST)
tāsāṃ svargāpavargārthaṃ dharmakāmārthasiddhaye anantāni vicitrāṇi śāstrāṇi samakalpayat
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तासाम् स्वर्ग-अपवर्ग-अर्थम्tāsām svarga-apavarga-arthamfor their heaven and final release; for the sake of their paradise and deliverance
धर्म-काम-अर्थ-सिद्धयेdharma-kāma-artha-siddhayefor the winning of dharma, desire and wealth; for the accomplishment of duty, wish and substance
अनन्तानि विचित्राणिanantāni vicitrāṇiendless and manifold; innumerable and greatly various
शास्त्राणि समकल्पयत्śāstrāṇi samakalpayatscriptures he devised; writings he instituted
Translation
“For their heaven and their final release, for the winning of dharma, desire and wealth, he devised endless and manifold scriptures.”
Version
52d631aee5cb · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Together with the creatures the books too are created.
Note the aim: not only apavarga, “final release”, but also svarga, “heaven”, and the three ordinary aims of life — dharma, kāma, artha.
That is, scriptures are given also to those who have no thought of liberation.
This is an important breadth. The book does not hold that everything short of mokṣa is delusion and waste. Duty, desire and substance are lawful aims, and for them too instruction is given.
Anantāni vicitrāṇi — “endless and manifold”. Not one book and not one doctrine.
Hence, by the way, the tolerance toward other schools which the book showed in 4.73 and 5.130–5.132. The diversity of scriptures is laid down at the creation.