Upanishads · Mahā 5.172
॥
Devanāgarī
शुद्धं सदसतोर्मध्यं पदं बुद्ध्वावलंब्य च सबाह्याभ्यन्तरं दृश्यं मा गृहाण विमुञ्च मा
Transliteration (IAST)
śuddhaṃ sadasatormadhyaṃ padaṃ buddhvāvalaṃbya ca sabāhyābhyantaraṃ dṛśyaṃ mā gṛhāṇa vimuñca mā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
शुद्धम् सत्-असतोः मध्यम्śuddham sat-asatoḥ madhyamthe pure middle of the existent and non-existent; the stainless midpoint of being and non-being
पदम् बुद्ध्वा अवलम्ब्य चpadam buddhvā avalambya cahaving known that state and holding to it; having understood the station and leaning upon it
स-बाह्य-अभ्यन्तरम् दृश्यम्sa-bāhya-abhyantaram dṛśyamthe seen, outer and inner alike; the visible, both external and internal
मा गृहाण विमुञ्च माmā gṛhāṇa vimuñca mādo not grasp, and do not let go; neither seize, nor yet release
Translation
“Having known the pure state — the middle of the existent and non-existent — and holding to it, do not grasp the seen, outer or inner, and do not let it go.”
Version
3590381ef16b · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The last line is among the book's most exact orders: mā gṛhāṇa vimuñca mā — “do not grasp and do not let go”.
Both movements are forbidden.
This removes the temptation into which every beginner falls: since grasping is forbidden, one must push away.
No. Pushing away is the same grasping with the sign reversed; both are dealings with the object.
Recall 4.23, where “the striving to take” and “the resolute discarding” are together named the mind's form and the outer.
Note the proviso sa-bāhya-abhyantaram — “outer and inner”. The rule is the same for things and for one's own states.
And sad-asator madhyam — “the middle of the existent and non-existent” — is the very place from which one is bidden look in 5.69.