Upanishads · Mahā 5.176
॥
Devanāgarī
संसाराम्बुनिधावस्मिन्वासनाम्बुपरिप्लुते ये प्रज्ञानावमारूढास्ते तीर्णाः पण्डिताः परे
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃsārāmbunidhāvasminvāsanāmbupariplute ye prajñānāvamārūḍhāste tīrṇāḥ paṇḍitāḥ pare
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
संसार-अम्बु-निधौ अस्मिन्saṃsāra-ambu-nidhau asminin this ocean of the round; within this water-hoard of the whirl
वासना-अम्बु-परिप्लुतेvāsanā-ambu-paripluteflooded with the water of vāsanās; inundated by the flood of inclinations
ये प्रज्ञा-नावम् आरूढाःye prajñā-nāvam ārūḍhāḥwho have boarded the boat of insight; who have mounted the vessel of wisdom
ते तीर्णाः पण्डिताः परेte tīrṇāḥ paṇḍitāḥ parethey have crossed — the highest of the wise; they are the ones ferried over, the best of the learned
Translation
“In this ocean of the round, flooded with the water of vāsanās, they who have boarded the boat of insight have crossed — they are the highest of the wise.”
Version
169cb3e09daa · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The boat image, repeating 4.105, where one's own mind was named the boat.
Here the boat is prajñā, insight.
No contradiction: the mind turned toward the essence is insight.
Note what the ocean is made of: vāsanā-ambu — “the water of vāsanās”. Not circumstances and not fate; the round is flooded with our own inclinations.
The verb ārūḍhāḥ — “they boarded, they mounted”. The deed is named a single act, not a long voyage: he boarded — and he crossed.
Recall 5.41: those who crossed the ocean of delusion attained the highest.
And 5.84: “cross over the ocean of becoming”.
Three times in this chapter the book returns to the crossing.