Upanishads · Mahā 6.26
॥
Devanāgarī
संसार एव दुःखानां सीमान्त इति कथ्यते तन्मध्ये पतिते देहे सुखमासाद्यते कथम्
Transliteration (IAST)
saṃsāra eva duḥkhānāṃ sīmānta iti kathyate tanmadhye patite dehe sukhamāsādyate katham
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
संसारः एव दुःखानाम्saṃsāraḥ eva duḥkhānāmthe round itself, of sufferings; the very revolving, of the torments
सीम-अन्तः इति कथ्यतेsīma-antaḥ iti kathyateis called the outermost bound; is named the utmost frontier
तत्-मध्ये पतिते देहेtat-madhye patite dehewhen the body has fallen into its midst; when the frame has dropped into its middle
सुखम् आसाद्यते कथम्sukham āsādyate kathamhow is joy to be obtained; in what way is delight to be won
Translation
“The round itself is called the outermost bound of sufferings; how then is joy to be obtained, when the body has fallen into its midst?”
Version
63ea4f0cb51c · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The word sīmānta means “the boundary line, the utmost limit”. The round is named not the place of sufferings but their bound — that beyond which there is nowhere further to suffer.
This is stronger than an ordinary complaint.
Note the verb patita — “fallen”. The body was neither set nor placed: it fell into the middle.
The question is rhetorical, and it sums up the whole run of dark verses from 6.22.
Why is this run set in the middle of a bright chapter? Because after it comes verse 6.27, where everything changes — and change it can only after the matter has been called by its name.
The book nowhere consoles before its time.