Upanishads · Mahā 6.29
॥
Devanāgarī
निराशता निर्भयता नित्यता समता ज्ञता निरीहता निष्क्रियता सौम्यता निर्विकल्पता
Transliteration (IAST)
nirāśatā nirbhayatā nityatā samatā jñatā nirīhatā niṣkriyatā saumyatā nirvikalpatā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
निराशता निर्भयताnirāśatā nirbhayatādesirelessness, fearlessness; the absence of hopes, the absence of dread
नित्यता समता ज्ञताnityatā samatā jñatāconstancy, evenness, knowingness; steadiness, equalness, knowledge
निरीहता निष्क्रियताnirīhatā niṣkriyatāstrivelessness, actionlessness; the absence of urges, deedlessness
सौम्यता निर्विकल्पताsaumyatā nirvikalpatāgentleness, freedom from distinctions; mildness, the want of differentiations
Translation
“Desirelessness, fearlessness, constancy, evenness, knowingness, strivelessness, actionlessness, gentleness, freedom from distinctions…”
Version
2f98b3390a70 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A list begins of the qualities of one who has arrived; it will end in the next verse.
Nine here, five there — fourteen.
Note the first: nirāśatā — “the absence of hopes”. The same word āśā that was a snake and an arrow (5.77, 5.166).
And the second: nirbhayatā — “fearlessness”, the fruit of knowledge by 4.69.
Among the rest, saumyatā deserves taking — “gentleness, mildness”. A word of the same root as soma, the moon.
It is set beside niṣkriyatā, “actionlessness”, and the neighbourhood says much: the actionless man is not stern but mild.
The list runs without conjunctions, in bare enumeration, and therefore reads like an inventory.