Upanishads · Mahā 6.30
॥
Devanāgarī
धृर्मैत्री मनस्तुष्टिर्मृदुता मृदुभाषिता हेयोपादेयनिर्मुक्ते ज्ञे तिष्ठन्त्यपवासनम्
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛrmaitrī manastuṣṭirmṛdutā mṛdubhāṣitā heyopādeyanirmukte jñe tiṣṭhantyapavāsanam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
धीः मैत्री मनः-तुष्टिःdhīḥ maitrī manaḥ-tuṣṭiḥreason, friendliness, contentment of mind; understanding, amity, the satisfaction of consciousness
मृदुता मृदु-भाषिताmṛdutā mṛdu-bhāṣitāsoftness and soft speech; mildness and mild utterance
हेय-उपादेय-निर्मुक्तेheya-upādeya-nirmuktein him who is freed of the discarded and accepted; in the one released from the rejected and received
ज्ञे तिष्ठन्ति अपवासनम्jñe tiṣṭhanti apavāsanamin the knower they abide without vāsanās; in the wise man they dwell free of inclinations
Translation
“…reason, friendliness, contentment of mind, softness and soft speech — all these abide, free of vāsanās, in the knower released from the discarded and the accepted.”
Version
a7b3048fdeb0 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The end of the list, and the last five qualities are all homely: friendliness, contentment, softness and — in a line of its own — mṛdu-bhāṣitā, “soft speech”.
The manner of speaking is named among the highest excellences.
This deserves notice. After six chapters on consciousness, vāsanās and elements, the sum is drawn in what a man is like in his dealings.
Note the word apavāsanam — “without vāsanās”. These qualities are in him neither from habit nor from upbringing; they are not inclinations.
Therein lies the difference. The well-bred man is soft by training and snaps when the training gives way. In this man softness is no habit, but what remained when all else was removed.
Maitrī — “friendliness” — was already in 4.18 among the marks of the righteous.