Upanishads · Mahā 6.45
॥
Devanāgarī
अहंकारमयीं त्यक्त्वा वासनां लीलयैव यः तिष्ठति ध्येयसंत्यागी स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
ahaṃkāramayīṃ tyaktvā vāsanāṃ līlayaiva yaḥ tiṣṭhati dhyeyasaṃtyāgī sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अहङ्कार-मयीम् त्यक्त्वाahaṅkāra-mayīm tyaktvāhaving left the one made of selfhood; having cast off the one woven of self-conceit
वासनाम् लीलया एव यःvāsanām līlayā eva yaḥthe vāsanā, playfully, who; the inclination, at play, whoever
तिष्ठति ध्येय-संत्यागीtiṣṭhati dhyeya-saṃtyāgīabides, having renounced the object of meditation; stands, having given up the object of concentration
सः जीवन्मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvanmuktaḥ ucyatehe is called liberated while living; he is named free while yet alive
Translation
“Who, having playfully left the inclination woven of selfhood, abides having renounced even the object of meditation — he is called liberated while living.”
Version
25c54be62ee8 · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The verse repeats 2.45 word for word.
Repetition at the book's end is no accident: the mark of the liberated from the second chapter returns, and with it the very formula sa jīvanmukta ucyate.
Note which of the twenty-one marks was chosen for repetition — the one where selfhood is released, and released līlayā, “playfully”.
That is the key word of the whole sixth chapter (6.1, 6.43).
Everything has converged: what Janaka enumerated to Śuka in the second chapter, Ṛbhu repeats to Nidāgha in the last, and both lay the stress on lightness.
Liberation is not ploughed out. It is taken playfully — by one who has long laboured before.