Upanishads · Mahā 6.58
॥
Devanāgarī
अहं जगद्वा सकलं शून्यं व्योम समं सदा एवमेष चतुर्थोऽपि निश्चयो मोक्षसिद्धिदः
Transliteration (IAST)
ahaṃ jagadvā sakalaṃ śūnyaṃ vyoma samaṃ sadā evameṣa caturtho'pi niścayo mokṣasiddhidaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अहम् जगत् वा सकलम्aham jagat vā sakalam“I, or the whole world”; “I, or else the world entire”
शून्यम् व्योम समम् सदाśūnyam vyoma samam sadā“are empty, ever like the sky”; “are void, always even with the heavens”
एवम् एषः चतुर्थः अपिevam eṣaḥ caturthaḥ apiso this fourth one too; thus also this fourth
निश्चयः मोक्ष-सिद्धि-दःniścayaḥ mokṣa-siddhi-daḥconviction bestows the attainment of freedom; resolve grants the achievement of release
Translation
“‘Both I and the whole world are empty, ever like the sky’ — this fourth conviction too bestows the attainment of freedom.”
Version
3ebc6ea715ec · published Jul 29, 2026, 6:29:20 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The fourth conviction, and it comes nearest to the doctrines of the void.
And it too is named as leading to freedom.
This is a breadth worth marvelling at. The book, which so many times insisted that “something existent remains” (2.65, 4.52), admits even this as serviceable.
Note the proviso: vyoma samam — “even with the sky”. Not “nothing”, but “like the sky”.
This removes the contradiction. The sky's emptiness is capacity, not absence (cf. 5.184).
In all, then, there are four ways of thinking about oneself: I am the body; I am small and distinct; I am all; neither I nor the world exists.
The first binds. The other three unbind.
The next verse will draw the sum.