Upanishads · Avadhūta 5p2
॥
Devanāgarī
सदा सांग्रहण्येष्ट्याश्वमेधमन्तयागं यजते । स महामखो महायोगः । कृत्स्नमेतच्चित्रं कर्म। स्वैरं न विगायेत्तन्महाव्रतम् । न स मूढवल्लिप्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
sadā sāṃgrahaṇyeṣṭyāśvamedhamantayāgaṃ yajate | sa mahāmakho mahāyogaḥ | kṛtsnametaccitraṃ karma| svairaṃ na vigāyettanmahāvratam | na sa mūḍhavallipyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सदा अन्तः-यागं यजतेsadā antaḥ-yāgaṃ yajatealways performs the inner sacrifice
सः महा-मखः महा-योगःsaḥ mahā-makhaḥ mahā-yogaḥhe is the great sacrifice, the great yoga
स्वैरं न विगायेत्svairaṃ na vigāyetlet him not censure the free one
तत् महा-व्रतम्tat mahā-vratamthat is the great vow
न सः मूढ-वत् लिप्यतेna saḥ mūḍha-vat lipyatehe is not stained, as a fool is stained
Translation
He always performs the inner sacrifice — the aśvamedha and the saṃgrahaṇī; he is the great sacrifice, the great yoga… let him not censure the free one: that is the great vow; and he is not stained as a fool is stained.
Version
337ec8dcddc3 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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Three things are said, and all three deserve examination. First: antaryāgam yajate, "performs the inner sacrifice." The great sacrifices — the aśvamedha and the rest — are performed by him inwardly; and this is a commonplace in Vaiṣṇava books, discussed when reading the Pāśupata (1.18).
Second: svairaṃ na vigāyet tan mahā-vratam, "let him not censure the free one: that is the great vow." This phrase is addressed not to the avadhūta, but to the one looking at him: do not judge one who lives freely. This rule is kind and deserves accepting — but note that it is one-sided. It commands not to judge another; it does not command one to live freely oneself. The difference between these two precepts is enormous, and they are constantly confused.
Third, and decisive: na sa mūḍhavat lipyate, "he is not stained as a fool is stained." Here the book itself draws the line. There is one who is not stained, and there is the mūḍha, "fool," who is stained; and they may perhaps do the very same thing. So the matter is not the act, but who performs it; and outward resemblance proves nothing.
The Vaiṣṇava reading takes its answer to this whole book from exactly this. One cannot imitate the outward conduct of the avadhūta: the imitator will be a mūḍha, and will be stained precisely as it says.