Upanishads · Avadhūta 10
॥
Devanāgarī
तदेव कृतकृत्यत्वं प्रतियोगिपुरःसरम् । अनुसन्दधदेवायमेवं तृप्यति नित्यशः
Transliteration (IAST)
tadeva kṛtakṛtyatvaṃ pratiyogipuraḥsaram | anusandadhadevāyamevaṃ tṛpyati nityaśaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
तत् एव कृत-कृत्य-त्वंtat eva kṛta-kṛtya-tvaṃthat indeed is the accomplishment of what was to be done
प्रतियोगि-पुरःसरम्pratiyogi-puraḥsaramwith the counterpart held before [the mind]
अनुसन्दधत् एव अयम्anusandadhat eva ayamconstantly reflecting on this
एवं तृप्यति नित्य-शःevaṃ tṛpyati nitya-śaḥthus he is always satisfied
Translation
That indeed is the accomplishment of what was to be done — with the counterpart held before [the mind]; constantly reflecting on this, he is always satisfied.
Version
154c3e89b2db · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The word pratiyogin, "the counterpart, the correlative," is a precise term and deserves explanation. In logic, this is what is named to define a negation by its absence: to say "there is no pot here," one must know the pot; the pot is the pratiyogin of that negation. So it is said: the accomplishment of what was to be done is recognized pratiyogi-puraḥsaram, "with the counterpart held before" — that is, remembering how it was before.
This observation is true and very human. Contentment with one's own condition is never objectless: it is always contentment by comparison. One who has recovered rejoices in health as long as he remembers the illness; one who has forgotten stops noticing that he is well.
The Vaiṣṇava reading accepts this observation and turns it into a rule discussed when reading the Annapūrṇā. To remember where you were taken from is not humiliation, but the condition of gratitude; and so in Vaiṣṇava books a devotee recalls his former condition not to reproach himself, but so as not to stop being astonished. And the consequence is named right here too: tṛpyati, "is satisfied." Satisfaction comes from comparison; and one who has stopped comparing soon begins to seek something new.