Upanishads · Avadhūta 23
॥
Devanāgarī
अथवा कृतकृत्येऽपि लोकानुग्रहकाम्यया । शास्त्रीयेणैव मार्गेन वर्तेऽहं मम का क्षतिः
Transliteration (IAST)
athavā kṛtakṛtye'pi lokānugrahakāmyayā | śāstrīyeṇaiva mārgena varte'haṃ mama kā kṣatiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अथवा कृत-कृत्ये अपिathavā kṛta-kṛtye apior else, though the duty is accomplished
लोक-अनुग्रह-काम्ययाloka-anugraha-kāmyayāout of a desire for the world's good
शास्त्रीयेण एव मार्गेणśāstrīyeṇa eva mārgeṇaby the very path of scripture
वर्ते अहं मम का क्षतिःvarte ahaṃ mama kā kṣatiḥI act; what loss is it to me
Translation
Or else, though the duty is accomplished, out of a desire for the world's good, I act by the very path of scripture; what loss is it to me?
Version
b4b776f126c6 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here is the line I consider the finest in the whole book, and it says what all the previous ones lacked: loka-anugraha-kāmyayā, "out of a desire for the world's good." It is said: the duty is accomplished, there is no need; and yet I act according to scripture — for the sake of others. Note that this at once removes all the sharpness of lines 11–16. There it was: let them do it, I have no need; here — I do it, though I have no need, because others will act by watching me.
This position is stated in the Gītā in its most famous words: "whatever the best man does, that the rest of men do; whatever standard he sets, the world follows it" (3.21). And there Kṛṣṇa says of Himself: "there is nothing I need to attain in the three worlds, and yet I act; for if I did not act tirelessly, people would follow My path" (3.22–23). Note also the end of the line: mama kā kṣatiḥ, "what loss is it to me?" Said lightly, almost with a smile: it costs me nothing, and they benefit.
The Vaiṣṇava reading stands on exactly this. One who has attained is bound not by rule but by love: the rule does not hold him — he holds the rule, for the sake of those whom the rule still holds.