Upanishads · Jābāladarśana 1.20
॥
Devanāgarī
स्वदेहमलनिर्मोक्षो मृज्जलाभ्यां महामुने । यत्तच्छौचं भवेद्बाह्यं मानसं मननं विदुः । अहं शुद्ध इति ज्ञानं शौचमाहुर्मनीषिणः
Transliteration (IAST)
svadehamalanirmokṣo mṛjjalābhyāṃ mahāmune | yattacchaucaṃ bhavedbāhyaṃ mānasaṃ mananaṃ viduḥ | ahaṃ śuddha iti jñānaṃ śaucamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
स्व-देह-मल-निर्मोक्षःsva-deha-mala-nirmokṣaḥdeliverance from the impurity of one's own body
मृत्-जलाभ्यां महा-मुनेmṛt-jalābhyāṃ mahā-muneby earth and water, O great sage
यत् तत् शौचं भवेत् बाह्यम्yat tat śaucaṃ bhavet bāhyamthat is external purity
मानसं मननं विदुःmānasaṃ mananaṃ viduḥmental purity, they know as reflection
अहं शुद्धः इति ज्ञानंahaṃ śuddhaḥ iti jñānaṃ'I am pure' — such is the knowledge
Translation
"Deliverance from the impurity of one's own body by earth and water, O great sage, — that is external purity; mental purity they know as reflection. 'I am pure' — such is the knowledge; purity is what those who understand call it."
Version
c8eede3d9ae2 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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Purity is divided into two: bahya, "external," and manasa, "mental." The external is described materially: earth and water — the ordinary means of washing, earth to scour, water to rinse. The mental is described by the word manana, "reflection" — and this deserves noting, for the word is taken from a strict, established list.
Manana is the second of the three stages of knowledge in Vedanta: shravana ("hearing"), manana ("pondering what was heard"), and nididhyasana ("deep, sustained concentration on what was pondered"). This order is stated in the Brihadaranyaka (2.4.5) and repeated in every book. That is, the purification of the mind is described not as abstinence from bad thoughts, but as the mind's own labor upon its object.
The design here is the same as in the definition of celibacy: the mind is purified not by prohibition, but by occupation. One cannot command oneself not to think an evil thought — anyone who has tried knows that a forbidden thought is only strengthened by the prohibition. One can, however, give the mind work.
The Vaishnava side keeps the same order of three stages, but fills it differently, and the difference deserves naming. In it, one hears not an abstract teaching, but the narrative of the Lord, and ponders what has been heard of Him; hence its manana is not only the analysis of arguments, but also what its books call smarana, "remembrance." The difference between analysis and remembrance is small in appearance and great in effect. Analysis occupies the mind while it reasons; remembrance can be carried through work, on a journey, and hence it suits an entire life, not merely an hour of study.