Upanishads · Jābāladarśana 10.12
॥
Devanāgarī
यदा पश्यति चात्मानं केवलं परमार्थतः । मायामात्रं जगत्कृत्स्नं तदा भवति निर्वृतिः
Transliteration (IAST)
yadā paśyati cātmānaṃ kevalaṃ paramārthataḥ | māyāmātraṃ jagatkṛtsnaṃ tadā bhavati nirvṛtiḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
यदा पश्यति च आत्मानंyadā paśyati ca ātmānaṃwhen, however, he sees the self
केवलं परम-अर्थतःkevalaṃ parama-arthataḥalone, in the highest sense
माया-मात्रं जगत् कृत्स्नंmāyā-mātraṃ jagat kṛtsnaṃthe whole world as mere illusion
तदा भवति निर्वृतिःtadā bhavati nirvṛtiḥthen there comes to be tranquility
Translation
"When, however, he sees the self alone, in the highest sense, and the whole world as mere illusion, — then there comes to be tranquility."
Version
f1c0bb7eba41 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The final position of the teaching: maya-matram jagat kritsnam, "the whole world is mere illusion." The word matram, "only, mere," settles it here: not "the world is His maya," but "the world is only maya." The difference between these two statements is the whole divergence, and it deserves stating one last time for this book.
The Gita says: daivi hy esha gunamayi mama maya, "this divine maya of Mine, composed of the gunas" (7.14). Three definitions, and each takes from maya the independence this line grants it. Daivi, "divine" — that is, not lower and not shameful. Gunamayi, "composed of the gunas" — that is, having composition, not empty. Mama, "Mine" — that is, belonging.
With such a definition, maya is a power, not an absence; and the world it produces is as real as the shadow cast by a real object. Worth saying too something of the word nirvriti, "tranquility," with which the line ends. This word means "the cessation of turning": nir-vrit, "to stop turning." That is, the promised state is a halting.
A halting after long turning is a good thing, and to deny this would be untrue. Anyone weary knows the worth of rest. But it is worth noting that peace is defined negatively: it is the absence of motion, not the presence of something. And hence a teaching that ends in peace ends exactly where another teaching's matter only begins.
The Bhagavatam speaks of this with the same directness, and without denying peace: "those who have tasted the nectar of narratives about You do not even want liberation" (10.14.3 and similar passages); that is, peace is offered — and declined, because something more alive has been found.