Upanishads · Mahāvākya p3
॥
Devanāgarī
सात्विकायान्तर्मुखाय परिशुश्रूषवे । अथ
Transliteration (IAST)
sātvikāyāntarmukhāya pariśuśrūṣave | atha
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सात्विकाय अन्तः-मुखायsātvikāya antaḥ-mukhāyato the balanced, turned inward
परिशुश्रूषवेpariśuśrūṣaveearnestly desiring to listen
Translation
«[But] to the balanced, turned inward, earnestly desiring to listen.»
Version
06583517d333 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Three conditions are named, and all three deserve examination, for they form the inventory of a fit listener. Sāttvika — “balanced,” from sattva, the first of the three guṇas: calm, clear, not scattered. Antar-mukha — “turned face inward,” as opposed to bahir-mukha, “turned outward.” The pair unmukha and vimukha, “turned-toward and turned-away,” was discussed reading the Jābāla-darśana (6.37); and here the same thought applies: what decides is direction, not capacity.
Pariśuśrūṣu — from śru, “to hear,” in the desiderative form with intensification: “very much desiring to listen.” This word in Sanskrit also means “serving,” for śuśrūṣā means both “listening” and “service.” This coincidence deserves note: within the language itself, listening and service are denoted by one word.
The Vaiṣṇava side builds its understanding of discipleship on this very coincidence, and cites the verse of the Gītā where both are named together: “know this through bowing, thorough inquiry, and service” (4.34). Let us add, too, that not one of the three conditions is a capacity. It does not say “to the clever,” “to the retentive,” “to the learned”; it says — to the calm, inward-turned, listening-desirous.
This consideration is comforting, and deserves being stated. Capacities are not given to all, and are not in our power; but calm, direction, and the desire to listen depend on the person — at least in part. And hence the conditions set here are conditions that can be fulfilled.