Upanishads · Varāha 3.23
॥
Devanāgarī
स चाध्यात्माभिमानोऽपि विदुषोऽयासुरत्वतः । विदुषोऽप्यासुरश्चेत्स्यान्निष्फलं तत्त्वदर्शनम्
Transliteration (IAST)
sa cādhyātmābhimāno'pi viduṣo'yāsuratvataḥ | viduṣo'pyāsuraścetsyānniṣphalaṃ tattvadarśanam
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सः च अध्यात्म-अभिमानः अपिsaḥ ca adhyātma-abhimānaḥ apiand that appropriation of the spiritual too
विदुषः आसुरत्वतःviduṣaḥ āsuratvataḥin the knowing one, from demonhood
विदुषः अपि आसुरः चेत् स्यात्viduṣaḥ api āsuraḥ cet syātif even the knowing one has the demonic
निष्फलं तत्त्व-दर्शनम्niṣphalaṃ tattva-darśanamfruitless is the vision of truth
Translation
"And that appropriation of the spiritual too, in the knowing one, is from demonhood; if even the knowing one has the demonic, fruitless is the vision of truth."
Version
226f6b548a6e · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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Here is a verse deserving to be singled out, for it speaks of a matter rarely spoken of: adhyatma-abhimana, "appropriation of the spiritual." Abhimana means "appropriation, self-conceit"; discussed when reading the second chapter (2.67). That is, the discourse is of a person who has appropriated the spiritual: he takes pride in his knowledge, his renunciation, his state.
And this is called asuratva, "demonhood." The word is sharp and deserves examination, for it is taken from the Gita. The Gita devotes its sixteenth chapter to the division into daivi and asuri sampat, "divine and demonic endowment"; and describes the second thus: "I am rich, I am well-born, who is equal to me? I shall offer sacrifice, I shall give, I shall rejoice" (16.15).
Worth noting is that among the demonic is listed both sacrifice and giving: that is, pious deeds, appropriated to oneself. That is, demonhood is defined not by the kind of deeds, but by ascribing them to oneself; and hence it is possible in an ascetic no less than in a rich man. Let us add the conclusion of the verse: nishphalam tattva-darshanam, "fruitless is the vision of truth."
That is, knowledge in which self-conceit remains is called not half-useful, but fruitless. The Vaishnava side agrees with this fully, and states the same through pratishtha-asha, "the thirst for position," which it counts the most dangerous of hindrances; and of the fact that being honored is the gravest hindrance, discussed when reading the Yajnavalkya (p17).