Upanishads · Varāha 4.15
॥
Devanāgarī
अन्तर्मुखतया नित्यं बहिर्वृत्तिपरोऽपि सन् । परिश्रान्ततया नित्यं निद्रालुरिव लक्ष्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
antarmukhatayā nityaṃ bahirvṛttiparo'pi san | pariśrāntatayā nityaṃ nidrāluriva lakṣyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अन्तर्-मुखतया नित्यंantar-mukhatayā nityaṃbeing constantly turned inward
बहिर्-वृत्ति-परः अपि सन्bahir-vṛtti-paraḥ api santhough engaged in outward action
परिश्रान्ततया नित्यंpariśrāntatayā nityaṃas if constantly weary
निद्रालुः इव लक्ष्यतेnidrāluḥ iva lakṣyatehe appears sleepy
Translation
"Being constantly turned inward, though engaged in outward action, he appears as if constantly weary, sleepy."
Version
ce73b57f7d3d · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
A description from outside is given, and it is curious: such a person appears sleepy. The description, apparently, is drawn from life; and anyone who has seen those deeply withdrawn into themselves will recognize this manner — slowness, half-closed eyes, a delayed answer. Let us add, however, what deserves saying of such a sign.
Sleepiness is a non-discriminating sign: the weary, the sick, and the indifferent look the same way. That is, this sign cannot distinguish the attained from the listless; and this, in my view, is the weakness of the whole class of signs built on diminishment. Here lies the ground of the Vaishnava preference, discussed when reading the Jabala-darshana (5.11).
Its signs are built on increase, and hence are discriminating: tears, a trembling voice, an inability to continue speaking, hairs standing on end. None of these is produced by fatigue; and hence they cannot be confused with listlessness. Let us add what is told of its own attained ones, and which is the direct opposite of the description here.
Of them it is said they could not sit still: they sang, danced, walked from village to village, woke the sleeping. That is, in one teaching fullness looks like sleep, in the other like an overflow of strength; and this difference lies not in temperament, but in what fullness is filled with.