Upanishads · Varāha 4.24
॥
Devanāgarī
रागद्वेषभयादीनामनुरूपं चरन्नपि । योऽन्तर्व्योमवदच्छन्नः स जीवन्मुक्त उच्यते
Transliteration (IAST)
rāgadveṣabhayādīnāmanurūpaṃ carannapi | yo'ntarvyomavadacchannaḥ sa jīvanmukta ucyate
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
राग-द्वेष-भय-आदीनाम्rāga-dveṣa-bhaya-ādīnāmpassion, hatred, fear, and the rest
अनुरूपं चरन् अपिanurūpaṃ caran apithough acting in accordance with
यः अन्तर् व्योम-वत् अच्छन्नःyaḥ antar vyoma-vat acchannaḥwho within is uncovered, like space
सः जीवत्-मुक्तः उच्यतेsaḥ jīvat-muktaḥ ucyatethat one is called liberated while living
Translation
"Though acting in accordance with passion, hatred, fear, and the rest, who within is uncovered, like space, — that one is called liberated while living."
Version
eb5cc680584b · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
This mark deserves careful examination, for it is dangerous and easily turns into a justification. It is said: he acts in accordance with passion, hatred, and fear — yet within is untouched. Taken as it stands, it would follow that conduct means nothing, and every act is justified by appeal to inner untouchedness.
Let us say plainly: such a reading is false, and its danger is not imaginary. In India it has made itself known and still does: people who declare themselves beyond good and evil cite exactly such verses, and cite them with full justification if read literally. The fair reading, in my view, is this: it speaks of outward participation in others' feelings — that such a person becomes angry when necessary, shows strictness, responds to affection.
That is, he is not wooden; but within, this does not hold him. The Vaishnava side keeps a rule worth citing here, for it is a direct defense against such abuse. The rule states: bhakti does not cancel achara, "conduct"; and a person who cites an inner state to justify an act thereby reveals that the state does not exist.
Its ground is this: feeling toward God of itself produces gentleness toward people; and of the marks that include daya, "compassion," and amani-ta, "the absence of demanding honor," discussed when reading the Jabala-darshana (5.11). That is, the test is set from the other end: not "are you free within," but "how are you with people."