Upaniṣads · Mahā 4.4
॥
Devanāgarī
शास्त्रैः सज्जनसम्पर्कपूर्वकैश्च तपोदमैः आदौ संसारमुक्त्यर्थं प्रज्ञामेवाभिवर्धयेत्
Transliteración (IAST)
śāstraiḥ sajjanasamparkapūrvakaiśca tapodamaiḥ ādau saṃsāramuktyarthaṃ prajñāmevābhivardhayet
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
शास्त्रैः सत्-जन-सम्पर्कśāstraiḥ sat-jana-samparkaby the scriptures, by contact with the good; by writings, by intercourse with the worthy
पूर्वकैः च तपः-दमैःpūrvakaiḥ ca tapaḥ-damaiḥpreceded, and by austerity with restraint; which precedes them, and by discipline with self-mastery
आदौ संसार-मुक्ति-अर्थम्ādau saṃsāra-mukti-arthamat first, for deliverance from the round; at the outset, for freedom from the whirl
प्रज्ञाम् एव अभिवर्धयेत्prajñām eva abhivardhayetlet him increase insight above all; let him cultivate precisely wisdom
Traducción
“At first, for deliverance from the round, let him increase insight — by the scriptures, preceded by the company of the worthy, and by austerity with self-restraint.”
Versión
9224d96fd224 · publicado 29 jul 2026, 6:29:20 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
The verse points out the order of things, and the order is not the one we are used to.
The usual thought runs: first read the books, then, if need be, find a teacher. Here it is said the other way: the scriptures — but sat-jana-samparka-pūrvaka, “preceded by intercourse with the worthy”.
First people, then books.
The ground is simple and verifiable. Everyone reads a book with himself: he understands exactly as far as he himself is wide, and finds in it confirmation of what he already thought. A living man who lives by these things corrects the reading by his very presence.
Next are named tapas and dama — austerity and restraint. They are set neither first nor chief: they assist, while what must be grown is prajñā, insight.
And note too the word ādau, “at first”. The speech is of the early season, where effort cannot be dispensed with. All that follows in this chapter is about what comes after it.