Upaniṣads · Mahā 4.113
॥
Devanāgarī
अविद्या यावदस्यास्तु नोत्पन्ना क्षयकारिणी स्वयमात्मावलोकेच्छा मोहसंक्षयकारिणी
Transliteración (IAST)
avidyā yāvadasyāstu notpannā kṣayakāriṇī svayamātmāvalokecchā mohasaṃkṣayakāriṇī
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
अविद्या यावत् अस्याः तुavidyā yāvat asyāḥ tuso long as of this ignorance; while yet for this unknowing
न उत्पन्ना क्षय-कारिणीna utpannā kṣaya-kāriṇīthere has not arisen its destroyer; there has not sprung up the one that brings it ruin
स्वयम् आत्म-अवलोक-इच्छाsvayam ātma-avaloka-icchāthe desire oneself to behold the Ātman; one's own longing to see the Self
मोह-संक्षय-कारिणीmoha-saṃkṣaya-kāriṇīwhich brings the utter wasting of delusion; which works the complete destruction of the beguilement
Traducción
“…so long as there has not arisen the desire — destructive of ignorance and of delusion — to behold the Ātman for oneself.”
Versión
eef1fe3d22e0 · publicado 29 jul 2026, 6:29:20 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
Here is named the one thing that ends the swinging: icchā — “desire, longing”.
The longing for ātma-avaloka — “to behold the Ātman”.
The word deserves a pause. This whole book teaches the leaving of desires; and here liberation begins with a desire.
There is no contradiction, and it is explained by the same distinction as in 2.40: not every inclination is to be uprooted, only the impure. The desire to see is that very pure one which remains and leads.
Note too the word svayam — “oneself”. Not “the desire that someone should show”, but “the desire to see for oneself”.
And further: it is called kṣaya-kāriṇī — “working the destruction” of ignorance. That is, ignorance perishes not from efforts, but from this wanting having awoken in a man.
Hence the whole point of the company of the righteous: beside them such a longing kindles of itself, as hunger kindles at the smell of bread.