Upaniṣads · Mahā 5.111
॥
Devanāgarī
शमं विषं विषेणैति रिपुणा हन्यते रिपुः ईदृशी भूतमायेयं या स्वनाशेन हर्षदा
Transliteración (IAST)
śamaṃ viṣaṃ viṣeṇaiti ripuṇā hanyate ripuḥ īdṛśī bhūtamāyeyaṃ yā svanāśena harṣadā
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
शमम् विषम् विषेण एतिśamam viṣam viṣeṇa etipoison is stilled by poison; venom is quieted by venom
रिपुणा हन्यते रिपुःripuṇā hanyate ripuḥan enemy is slain by an enemy; a foe is destroyed by a foe
ईदृशी भूत-माया इयम्īdṛśī bhūta-māyā iyamsuch is this delusion of beings; of this kind is the said beguilement of creatures
या स्व-नाशेन हर्ष-दाyā sva-nāśena harṣa-dāwhich by its own death gives joy; which through its own perishing bestows delight
Traducción
“Poison is stilled by poison, and an enemy is slain by an enemy; such is this delusion of beings, which gives joy by its own death.”
Versión
be3164b981db · publicado 29 jul 2026, 6:29:20 UTC
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Two more examples, both martial or medical: poison against poison, foe against foe.
The first is especially apt: in Indian medicine poison has from of old served as a remedy in small dose.
And the last line deserves writing out: yā sva-nāśena harṣa-dā — “which gives joy by its own perishing”.
Delusion is the only thing in the world whose death is pure joy and nobody's loss.
Note the word bhūta-māyā — “the delusion of beings, the deceit of the living”. Not “māyā” as a cosmic force, but precisely that with which beings befool themselves.
This agrees with 4.111: it has no nature of its own; it exists only by name.
And further: three verses in a row (5.109–5.111) explain why the teaching works, though itself made of the same stuff as the disease.