Upaniṣads · Kaṭharudra 35
॥
Devanāgarī
एवं यस्तु विजानाति स्वगुरोरुपदेशतः । स साध्वासाधुकर्मभ्यां सदा न तपति प्रभुः
Transliteración (IAST)
evaṃ yastu vijānāti svagurorupadeśataḥ | sa sādhvāsādhukarmabhyāṃ sadā na tapati prabhuḥ
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
एवं यः तु विजानातिevaṃ yaḥ tu vijānātithus, whoever knows
स्व-गुरोः उपदेशतःsva-guroḥ upadeśataḥby the instruction of his own teacher
सः साधु-अ-साधु-कर्मभ्यांsaḥ sādhu-a-sādhu-karmabhyāṃhe, by good and bad deed
सदा न तपति प्रभुःsadā na tapati prabhuḥis never burned, master [of himself]
Traducción
Thus, whoever knows by the instruction of his own teacher — he, master [of himself], is never burned by good deed or bad.
Versión
3a2472aaa5df · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
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A condition is set, and it is the single one for the whole book: sva-guroḥ upadeśataḥ, "by the instruction of his own teacher." Not "whoever reads," not "whoever reasons for himself," but — whoever has received it from a teacher. And the word sva, "his own," is not added for beauty: the teacher must be one's own — that is, one to whom you have entrusted yourself and who has accepted you.
This rule is among the firmest in Vaiṣṇava literature, and its ground is not reverence for a title. The Muṇḍaka says: "for the sake of knowing that, let him go, firewood in hand, to a teacher versed in scripture and established in Brahman" (1.2.12); and the Gītā says the same — "learn this by prostration, by inquiry, by service" (4.34). The ground is simple and verifiable in any craft. A book does not answer questions and does not see where you have erred; it says the same thing to everyone who opens it. A person answers and sees; and so a science that has teachers is transmitted, while a science from books alone degenerates.
It is worth noting also what is promised: na tapati, "is not burned," by either good deed or bad. This promise is dangerous if read as permission to do anything, and it was discussed when reading the Avadhūta (32p). It is not said, however, "does whatever he wants," but "is not burned" — that is, not scorched either by guilt or by pride in merit; and this is a description of a state, not a permission.
Let us add that "good" is here named on a par with "bad," and this is more correct than it seems. Pride in one's own righteousness burns a person no less than guilt, and corrupts him more surely.