Upaniṣads · Yājñavalkya 1
॥
Devanāgarī
यो भवेत्पूर्वसंन्यासी तुल्यो वै धर्मतो यदि । तस्मै प्रणामः कर्तव्यो नेतराय कदाचन
Transliteración (IAST)
yo bhavetpūrvasaṃnyāsī tulyo vai dharmato yadi | tasmai praṇāmaḥ kartavyo netarāya kadācana
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
यः भवेत् पूर्व-संन्यासीyaḥ bhavet pūrva-saṃnyāsīwho was renounced before
तुल्यः वै धर्मतः यदिtulyaḥ vai dharmataḥ yadiif equal by law
तस्मै प्रणामः कर्तव्यःtasmai praṇāmaḥ kartavyaḥto him a bow should be made
न इतराय कदाचनna itarāya kadācanato another — never
Traducción
Who was renounced before, if equal by law, to him a bow should be made; to another — never.
Versión
2f2694e34d95 · publicado 12 ago 2026, 5:00:00 UTC
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The first verse establishes an order of seniority among the renounced: one bows to whoever renounced earlier, and moreover of equal rank. It is worth noting that seniority is counted not from birth, but from the day of renunciation. This detail matters and deserves praise. A person who renounced at twenty is senior to one who renounced at sixty; and his former station does not count.
That is, renunciation is described as a new birth, and age is counted from it. The Vaiṣṇava side holds this reckoning, and in her communities seniority is determined by the day of initiation; and this custom is alive to this day. Let us add, however, what we do not agree with: na itarāya kadācana, "to another — never."
That is, it is forbidden to bow to those not renounced and to juniors. This rule, to my mind, is poor, and the book itself will cancel it three verses later: in the fourth it will command bowing to a dog, a donkey, and an outcast. This contradiction is worth noting in advance, for it is the finest thing in the book: the code says one thing, and insight says another, and the second comes after.
The Vaiṣṇava side holds to the second, and her rule is stated by Caitanya: amāninā māna-dena, "not seeking honor for oneself, but according honor to others"; and this was discussed when reading the twenty-third prose line.