उपनिषद् · Bṛhadāraṇyaka 4,4.10
॥
देवनागरी
अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्ति ये अविद्याम् उपासते ततो भूयः इव ते तमः ये उ विद्यायाम् रताः
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
andhaṃ tamaḥ praviśanti ye avidyām upāsate tato bhūyaḥ iva te tamaḥ ye u vidyāyām ratāḥ
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अन्धंandhaṃblind (andha); blind; blind
तमःtamaḥdarkness (tamas); gloom; darkness
प्रविशन्तिpraviśantithey enter (pra + √viś); enter; enter
येyethose who; they who
अविद्याम्avidyāmignorance (avidyā, acc.); ignorance; ignorance
उपासतेupāsatethose who venerate (upa + √ās); those who worship; those who venerate
ततोtatofor that reason; from him
भूयःbhūyaḥa still greater (bhūyas); a yet greater; a still greater
इवivahow; as it were
तेtethose; these
तमःtamaḥdarkness (tamas); gloom; darkness
येyethose who; they who
उusurely; indeed
विद्यायाम्vidyāyāmin knowledge; in knowledge
रताःratāḥthose who delight (rata, pl.); those who take pleasure; those who delight
अनुवाद
Into blind darkness enter those who venerate ignorance; into still greater darkness those who take delight in [mere] knowledge.
संस्करण
0641792acc45 · प्रकाशित 27 जुल॰ 2026, 1:15:25 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The famous couplet of warning (it is also Īśā 9): into blind darkness go "those who venerate ignorance" — who live by rite and routine without knowledge; but into "still greater" darkness go the vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ, "those who take delight in knowledge": the proud of their learning, who have made vidyā into a pleasure and a trophy.
Why is knowledge darker than ignorance? An ignorant man at least knows that he is blind; a learned egotist is blind with a lantern in his hand — and sure that he sees. Knowledge turned into property and self-indulgence (ratāḥ!) shuts out the very One it is about: this is a darkness of the second degree, protected against cure by the medicine itself. The verse sets a sentry at the very doors of brahma-vidyā: you who enter, do not make a screen out of the light.