उपनिषद् · Mahā 4.101
॥
देवनागरी
तस्य चञ्चलता यैषा त्वविद्या वासनात्मिका वासनापरनाम्नीं तां विचारेण विनाशय
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
tasya cañcalatā yaiṣā tvavidyā vāsanātmikā vāsanāparanāmnīṃ tāṃ vicāreṇa vināśaya
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
तस्य चञ्चलता या एषाtasya cañcalatā yā eṣāthat restlessness of his which is; this very wavering of it
तु अविद्या वासना-आत्मिकाtu avidyā vāsanā-ātmikāis ignorance, made of vāsanās; is unknowing, woven of inclinations
वासना-पर-नाम्नीम् ताम्vāsanā-para-nāmnīm tāmher, whose other name is vāsanā; her, called otherwise the vāsanā
विचारेण विनाशयvicāreṇa vināśayadestroy by inquiry; exterminate through reflection
अनुवाद
“That restlessness of the mind is ignorance, woven of inclinations; her, whose other name is vāsanā, destroy by inquiry.”
संस्करण
caa854453a12 · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Three words prove to be one: restlessness, ignorance, vāsanā.
This is an essential reduction. We are used to thinking ignorance a lack of information. Here it is said: ignorance is inclination, and inclination is the mind's trembling.
That is why information does not cure it.
And what does cure it is named: vicāra, “inquiry”. The second gatekeeper of 4.2.
Note why inquiry, and not effort of will. The vāsanā holds power because it is not examined: it acts before thought and therefore never falls under the light. Take it apart — and it loses its power, as a dream loses power when one begins to recall it.
The verb vināśaya — “destroy” — is imperative, like māraya in 4.93. In these verses the teacher speaks in short commands.