उपनिषद् · Mahā 5.23
॥
देवनागरी
अवबोधं विदुर्ज्ञानं तदिदं साप्तभूमिकम् मुक्तिस्तु ज्ञेयमित्युक्ता भूमिकासप्तकात्परम्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
avabodhaṃ vidurjñānaṃ tadidaṃ sāptabhūmikam muktistu jñeyamityuktā bhūmikāsaptakātparam
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
अवबोधम् विदुः ज्ञानम्avabodham viduḥ jñānamawakening they know as knowledge; insight they account the knowing
तत् इदम् साप्त-भूमिकम्tat idam sāpta-bhūmikamand this has seven stages; and it possesses seven steps
मुक्तिः तु ज्ञेयम् इति उक्ताmuktiḥ tu jñeyam iti uktābut freedom is called the thing to be known; deliverance, though, is named what is to be cognized
भूमिका-सप्तकात् परम्bhūmikā-saptakāt paramabove the sevenfold of stages; beyond the sevenfold set of steps
अनुवाद
“Awakening they know as knowledge, and it is sevenfold in its stages; freedom, however, is called that which is to be known — it stands above the seven stages.”
संस्करण
71bc407f7bdb · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The verse makes a distinction without which the ladder would mislead.
Jñāna — “knowledge” — has seven stages and ends at the seventh.
Mukti — “freedom” — is no stage. It is called jñeya, “what is to be known”, and stands param, “above” the whole ladder.
That is, one climbs the seven stages not to freedom, but to the place from which it can be seen.
This matters for right expectations. Schemes of stages always tempt one to think that reaching the top finishes everything. Here it is said: the top must be reached, and that is not enough.
Note too the word avabodha — “awakening”. Knowledge is named not a collection of information but an awakening; and the whole preceding analysis of waking and sleep here finds its place.