उपनिषद् · Mahā 6.16
॥
देवनागरी
विशन्ति विद्या विमला मुक्ता वेणुमिवोत्तमम् विरक्तमनसां सम्यक्स्वप्रसङ्गादुदाहृतम्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
viśanti vidyā vimalā muktā veṇumivottamam viraktamanasāṃ samyaksvaprasaṅgādudāhṛtam
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
विशन्ति विद्याः विमलाःviśanti vidyāḥ vimalāḥthe stainless knowledges enter; the immaculate wisdoms come in
मुक्ताः वेणुम् इव उत्तमम्muktāḥ veṇum iva uttamamlike pearls into the finest bamboo; just as pearls into the choicest cane
विरक्त-मनसाम् सम्यक्virakta-manasām samyakin those of dispassionate mind, rightly; in those whose consciousness is detached, fitly
स्व-प्रसङ्गात् उदाहृतम्sva-prasaṅgāt udāhṛtamthis is declared on its own occasion; this is uttered upon its proper occasion
अनुवाद
“…the stainless knowledges enter, like pearls into the finest bamboo; so it is rightly said of those whose mind is dispassionate.”
संस्करण
c73b8f294532 · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
A rare image, and one that needs explaining.
By an old Indian belief, pearls are born not only in the oyster: they may form in a bamboo joint, in an elephant's brow, in a cloud. A bamboo with a pearl inside is a token most rare and auspicious.
And it is said: knowledges enter him whose birth is his last — like pearls into choice bamboo.
Note that the pearl in the bamboo is not cultivated. It is found there.
So with the knowledge of the dispassionate: it is not won by toil; it has entered.
This agrees with 4.1, where Nidāgha's insight is explained by grace, and with 4.76, where without the teacher's mercy nothing is granted.
Uttamaṃ veṇum — “the finest bamboo”. Not into any: into the best.