उपनिषद् · Avadhūta 5p1
॥
देवनागरी
स्वैरं स्वैरविहरणं तत्संसरणम् । सांबरा वा दिगंबरा वा । न तेषां धर्माधर्मौ न मेध्यामेधौ
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
svairaṃ svairaviharaṇaṃ tatsaṃsaraṇam | sāṃbarā vā digaṃbarā vā | na teṣāṃ dharmādharmau na medhyāmedhau
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
स्वैरं स्वैर-विहरणंsvairaṃ svaira-viharaṇaṃfree, unconstrained wandering
तत् संसरणम्tat saṃsaraṇamthat — is his way of moving
सांबराः वा दिक्-अम्बराः वाsāṃbarāḥ vā dik-ambarāḥ vāclothed, or clothed in the directions
न तेषां धर्म-अ-धर्मौna teṣāṃ dharma-a-dharmaufor them there is neither dharma nor adharma
न मेध्य-अ-मेधौna medhya-a-medhauneither pure nor impure
अनुवाद
Free, unconstrained wandering — that is his way of moving; whether clothed or clothed in the directions [i.e., naked]; for them there is neither dharma nor adharma, neither pure nor impure.
संस्करण
02339e8c37ec · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
The answer to the fourth question — "what is his way of moving?" — and this answer demands direct examination. Digambara, "clothed in the directions," is the usual designation for nakedness; and it is said that it is a matter of indifference to the avadhūta whether he is clothed or naked. Let me say about this what I said when reading the Sannyāsa-upaniṣad. Nakedness is held by some ascetics as a mark of complete renunciation; in our tradition it is not accepted, and Caitanya directly rebuked those who went without clothing. The reason is not modesty, but that nakedness in public is already an act toward others; and a person indifferent to clothing puts it on for the sake of others.
The second half-verse is harder: na teṣāṃ dharma-adharmau, "for them there is neither dharma nor adharma." Read as a description, it is true and was discussed when reading the Pāśupata (23): one who has no bad desires needs no prohibitions. Read as a license, it is exactly the door through which everything that must be discussed at the end of this book enters.
It is worth noting in advance: the book itself, a few lines from now, will say that such a person "is not stained, as a fool is stained" (5p2). That is, the book itself draws a line between him and the fool; and the whole question is only on which side the reader will land.