उपनिषद् · Avadhūta 19
॥
देवनागरी
आरब्धकर्मणि क्षीणे व्यवहारो निवर्तते । कर्मक्षये त्वसौ नैव शामेद्ध्यानसहस्रतः
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
ārabdhakarmaṇi kṣīṇe vyavahāro nivartate | karmakṣaye tvasau naiva śāmeddhyānasahasrataḥ
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
आरब्ध-कर्मणि क्षीणेārabdha-karmaṇi kṣīṇewhen the begun deed is exhausted
व्यवहारः निवर्ततेvyavahāraḥ nivartatethe dealing ceases
कर्म-क्षये तु असौ न एवkarma-kṣaye tu asau na evabut while the deed is not exhausted, it will not
शामेत् ध्यान-सहस्रतःśāmet dhyāna-sahasrataḥbe stilled even by a thousand contemplations
अनुवाद
When the begun deed is exhausted, the dealing ceases; but while the deed is not exhausted, it will not be stilled even by a thousand contemplations.
संस्करण
9090f03fda72 · प्रकाशित 6 अग॰ 2026, 4:24:37 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
This line answers the question raised in the previous one, and answers soberly. It says: the dealing will cease when ārabdha-karman, "the begun deed" — that is, the portion of accumulated karma discussed when reading the Adhyātma (2.49–2.59), likened there to an arrow already shot — is exhausted. And it adds: while it is not exhausted, the dealing will not be stilled even by a thousand contemplations.
Note the soberness of this addition. It says outright: effort accomplishes nothing here; however much one contemplates, the arrow will reach its mark. And this is, in its way, honest — the book does not promise what does not happen.
The Vaiṣṇava reading agrees with this and only recalls what was discussed when reading the Adhyātma: the prārabdha of one who has surrendered is shortened. One cannot outrun the arrow by one's own strength; but the one who shot it can also stop it. Let us add one more consequence, useful for life. Since the dealing proceeds by inertia and is not calmed by contemplation, there is no need to calm it: let it proceed. Spending effort to stop saying "I am cold" is like fighting an arrow in flight; and effort is needed for something else.