उपनिषद् · Varāha 4.4
॥
देवनागरी
शास्त्रसज्जनसम्पर्कवैराग्याभ्यासपूर्वकम् । सदाचारप्रवृत्तिर्या प्रोच्यते सा विचारणा
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
śāstrasajjanasamparkavairāgyābhyāsapūrvakam | sadācārapravṛttiryā procyate sā vicāraṇā
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
शास्त्र-सत्-जन-सम्पर्क-śāstra-sat-jana-samparka-association with scripture and honest people
वैराग्य-अभ्यास-पूर्वकम्vairāgya-abhyāsa-pūrvakampreceded by practice in dispassion
सत्-आचार-प्रवृत्तिः याsat-ācāra-pravṛttiḥ yāturning to good conduct, which
प्रोच्यते सा विचारणाprocyate sā vicāraṇāis called examination
अनुवाद
"That turning to good conduct, preceded by association with scripture and honest people and by practice in dispassion, is called examination."
संस्करण
a1296610169b · प्रकाशित 12 अग॰ 2026, 5:00:00 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Worth noting is that the second stage is defined through conduct, not through reflection. Vicharana means "examination, deliberation"; and one would expect mental acts to be listed here. Instead it says sad-achara-pravrittih, "turning to good conduct."
That is, the fruit of examination is named not an opinion, but a change of practice. This definition is, in my view, excellent, and deserves being singled out. It means that examination which has not changed the manner of life has not occurred; and anyone who has read much and changed little knows this description is true.
The Vaishnava side stands on the same, and its rule is stated thus: jnanam parama-guhyam me yad vijnana-samanvitam, — knowledge must be joined with vijnana, that is, with realization (Bhagavatam 2.9.31). Let us add what deserves noting in the very sequence: first association, then practice, then conduct. That is, the change of character is placed not first: first company, then habit, and only then character.
This order is sober and refutes the usual demand "correct yourself first, then come": by this reckoning, correction is a consequence of coming, not a condition.