Maitreya Upanishad 26: Verse 26

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पाषाणलोहमणिमृण्मयविग्रहेषु पूजा पुनर्जननभोगकरी मुमुक्षोः ।

तस्माद्यतिः स्वहृदयार्चनमेव कुर्याद्बाह्यार्चनं परिहरेदपुनर्भवाय ॥२६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

पाषाण-लोह-मणि-मृण्मय-विग्रहेषु । पूजा । पुनर्जनन-भोग-कारी । मुमुक्षोः ।

तस्मात् । यतिः । स्व-हृदय-अर्चनम्-एव । कुर्यात् । बाह्य-अर्चनम् । परिहरेत् । अपुनर्भवाय ॥२६॥

Sanskrit recitationMaitreya Upanishad 26

IAST Transliteration

pāṣāṇa-loha-maṇi-mṛṇmaya-vigraheṣu pūjā punarjanana-bhogakarī mumukṣoḥ |

tasmād yatiḥ svahṛdayārcanam eva kuryād bāhyārcanaṃ parihared apunarbhavāya ||26||

Translation

Verehrung von Bildern aus Stein, Metall, Edelstein oder Ton ist für den nach Befreiung Strebenden Ursache erneuter Geburt und fortgesetzten weltlichen Genusses. Darum soll der Entsagende die Verehrung allein im eigenen Herzen vollziehen und äußeren Kult um des Nicht-Wiederkehrens (Freiheit von Wiedergeburt) willen aufgeben.

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Academic Translation

Worship offered to images made of stone, metal, gem, or clay is, for the seeker of liberation, a cause of renewed birth and (continued) enjoyment (i.e., worldly experience). Therefore the renunciant should perform worship only in his own heart; he should abandon external worship for the sake of non-return (freedom from rebirth).

Verse Context

• Mokṣa; antaryāga (inner worship); vairāgya; sādhanā as inward contemplation
• Mahavakya: Supports the import of ‘aham brahmāsmi’ by shifting worship from external object to inner Self-recognition; aligns with non-dual inward realization rather than ritual objectification.
• Yajur
• Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda (Maitrāyaṇīya śākhā) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-śloka (classical śloka style)