Maitreya Upanishad: Verse 2.21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उत्तमा तत्त्वचिन्तैव मध्यमं शास्त्रचिन्तनम् । अधमा मन्त्रचिन्ता च तीर्थभ्रान्त्यधमाधमा ॥२१॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

उत्तमा तत्त्व-चिन्ता एव । मध्यमम् शास्त्र-चिन्तनम् । अधमा मन्त्र-चिन्ता च । तीर्थ-भ्रान्तिः अधमा-अधमा ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationMaitreya Upanishad 2.21

IAST Transliteration

uttamā tattvacintaiva madhyamaṃ śāstracintanam | adhamā mantracintā ca tīrthabhrānty adhamādhamā ||21||

Translation

सबसे बड़ी बात है, सच्चाई के बारे में सोचना। बीच वाली बात है शास्त्र पढ़ना। नीचे वाली बात है बस मंत्र जपना। और सबसे नीचा काम है मंदिर-मंदिर भटकना, समझ में कुछ नहीं आता।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Academic Translation

Supreme is reflection on Reality alone; middling is reflection on scripture; inferior is reflection on mantras; and wandering in delusion to pilgrimage-places is the lowest of the low.

Word by Word

• uttamā: the highest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with cintā)

• tattva-cintā: contemplation on Reality (tattva)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• eva: alone/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक

• madhyamam: the middling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhyama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; (elliptic: ‘is’ understood)

• śāstra-cintanam: reflection on scripture
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + cintana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• adhamā: the low
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषणम् (agreeing with cintā)

• mantra-cintā: preoccupation with mantra (mere mantra-thought)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• tīrtha-bhrāntiḥ: delusion about pilgrimages (as salvific)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrānti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• adhama-adhama: the lowest
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhama (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; अतिशयार्थे (lowest of the low)

Sandhi Notes

• tattvacintaiva = tattva-cintā eva (ā+e→ai)
• tīrthabhrānty adhamādhamā = tīrtha-bhrāntiḥ adhama-adhama (visarga before vowel → y; adhama+adhama with sandhi gives adhamādhamā in pāda)

Verse Context

• Jñāna (tattva-vicāra) as the highest means; hierarchy of sādhanas; critique of externalism
• Mahavakya: Indirect: ‘tattva-cintā’ is the contemplative assimilation (nididhyāsana) of mahāvākya import; scripture-study is preparatory; mere mantra/pilgrimage without insight is insufficient for ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ realization.
• Yajur
• Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda (later Maitrāyaṇī/Maitrī transmission) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)