Upanishad Dampatyam

We have treasure houses of wisdom called the Upanishads. The literal meaning of the term Upanishad is “near sitting”. Thus, we sit near a wise person and receive wisdom. Whether words can transfer wisdom, how experience comes to us, and whether that experience in one go itself reaches Purnam (complete/abundant) are some of the questions we seek answers to.

Yajnavalkya And Maitreyi

Yajnavalkya was a sage whom we learn about in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The sage had two wives. After advancing in material life, Yajnavalkya summoned his two wives and said that he would divide his property between them and retire to the woods to pursue the ultimate truth. One wife, named Katyayani, agreed to the arrangement. The other wife, named Maitreyi, asked a simple but direct question to her husband and Guru: whether such wealth was sufficient to attain immortality. The sage answered in the negative. She then requested him to show her the true path and refused to accept her share of the wealth. Yajnavalkya mentored her. The saying, ‘Atmanastu Kamaya Sarvam Priyam Bhavati’, is from this dialogue.

Two Paths Of Life

The material and spiritual paths are two possibilities. One is called Pravritti Marga, meaning worldly engagement and navigating life. The second is called Nivritti Marga, meaning seeking the ultimate by renouncing the world. Which is better? People may have their own views. One thing to remember is that we may live in this world, but worldliness need not engulf us. We can remain untouched by Samsara.

(Dr. Ainavolu Srinivas is a Mumbai-based teacher of Management and Sanatana.)

Published on: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 07:00 AM IST