Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.29.3

1.29.3

atha khalu “vaiṣṇavīmātmaniṣṭhāṃ nānūcānāya nāvītarāgāyopadiśet”, “asmā imāmupasannāya samyak parīkṣya dadyādvaiṣṇavīmātmaniṣṭhām” ityādiśrutyanurodhenāyaṃ naciketāḥ putrādyapsaro'ntaviṣayakakāmanayā pralobhito'pi paramārthadṛṣṭiṃ vinā yato na vicacāla ato'yamekāntena niḥśreyasādhikārītyavagamya naciketasaḥ sarvāpahnavasiddhabrahmamātrāvagataye tadupāyatatvena śreyaḥpreyoyāthātmyamāha— anyat ityādinā | jñānayogo hi śreyān niḥśreyasahetutvāt | śreyo niḥśreyasam | preyaso'pekṣayā tadanyat | karmayogo hi preyān prītiviṣayakarmaphalaprāpakatvāt | svakṛtoccāvacakarmaiva preyaḥ | utāpi śreyaso'pekṣayā preyo'nyadeva | te ubhe śreyaḥpreyasī sālokyādikaivalyāntasvargādicittaśuddhayantaprāpakatvena nānārthe adhikāricittavibhramānurodhena bhinnaprayojane bhavataḥ | te hyadhikṛtatvena varṇāśramādiviśiṣṭaṃ puruṣaṃ sinītaḥ nirucchvāsaṃ badhnīta ityatra— ityādiśrutismṛtī mānam | sarvo hi lokaḥ śreyaḥpreyobhyāmātmanaḥ kartavyatayā prayujyate | tayoḥ ekena puruṣeṇa yugapadanuṣṭhātumaśakyatvena anyataraṃ ādadānasya svātiriktāvidyāpadatatkāryagocaraṃ preyorūpamapahnavīkṛtya niṣpratiyogikabrahmamātrāvasthānarūpaṃ śreya eva sādhu śivaṃ bhavati | ya u yastu adūradarśī mūḍhaḥ preyaso'bhilāṣāt śreyo hitvā preya eva vṛṇīte so'yaṃ śreyasaḥ arthāddhīyate | jātvapi na hi tatpadamāpnotītyarthaḥ |