Maitrayaniya Upanishad 4.2.p1

4.2.p1

ayaṃ vā va khalvasya pratividhirbhūtātmano yadyeva vidyādhigamasya dharmasyānucaraṇaṃ svāśrameṣvānukramaṇaṃ svadharma eva sarvaṃ dhatte stambhaśākhevetarāṇyanenordhvabhāgbhavatyanyathadhaḥ patatyeṣa svadharmābhibhūto yo vedeṣu na svadharmātikrameṇāśramī bhavatyāśrameṣvevāvasthitastapasvī cetyucyata etadapyuktaṃ nātapaskasyātmadhyāne'dhigamaḥ karmaśuddhirvetyevaṃ hyāha ||

3. The antidote, assuredly, indeed, for this elemental soul (_bhūtātman_) is this: study of the knowledge of the Veda, and pursuit of one’s regular duty. Pursuit of one’s regular duty, in one’s own stage of the religious life—that, verily, is the rule! Other rules are like a bunch of grass. With this, one tends upwards; otherwise, downwards. That is one’s regular duty, which is set forth in the Vedas. Not by transgressing one’s regular duty does one come into a stage of the religious life. Some one says: ‘He is not in any of the stages of the religious life! Verily, he is one who practises austerity!’ That is not proper. [However], if one does not practise austerity, there is no success in the knowledge of the Soul (Ātman), nor perfection of works. For thus has it been said:— ’Tis goodness (_sattva_) from austerity (_tapas_), And mind from goodness, that is won; And from the mind the Soul is won; On winning whom, no one returns.