Paingala Upanishad 16 — Verse 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

देहे ज्ञानेन दीपिते बुद्धिरखण्डाकाररूपा यदा भवति तदा विद्वान् ब्रह्मज्ञानाग्निना कर्मबन्धं निर्दहेत् ॥१६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

देहे । ज्ञानेन । दीपिते । बुद्धिः । अखण्ड-आकार-रूपा । यदा । भवति । तदा । विद्वान् । ब्रह्म-ज्ञान-अग्निना । कर्म-बन्धम् । निर्दहेत् ॥१६॥

IAST Transliteration

dehe jñānena dīpite buddhir akhaṇḍākārarūpā yadā bhavati tadā vidvān brahmajñānāgninā karmabandhaṃ nirdahēt ||16||

Translation

عندما يُستنار الجسد بالمعرفة، وتصير البُدّهي على هيئة إدراكٍ غير منقسمٍ (غير ثنائي)، فعلى العارف أن يُحرق قيدَ الكارما بنارِ معرفةِ براهمان.

Academic Translation

When the body is illumined by knowledge, and the intellect becomes of the form of an undivided (non-dual) cognition, then the knower should burn up the bondage of karma by the fire of Brahman-knowledge.

Verse Context

• Moksha (liberation) through Brahma-jñāna; destruction of karma by knowledge
• Mahavakya: Supports the import of “अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (ahaṃ brahmāsmi)” and “तत् त्वम् असि (tat tvam asi)” by describing akhaṇḍākāra-vṛtti culminating in non-dual realization that nullifies karmic bondage.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose (later Upaniṣadic/Smṛti-style anuṣṭubh-like cadence, not strict Vedic meter)