Verse 20

Kaivalya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अणोरणीयानहमेव तद्वन्महानहं विश्वमहं विचित्रम् ।

पुरातनोऽहं पुरुषोऽहमीशो हिरण्मयोऽहं शिवरूपमस्मि ॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अणोः । अणीयान् । अहम् । एव । तत्-वत् । महान् । अहम् । विश्वम् । अहम् । विचित्रम् ।

पुरातनः । अहम् । पुरुषः । अहम् । ईशः । हिरण्मयः । अहम् । शिव-रूपम् । अस्मि ।

IAST Transliteration

aṇor aṇīyān aham eva tadvan mahān ahaṃ viśvam ahaṃ vicitram |

purātano ’haṃ puruṣo ’ham īśo hiraṇmayo ’haṃ śivarūpam asmi ||

Translation

অণুতকৈও অণু মইয়ে; মহানতকৈও মহান মইয়ে। মই বিশ্ব; মই বিচিত্ৰ, বহুৰূপ আশ্চৰ্য। মই পুৰাতন; মই পুৰুষ; মই ঈশ্বৰ। মই হিৰণ্ময় তেজস্বী; মই শিৱস্বৰূপ।

Academic Translation

Smaller than the small am I indeed; likewise greater than the great. I am the universe; I am the manifold (wondrous). I am the ancient one; I am the Puruṣa; I am the Lord. I am of golden radiance; I am of the nature (form) of Śiva.

Verse Context

• Brahman/Ātman as both immanent and transcendent (aṇu–mahat), all-pervasive Self
• Mahavakya: Reinforces ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’ by asserting identity of the ‘I’ with the cosmic and the supreme; conceptually resonates with ‘Prajñānam Brahma’ by implying consciousness as the luminous principle (‘hiraṇmaya’).
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (Kaivalya Upaniṣad; śākhā attribution not firmly established) Shakha
• Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-like cadence in some recensions; commonly treated as metrical Upaniṣadic verse (non-strict śloka).