Skanda Upanishad: Verse 6
जीवः शिवः शिवो जीवः स जीवः केवलः शिवः । तुषेण बद्धो व्रीहिः स्यात् तुषाभावेन तण्डुलः ॥६॥
जीवः शिवः शिवः जीवः सः जीवः केवलः शिवः । तुषेण बद्धः व्रीहिः स्यात् तुष-अभावेन तण्डुलः ॥६॥
jīvaḥ śivaḥ śivo jīvaḥ sa jīvaḥ kevalaḥ śivaḥ | tuṣeṇa baddho vrīhiḥ syāt tuṣābhāvena taṇḍulaḥ ||6||
জীৱেই শিৱ; শিৱেই জীৱ; সেই জীৱ কেৱল শিৱেই। তুষেৰে বাঁধা থাকিলে ‘ব্ৰীহি’ (ধান) বোলা হয়; তুষ নাথাকিলে ‘তণ্ডুল’ (চাউলৰ দানা) বোলা হয়।
The individual soul is Śiva; Śiva is the individual soul; that individual soul is Śiva alone. When bound by husk it is called ‘paddy’; by the absence of husk it is (called) ‘rice grain.’
- tuṣābhāvena → tuṣa + abhāvena (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + अ → आ; समास/सन्धि-लिखितरूप)
- अन्यत्र सन्धि-विशेषः न।
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Jīva–Śiva aikya (identity of individual self and the Absolute) and upādhi/avidyā as covering
- The mahavakyas
- Restates ‘tat tvam asi’ in Śaiva idiom (jīva = Śiva) and supports ‘aham brahmāsmi’ by removing upādhis (husk) to reveal identity.
- Veda
- Atharva
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (śloka)
Yoga and practice
Use the husk/grain discrimination as viveka: identify ‘husk’ with body-mind upādhis; practice neti-neti, self-inquiry, and meditation on Śiva as one’s own Self; supports jñāna-yoga and also mantra-upāsanā where Śiva is contemplated as inner Self.
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