Verse 1

Nirvana

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अथ निर्वाणोपनिषदं व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः सोऽहम् । परिव्राजकाः पश्चिमलिङ्गाः । मन्मथः क्षेत्रपालः । गगनसिद्धान्तः अमृतकल्लोलनदी । अक्षयं निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशय ऋषिः । निर्वाणो देवता । निष्कुलप्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवलज्ञानम् ॥१-११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अथ । निर्वाण-उपनिषदम् । व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः । सः-अहम् । परिव्राजकाः । पश्चिम-लिङ्गाः । मन्मथः । क्षेत्र-पालः । गगन-सिद्धान्तः । अमृत-कल्लोल-नदी । अक्षयम् । निरञ्जनम् । निः-संशयः । ऋषिः । निर्वाणः । देवता । निष्कुल-प्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवल-ज्ञानम् ॥

IAST Transliteration

atha nirvāṇopaniṣadaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ | paramahaṃsaḥ so’ham | parivrājakāḥ paścimaliṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gaganasiddhāntaḥ amṛtakallolanadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkulapravṛttiḥ | niṣkevalajñānam ||1-11||

Translation

এখন আমরা নির্বাণোপনিষদের ব্যাখ্যা করব। এর বিষয় পরমহংস—“সোऽহম্” (আমি সেই)। এর অধিকারী পরিব্রাজক সন্ন্যাসীরা; বাহ্যচিহ্ন ‘পশ্চিমলিঙ্গ’। মন্মথ ক্ষেত্রপাল। সিদ্ধান্ত আকাশসদৃশ; নদী অমৃতের কল্লোল-তরঙ্গে পূর্ণ। এটি অক্ষয় ও নিরঞ্জন। ঋষি নিঃসংশয়। দেবতা নির্বাণ। এর প্রবৃত্তি নিষ্কুল—কুলবন্ধনাতীত; জ্ঞান নিষ্কেবল, অদ্বৈত, পরম জ্ঞান।

Academic Translation

Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. (Its) subject is the Paramahaṃsa—‘I am He’. (Its) renunciants are the wandering mendicants; (its) external mark is the western sign. Manmatha is the guardian of the field. The doctrine is the sky; the river is the nectar with its waves. (It is) imperishable, stainless. Niḥsaṃśaya is the seer. Nirvāṇa is the deity. (Its) activity is without lineage (i.e., beyond family/lineage obligations). (Its) knowledge is non-dual, absolute knowledge.

Verse Context

• Moksha (Nirvāṇa) through non-dual knowledge (Advaita-jñāna) and renunciation (saṃnyāsa/paramahaṃsa)
• Mahavakya: Directly echoes the mahāvākya orientation of identity-statements (esp. ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ / ‘so’ham’) via “so’ham” (I am He/That).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose