Atma Upanishad: Verse 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उपाधिनाशाद् ब्रह्मैव सद् ब्रह्माप्येति निर्द्वयम् । शैलूषो वेषसद्भावाभावयोश्च यथा पुमान् ॥२१॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

उपाधि-नाशात् । ब्रह्म । एव । सत् । ब्रह्म । अप्येति । निर्द्वयम् । शैलूषः । वेष-सद्भाव-अभावयोः । च । यथा । पुमान् ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationAtma Upanishad 21

IAST Transliteration

upādhināśād brahmaiva sad brahmāpyeti nirdvayam | śailūṣo veṣasadbhāvābhāvayoś ca yathā pumān ||21||

Translation

Durch das Vergehen der begrenzenden Beilegungen (Upādhis) ist das Wirkliche allein Brahman; und der Erkennende gelangt zu Brahman, dem Nicht‑Zweiten, wie ein Schauspieler derselbe bleibt, ob Kostüm da ist oder nicht.

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Academic Translation

By the destruction of limiting adjuncts (upādhis), the real (sat) is Brahman alone; (the knower) attains Brahman—non-dual—just as a man who is an actor (is the same) in the presence or absence of costume.

Verse Context

• Upādhi-nāśa (negation of limiting adjuncts) and non-duality (advaita)
• Mahavakya: Supports ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ (Aham brahmāsmi) by removing upādhis that obscure identity with Brahman.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)