Brahmavidya Upanishad 49: Verse 49

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

गृहस्थो ब्रह्मचारी च वानप्रस्थश्च भिक्षुकः । यत्र तत्र स्थितो ज्ञानी परमाक्षरवित्सदा ॥ विषयी विषयासक्तो याति देहान्तरे शुभम् । ज्ञानादेवास्य शास्त्रस्य सर्वावस्थोऽपि मानवः ॥४९-५०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

गृहस्थः । ब्रह्मचारी । च । वानप्रस्थः । च । भिक्षुकः । यत्र । तत्र । स्थितः । ज्ञानी । परम-अक्षर-वित् । सदा ॥ विषयी । विषय-आसक्तः । याति । देह-अन्तरे । शुभम् । ज्ञानात् । एव । अस्य । शास्त्रस्य । सर्व-अवस्थः । अपि । मानवः ॥

Sanskrit recitationBrahmavidya Upanishad 49

IAST Transliteration

gṛhastho brahmacārī ca vānaprasthaś ca bhikṣukaḥ | yatra tatra sthito jñānī paramākṣaravit sadā || viṣayī viṣayāsakto yāti dehāntare śubham | jñānād evāsya śāstrasya sarvāvastho 'pi mānavaḥ ||49–50||

Translation

Ob Hausvater, Brahmacārin, Waldasket oder Bettelmönch—wo immer er sich befindet—so ist der Weise, der stets das höchste Unvergängliche (Akṣara) kennt. Der Sinnenmensch hingegen, an die Objekte verhaftet, geht in einen anderen Leib über, auf der Suche nach dem vermeintlich Heilsamen. Allein durch die Erkenntnis dieses Śāstra erreicht der Mensch—gleich in welchem Lebensstand—das Ziel.

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Academic Translation

Whether a householder, a celibate student, a forest-dweller, or a mendicant—wherever he may be situated—the knower, the constant knower of the supreme Imperishable, (is such). The sense-enjoyer, attached to objects, goes into another body (i.e., transmigrates), (seeking) the auspicious. By the knowledge of this teaching alone, a human being—though in any condition of life—(attains the goal).

Verse Context

• Jñāna as liberating across āśramas; saṃsāra through viṣaya-āsakti; mokṣa through Akṣara-jñāna
• Mahavakya: Supports the universality of mahāvākya-realization: Brahman-knowledge is not confined to a single āśrama; realization (‘tat tvam asi’/‘aham brahmāsmi’) is possible for any qualified seeker.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)