Verse 12

Katharudra

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स एव जगतः साक्षी सर्वात्मा विमलाकृतिः ।

प्रतिष्ठा सर्वभूतानां प्रज्ञानघनलक्षणः ॥

न कर्मणा न प्रजया न चान्येनापि केचित् ।

ब्रह्मवेदनमात्रेण ब्रह्माप्नोत्येव मानवः ॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

सः । एव । जगतः । साक्षी । सर्व-आत्मा । विमल-आकृतिः ।

प्रतिष्ठा । सर्व-भूतानाम् । प्रज्ञान-घन-लक्षणः ।

न । कर्मणा । न । प्रजया । न । च । अन्येन । अपि । केचित् ।

ब्रह्म-वेदन-मात्रेण । ब्रह्म । आप्नोति । एव । मानवः ।

IAST Transliteration

sa eva jagataḥ sākṣī sarvātmā vimalākṛtiḥ |

pratiṣṭhā sarva-bhūtānāṃ prajñāna-ghana-lakṣaṇaḥ ||

na karmaṇā na prajayā na cānyenāpi kecit |

brahma-vedana-mātreṇa brahmāpnoty eva mānavaḥ ||

Translation

Er allein ist der Zeuge der Welt, das Selbst aller, von makelloser Gestalt; die Stütze aller Wesen, gekennzeichnet als ein dichter Block von Bewusstsein. Nicht durch Handlung, nicht durch Nachkommenschaft, noch durch irgendetwas anderes — allein durch die Erkenntnis Brahmans erlangt der Mensch Brahman.

Academic Translation

He alone is the witness of the world, the Self of all, of stainless form; the foundation of all beings, characterized as a mass of consciousness. Not by action, not by progeny, nor indeed by anything else whatsoever—by Brahman-knowledge alone does a human being attain Brahman.

Verse Context

• Ātman/Brahman as sākṣin (witness) and prajñāna-ghana; mokṣa through jñāna (not karma)
• Mahavakya: Strongly aligned with ‘प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म’ (Prajñānam brahma): Brahman is consciousness; also supports ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ by identifying the witness-self as Brahman.
• Krishna Yajurveda
• Taittirīya (attribution in later Upaniṣad catalogues; text is a late Śaiva Upaniṣad transmitted outside strict śākhā recensions) Shakha
• Chandas: Mixed/irregular anuṣṭubh-like ślokas (late Upaniṣadic style)