Nirvana Upanishad 1: Verse 1

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 ॥

Sanskrit recitationNirvana Upanishad 1

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

Nun werden wir die Nirvāṇa-Upaniṣad darlegen. Ihr Gegenstand ist der Paramahaṃsa — „Ich bin Er“. Ihre Entsagenden sind die wandernden Bettelmönche; ihr äußeres Kennzeichen ist das westliche Zeichen. Manmatha ist der Hüter des Feldes. Die Lehre ist der Himmel; der Fluss ist der Nektar der Unsterblichkeit mit seinen Wellen. Sie ist unvergänglich, makellos. Niḥsaṃśaya ist der Seher. Nirvāṇa ist die Gottheit. Ihr Vollzug ist ohne Geschlecht und Herkunft, jenseits familiärer Pflichten. Ihr Wissen ist nicht-dual, absolutes Wissen.

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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