Paingala Upanishad 16 — Verse 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

देहे ज्ञानेन दीपिते बुद्धिरखण्डाकाररूपा यदा भवति तदा विद्वान् ब्रह्मज्ञानाग्निना कर्मबन्धं निर्दहेत् ॥१६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

देहे । ज्ञानेन । दीपिते । बुद्धिः । अखण्ड-आकार-रूपा । यदा । भवति । तदा । विद्वान् । ब्रह्म-ज्ञान-अग्निना । कर्म-बन्धम् । निर्दहेत् ॥१६॥

IAST Transliteration

dehe jñānena dīpite buddhir akhaṇḍākārarūpā yadā bhavati tadā vidvān brahmajñānāgninā karmabandhaṃ nirdahēt ||16||

Translation

Wenn der Leib durch Erkenntnis erleuchtet ist und der Intellekt (Buddhi) die Gestalt ungeteilter, nichtdualer Erkenntnis annimmt, dann soll der Wissende die Fessel des Karma im Feuer der Brahman-Erkenntnis verbrennen.

Academic Translation

When the body is illumined by knowledge, and the intellect becomes of the form of an undivided (non-dual) cognition, then the knower should burn up the bondage of karma by the fire of Brahman-knowledge.

Verse Context

• Moksha (liberation) through Brahma-jñāna; destruction of karma by knowledge
• Mahavakya: Supports the import of “अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (ahaṃ brahmāsmi)” and “तत् त्वम् असि (tat tvam asi)” by describing akhaṇḍākāra-vṛtti culminating in non-dual realization that nullifies karmic bondage.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose (later Upaniṣadic/Smṛti-style anuṣṭubh-like cadence, not strict Vedic meter)