Paingala Upanishad 20 — Verse 20

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

घटाकाशमिवात्मानं विलयं वेत्ति तत्त्वतः । स गच्छति निरालम्बं ज्ञानालोकं समन्ततः ॥२०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

घट-आकाशम्-इव । आत्मानम् । विलयम् । वेत्ति । तत्त्वतः । सः । गच्छति । निरालम्बम् । ज्ञान-आलोकम् । समन्ततः ॥२०॥

IAST Transliteration

ghaṭākāśam ivātmānaṃ vilayaṃ vetti tattvataḥ | sa gacchati nirālambaṃ jñānālokaṃ samantataḥ ||20||

Translation

Wer in Wahrheit die Auflösung des Selbst erkennt, gleich dem Raum im Krug, der gelangt zum haltlosen (nirālamba) Licht der Erkenntnis, ringsum überall.

Academic Translation

He who truly knows the dissolution of the self like the space in a pot—he attains the supportless (nirālamba) light of knowledge on all sides.

Verse Context

• Ātman–Brahman non-difference; upādhi-bheda (apparent limitation) and its negation; nirālamba-jñāna
• Mahavakya: Directly consonant with ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ (I am Brahman): pot-space ‘becoming’ vast space illustrates that individuality is only adjunct-based.
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (Paippalāda tradition; commonly grouped among Atharvaṇic Sannyāsa Upaniṣads) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)