Verse 13

Parabrahma

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अग्नेरिव शिखा नान्या यस्य ज्ञानमयी शिखा । स शिखीत्युच्यते विद्वान् नेतरे केशधारिणः ॥१३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अग्नेः-इव । शिखा । न । अन्या । यस्य । ज्ञान-मयी । शिखा । सः । शिखी-इति । उच्यते । विद्वान् । न । इतरे । केश-धारिणः ॥१३॥

IAST Transliteration

agner iva śikhā nānyā yasya jñānamayī śikhā | sa śikhīty ucyate vidvān netare keśadhāriṇaḥ ||13||

Translation

Wie es keine andere Flamme gibt als die Flamme des Feuers, so ist derjenige, dessen Śikhā (Haarbüschel) aus Erkenntnis besteht, der Weise, „einer mit Śikhā“ genannt; nicht die anderen, die nur Haare tragen.

Academic Translation

As (there is) no other flame than the flame of fire, so for whom the tuft (śikhā) is made of knowledge—he, the knower, is called ‘one with a tuft’; not the others who merely wear hair.

Verse Context

• Jñāna (knowledge) as the true mark of Brahman-realization; critique of external ritual identity
• Mahavakya: Supports the import of ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि (ahaṃ brahmāsmi)’ and ‘तत् त्वम् असि (tat tvam asi)’ by privileging inner realization over external marks.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)