Verse 20

Parabrahma

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

बहिःप्रपञ्चशिखोपवीतित्वमनादृत्य प्रणवहंसशिखोपवीतित्वमवलम्ब्य मोक्षसाधनं कुर्यादित्याह भगवाञ्छौनक इत्युपनिषत् ॥२०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

बहिः-प्रपञ्च-शिखा-उपवीतित्वम् । अनादृत्य । प्रणव-हंस-शिखा-उपवीतित्वम् । अवलम्ब्य । मोक्ष-साधनम् । कुर्यात् । इति । आह । भगवान् । शौनकः । इति । उपनिषत् ॥२०॥

IAST Transliteration

bahiḥprapañcaśikhopavītitvam anādṛtya praṇavahaṃsaśikhopavītitvam avalambya mokṣasādhanaṃ kuryād ity āha bhagavān śaunaka ity upaniṣat ||20||

Translation

Indem man den Zustand, den Schopf und die heilige Schnur der äußeren Vielheit (weltlichen Ordnung) zu tragen, unbeachtet lässt und sich auf den Zustand stützt, den Schopf und die heilige Schnur des Praṇava und des Haṃsa zu tragen, soll man die Mittel zur Befreiung ergreifen — so sprach der ehrwürdige Śaunaka; so (endet) die Upaniṣad.

Academic Translation

Disregarding the state of having the tuft and sacred thread belonging to the external manifold (worldly order), and relying upon the state of having the tuft and sacred thread of the praṇava and the haṃsa, one should undertake the means to liberation—so said the venerable Śaunaka; thus (ends) the Upaniṣad.

Verse Context

• Moksha-sādhana through praṇava/haṃsa contemplation; transcendence of external varṇāśrama markers; Brahman-realization
• Mahavakya: Indirect—praṇava and haṃsa (so’ham) contemplation supports assimilation of identity-statements like ‘aham brahmāsmi’; the verse frames liberation as grounded in inner realization rather than external qualifications.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose (gadya)