Verse 3

Amritnada

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

तावद्रथेन गन्तव्यं यावद्रथपथि स्थितः ।

स्थित्वा रथपथस्थानं रथमुत्सृज्य गच्छति ॥३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

तावत् । रथेन । गन्तव्यम् । यावत् । रथ-पथि । स्थितः ।

स्थित्वा । रथ-पथ-स्थानम् । रथम् । उत्सृज्य । गच्छति ॥३॥

IAST Transliteration

tāvad rathena gantavyaṃ yāvad rathapathi sthitaḥ |

sthitvā rathapathasthānaṃ ratham utsṛjya gacchati ||3||

Translation

One should travel by the chariot only so long as one remains on the chariot-road. Having reached the place that is the end of that road, one abandons the chariot and goes on.

Academic Translation

One should travel by the chariot only so long as one remains on the chariot-road. Having reached the place that is the chariot-road’s end, one abandons the chariot and goes on.

Verse Context

• Upāya-apavāda (use of means and their later relinquishment); non-attachment to meditative supports
• Mahavakya: Analogous to the sublation of all supports once mahāvākya-born knowledge is firm; the ‘chariot’ (Oṃ/upāsanā) is a preparatory aid, not the final identity-knowledge itself.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)