Atma Upanishad 10: Verse 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अनात्मकम् असत् तुच्छं किं नु तस्यावभासकम् । वेदशास्त्रपुराणानि भूतानि सकलान्यपि ॥

येनार्थवन्ति तं किं नु विज्ञातारं प्रकाशयेत् । क्षुधां देहव्यथां त्यक्त्वा बालः क्रीडति वस्तुनि ॥

तथैव विद्वान् रमते निर्ममो निरहं सुखी । कामान् निष्कामरूपी सञ्चरत्येकचरो मुनिः ॥९–११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अनात्मकम् । असत् । तुच्छम् । किम् । नु । तस्य । अवभासकम् । वेद-शास्त्र-पुराणानि । भूतानि । सकलानि । अपि ॥

येन । अर्थ-वन्ति । तम् । किम् । नु । विज्ञातारम् । प्रकाशयेत् । क्षुधाम् । देह-व्यथाम् । त्यक्त्वा । बालः । क्रीडति । वस्तुनि ॥

तथा । एव । विद्वान् । रमते । निर्ममः । निरहम् । सुखी । कामान् । निष्काम-रूपी । सञ्चरति । एक-चरः । मुनिः ॥

Sanskrit recitationAtma Upanishad 10

IAST Transliteration

anātmakam asat tucchaṃ kiṃ nu tasyāvabhāsakam | vedaśāstrapurāṇāni bhūtāni sakalāny api ||

yenārthavanti taṃ kiṃ nu vijñātāraṃ prakāśayet | kṣudhāṃ dehavyathāṃ tyaktvā bālaḥ krīḍati vastuni ||

tathaiva vidvān ramate nirmamo nirahaṃ sukhī | kāmān niṣkāmarūpī sañcaraty ekacaro muniḥ ||9–11||

Translation

That which is non-Self, unreal, and trifling—what indeed could illumine it? The Vedas, śāstras, and Purāṇas, and all beings as well, become meaningful by That; what could illumine that very Knower? As a child, setting aside hunger and bodily pain, plays with an object, so too the wise one delights—without possessiveness, without ego, happy. Moving among desires while being desireless in nature, the sage wanders alone.

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Academic Translation

That which is non-Self, unreal, and trifling—what indeed could illumine it? The Vedas, śāstras, and Purāṇas, and all beings as well, become meaningful by whom; what could illumine that knower? Having set aside hunger and bodily pain, a child plays with an object. So too the knower delights—without possessiveness, without ego, happy; moving among desires while being desireless in nature, the sage wanders alone.

Verse Context

• Svayaṃ-prakāśa Atman; anātman as dependent; jīvanmukti and niṣkāmatā
• Mahavakya: Same as Atma.9: supports ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’ / ‘Ayam Ātmā Brahma’ by centering the self-luminous knower as Brahman.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)