Nirvana Upanishad 10: Verse 10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अथ निर्वाणोपनिषदं व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः सोऽहम् । परिव्राजकाः पश्चिमलिङ्गाः । मन्मथः क्षेत्रपालः । गगनसिद्धान्तः अमृतकल्लोलनदी । अक्षयं निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशय ऋषिः । निर्वाणो देवता । निष्कुलप्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवलज्ञानम् ॥१-११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अथ । निर्वाण-उपनिषदम् । व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः । सः । अहम् । परिव्राजकाः । पश्चिम-लिङ्गाः । मन्मथः । क्षेत्र-पालः । गगन-सिद्धान्तः । अमृत-कल्लोल-नदी । अक्षयम् । निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशयः । ऋषिः । निर्वाणः । देवता । निष्कुल-प्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवल-ज्ञानम् ॥

Sanskrit recitationNirvana Upanishad 10

IAST Transliteration

atha nirvāṇopaniṣadaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ | paramahaṃsaḥ so’ham | parivrājakāḥ paścima-liṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gagana-siddhāntaḥ amṛta-kallola-nadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkula-pravṛttiḥ | niṣkevala-jñānam ||1–11||

Translation

Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad: “I am the Paramahaṃsa.” The wandering renunciants are the ‘western’ insignia. Manmatha is the guardian of the sacred precinct. The doctrine is founded on the ‘sky’ (gagana); the river is the nectar-stream with rippling wavelets. The goal is the imperishable, the stainless. The seer is Niḥsaṃśaya, “free from doubt.” The deity is Nirvāṇa. Its activity is beyond lineage (niṣkula). Its knowledge is non-dual, pure and exclusive (niṣkevala).

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Academic Translation

Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. “I am the Paramahaṃsa.” The wandering renunciants are the ‘western’ insignia. Manmatha is the guardian of the sacred precinct. The doctrine is ‘sky’ (gagana)-based; the river is the nectar-stream with wavelets. (Its goal is) the imperishable, the stainless. The seer is Niḥsaṃśaya (“free from doubt”). The deity is Nirvāṇa. Its activity is beyond lineage (niṣkula). Its knowledge is non-dual, exclusive (niṣkevala).

Verse Context

• Moksha (Nirvana) through non-dual knowledge (Advaita-jñāna) and renunciation (saṃnyāsa/paramahaṃsa)
• Mahavakya: Directly echoes ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’/‘So’ham’ (identity of self and absolute); supports ‘Tat tvam asi’ by implication
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose