Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 9
अथ निर्वाणोपनिषदं व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः सोऽहम् । परिव्राजकाः पश्चिमलिङ्गाः । मन्मथः क्षेत्रपालः । गगनसिद्धान्तः अमृतकल्लोलनदी । अक्षयं निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशय ऋषिः । निर्वाणो देवता । निष्कुलप्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवलज्ञानम् ॥१–११॥
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 ॥
atha nirvāṇopaniṣadaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ | paramahaṃsaḥ so’ham | parivrājakāḥ paścimaliṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gaganasiddhāntaḥ amṛtakallolanadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkulapravṛttiḥ | niṣkevalajñānam ||1–11||
Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. “I am the Paramahaṃsa.” The wandering renunciants are the “western marks.” Manmatha is the guardian of the precinct. The doctrine is the “sky”; the river is the nectar‑river of surging waves. It is imperishable, stainless. Niḥsaṃśaya is the seer. Nirvāṇa is the deity. The activity is without lineage. The knowledge is non‑dual.
Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. “I am the Paramahaṃsa.” The wandering renunciants are the ‘western marks.’ Manmatha is the guardian of the precinct. The doctrine is the ‘sky’; the river is the nectar‑river of surging waves. (It is) imperishable, stainless. Niḥsaṃśaya is the seer. Nirvāṇa is the deity. The activity is without lineage. The knowledge is non‑dual.
- so’ham = saḥ + aham (visarga sandhi: ḥ + a → o’)
- nirvāṇopaniṣadam = nirvāṇa + upaniṣadam (a+u → o)
- niḥsaṃśaya = nis + saṃśaya (visarga before s)
- Compounds analyzed as written (e.g., amṛta-kallola-nadī; niṣkevala-jñānam)
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Nirañjana (stainless) ātman and Nirvāṇa as the culmination of saṃnyāsa and jñāna
- The mahavakyas
- So’ham functions as an identity statement consistent with mahāvākya purport (abheda) rather than a direct quotation of the four canonical sentences.
- Veda
- Atharva
- Chandas
- Prose
Yoga and practice
Pratyāhāra from external ‘liṅga’ (marks); contemplation on akṣaya (imperishable) self to reduce fear of death; sustained nididhyāsana on ‘so’ham’; cultivating niḥsaṃśaya through inquiry (ātma-vicāra).
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