Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 24

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ऊर्ध्वाम्नायः। निरालम्बपीठः। संयोगदीक्षा। वियोगोपदेशः। दीक्षासन्तोषपानं च। द्वादशादित्यावलोकनम्। विवेकरक्षा। करुणैव केलिः। आनन्दमाला। एकान्तगुहायां मुक्तासनसुखगोष्ठी। अकल्पितभिक्षाशी। हंसाचारः। सर्वभूतान्तर्वर्ती हंस इति प्रतिपादनम्॥१२–२४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

ऊर्ध्व-आम्नायः । निरालम्ब-पीठः । संयोग-दीक्षा । वियोग-उपदेशः । दीक्षा-सन्तोष-पानम् च । द्वादश-आदित्य-आवलोकनम् । विवेक-रक्षा । करुणा एव केलिः । आनन्द-माला । एकान्त-गुहायाम् मुक्त-आसन-सुख-गोष्ठी । अकल्पित-भिक्षा-आशी । हंस-आचारः । सर्व-भूत-अन्तः-वर्ती हंसः इति प्रतिपादनम् ॥

Recitation with translationNirvana Upanishad 24

IAST Transliteration

ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ. nirālambapīṭhaḥ. saṃyogadīkṣā. viyogopadeśaḥ. dīkṣāsantoṣapānaṃ ca. dvādaśādityāvalokanam. vivekarakṣā. karuṇaiva keliḥ. ānandamālā. ekāntaguhāyāṃ muktāsanasukhagoṣṭhī. akalpitabhikṣāśī. haṃsācāraḥ. sarvabhūtāntarvartī haṃsa iti pratipādanam. ||12–24||

Translation

La transmisión hacia lo alto; el asiento sin apoyo; la iniciación en la unión; la enseñanza del desapego; y el beber la satisfacción interior como iniciación; la contemplación de los doce Ādityas; la custodia del discernimiento; la compasión sola como juego sagrado; una guirnalda de dicha; en la cueva solitaria, la asamblea del gozo del asiento liberado; quien come limosna no premeditada; la conducta del Haṃsa; y la confirmación de que el Haṃsa habita en todos los seres.

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Academic Translation

The upward transmission; the supportless seat; initiation into union; instruction in detachment; and the drinking of contentment that is initiation; contemplation of the twelve Ādityas; guarding of discrimination; compassion alone as play; a garland of bliss; in the solitary cave, an assembly of the happiness of the liberated posture/seat; one who eats unpremeditated alms; the conduct of the Haṃsa; the teaching that the Haṃsa dwells within all beings.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ: the higher (upward) tradition/transmission
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + āmnāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• nirālamba-pīṭhaḥ: the supportless seat/base
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• saṃyoga-dīkṣā: initiation into union (yoga)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viyoga-upadeśaḥ: instruction in disunion/detachment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + upadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• dīkṣā-santoṣa-pānam: drinking/imbibing the contentment of initiation
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + santoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• dvādaśa-āditya-avalokanam: contemplation/seeing of the twelve Ādityas
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viveka-rakṣā: protection/guarding of discernment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viveka (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• karuṇā: compassion
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• eva: indeed/alone
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्

• keliḥ: play/sport (delightful activity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ānanda-mālā: garland/series of bliss
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ekānta-guhāyām: in the solitary cave (inner recess)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक) + guhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī: the blissful gathering in the free seat/posture
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + goṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• akalpita-bhikṣā-śī: one who lives on unpremeditated alms
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kalpita (प्रातिपदिक) + bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + śī (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śī/śay ‘to lie, rest’; here ‘one who lives on’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

• haṃsa-ācāraḥ: the conduct of the Haṃsa (paramahaṃsa way)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī: abiding within all beings
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + antar (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt ‘to abide’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• haṃsaḥ: the Haṃsa (the Self/paramahaṃsa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्ययम्

• pratipādanam: establishing/teaching (as doctrine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratipādana (प्रातिपदिक; from causative of √pad ‘to make known/establish’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Sandhi Notes

• ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ → ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ (a+a→ā)
• karuṇaiva → karuṇā eva (ā+e→ai)
• ekāntaguhāyāṃ → ekānta-guhāyām (compound; final anusvāra reflects nasalization before pause)
• Other items are primarily compounds written without internal sandhi separation

About this Verse

Central concept

Brahman/Ātman immanence (sarvabhūtāntarvartitva) and the paramahaṃsa ideal

The mahavakyas

Conceptually consonant with non-dual mahāvākya intent; no explicit mahāvākya wording.

Veda

Rig Veda

Chandas

Prose (gadyam)

Yoga and practice

Practical sādhanā markers: ekānta (withdrawal), santoṣa, viveka, karuṇā; supports dhyāna on inner light; encourages stable, effortless sitting (āsana-sukha) as a means to nididhyāsana.