Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 10
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 paścima-liṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gagana-siddhāntaḥ amṛta-kallola-nadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkula-pravṛttiḥ | niṣkevala-jñānam ||1–11||
Nous allons maintenant exposer l’Upaniṣad du Nirvāṇa. « Je suis le Paramahaṃsa. » Les renonçants errants sont les insignes ‘occidentaux’. Manmatha est le gardien de l’enceinte sacrée. La doctrine prend appui sur le ‘ciel’ (gagana) ; la rivière est le flot d’amṛta aux petites vagues. Son but est l’Imperissable, l’Inaltéré. Le ṛṣi est Niḥsaṃśaya, sans doute. La divinité est Nirvāṇa. Son agir est au-delà de la lignée (niṣkula). Sa connaissance est non-duelle, pure et exclusive (niṣkevala).
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).
- so’ham resolved as saḥ + aham (visarga sandhi: aḥ + a → o’). niḥsaṃśaya is nis + saṃśaya with visarga before s. Compounds segmented: nirvāṇa-upaniṣadam
- paścima-liṅgāḥ
- kṣetra-pālaḥ
- gagana-siddhāntaḥ
- amṛta-kallola-nadī
- niṣkula-pravṛttiḥ
- niṣkevala-jñānam
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Moksha (Nirvana) through non-dual knowledge (Advaita-jñāna) and renunciation (saṃnyāsa/paramahaṃsa)
- The mahavakyas
- Directly echoes ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’/‘So’ham’ (identity of self and absolute); supports ‘Tat tvam asi’ by implication
- Veda
- Rig Veda
- Chandas
- Prose
Yoga and practice
So’ham-japa and nididhyāsana on identity with the Paramahaṃsa (pure witnessing consciousness); vairāgya toward external marks; contemplation of ‘sky-like’ mind (ākāśa-dhyāna) and purification of desire (kāma) into disciplined energy
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