Verse 13

Amritbindu

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

घटसंवृतमाकाशं नीयमानो घटे यथा । घटो नीयेत नाकाशः तद्वज्जीवो नभोपमः ॥१३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

घट-संवृतम् आकाशम् । नीयमानः घटे यथा । घटः नीयेत न आकाशः । तद्वत् जीवः नभः-उपमः ॥१३॥

IAST Transliteration

ghaṭa-saṃvṛtam ākāśaṃ nīyamāno ghaṭe yathā | ghaṭo nīyeta nākāśaḥ tadvat jīvo nabhopamaḥ ||13||

Translation

जैसे घट में घिरा आकाश, घट के ले जाए जाने पर मानो साथ ले जाया जाता है; वास्तव में ले जाया जाता है घट, आकाश नहीं। वैसे ही जीव आकाश के समान है।

Academic Translation

As space enclosed by a pot is (seemingly) carried along when the pot is carried, so the pot is carried, not space. Likewise the jīva is like space.

Verse Context

• Ātman/jīva relation; upādhi; ākāśa-dṛṣṭānta (space-in-a-pot analogy); immutability of consciousness
• Mahavakya: Clarifies ‘aham brahmāsmi’/‘ayam ātmā brahma’ by distinguishing the changeless Self from the moving body-mind upādhi; supports identity of jīva (in truth) with Brahman (space-like, unconditioned).
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (commonly transmitted with the Atharva corpus; specific śākhā not securely attested) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)