Verse 3

Amritnada

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

तावद्रथेन गन्तव्यं यावद्रथपथि स्थितः ।

स्थित्वा रथपथस्थानं रथमुत्सृज्य गच्छति ॥३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

तावत् । रथेन । गन्तव्यम् । यावत् । रथ-पथि । स्थितः ।

स्थित्वा । रथ-पथ-स्थानम् । रथम् । उत्सृज्य । गच्छति ॥३॥

IAST Transliteration

tāvad rathena gantavyaṃ yāvad rathapathi sthitaḥ |

sthitvā rathapathasthānaṃ ratham utsṛjya gacchati ||3||

Translation

जब तक रथ-पथ पर स्थित हो, तब तक रथ से ही जाना चाहिए। रथ-पथ के स्थान (अंत) पर पहुँचकर रथ को छोड़कर आगे बढ़ता है।

Academic Translation

One should travel by the chariot only so long as one remains on the chariot-road. Having reached the place that is the chariot-road’s end, one abandons the chariot and goes on.

Verse Context

• Upāya-apavāda (use of means and their later relinquishment); non-attachment to meditative supports
• Mahavakya: Analogous to the sublation of all supports once mahāvākya-born knowledge is firm; the ‘chariot’ (Oṃ/upāsanā) is a preparatory aid, not the final identity-knowledge itself.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)