Verse 11

Kaivalya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आत्मानमरणिं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिम् ।

ज्ञाननिर्मथनाभ्यासात् पापं दहति पण्डितः ॥११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

आत्मानम् अरणिम् कृत्वा । प्रणवम् च उत्तर-अरणिम् ।

ज्ञान-निर्मथन-अभ्यासात् पापम् दहति पण्डितः ॥११॥

IAST Transliteration

ātmānam araṇiṃ kṛtvā praṇavaṃ cottarāraṇim |

jñānanirmathanābhyāsāt pāpaṃ dahati paṇḍitaḥ ||11||

Translation

आत्मा को अधर-अरणि और प्रणव (ॐ) को उत्तर-अरणि बनाकर, ज्ञान-निर्मथन के निरन्तर अभ्यास से पण्डित पुरुष पाप को भस्म कर देता है।

Academic Translation

Making the Self the lower fire-stick and the praṇava (Oṃ) the upper fire-stick, by the repeated practice of the churning of knowledge, the wise person burns up sin.

Verse Context

• Praṇava-upāsanā and jñāna as the purifier; tapas of inquiry; destruction of pāpa/avidyā through knowledge
• Mahavakya: Indirectly supports «अहं ब्रह्मास्मि» by prescribing a method (praṇava + inquiry) culminating in immediate knowledge of the Self as Brahman; also resonates with «प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म» insofar as knowledge is the ‘fire’ that reveals Brahman.
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (Kaivalya Upaniṣad; śākhā attribution not firmly fixed in extant recensions) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka-like)