Verse 18

Parabrahma

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

बहिरन्तश्चोपवीती विप्रः संन्यस्तुमर्हति । एकयज्ञोपवीती तु नैव संन्यस्तुमर्हति ॥१८॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

बहिः । अन्तः । च । उपवीती । विप्रः । संन्यस्तुम् । अर्हति । एक-यज्ञ-उपवीती । तु । न । एव । संन्यस्तुम् । अर्हति ॥१८॥

IAST Transliteration

bahir antaś copavītī vipraḥ saṃnyastum arhati | ekayajñopavītī tu naiva saṃnyastum arhati ||18||

Translation

जो विप्र बाह्य और आन्तरिक—दोनों रूप से उपवीती है, वह संन्यास के योग्य है। पर जो केवल एक यज्ञोपवीत धारण करता है, वह संन्यास के लिए सर्वथा योग्य नहीं।

Academic Translation

The vipra who is ‘wearing the upavīta’ both outwardly and inwardly is fit to renounce. But one who wears only a single yajñopavīta is not at all fit to renounce.

Verse Context

• Saṃnyāsa-adhikāra; inner qualification (jñāna/vairāgya) over external marks
• Mahavakya: Indirect: readiness for renunciation is grounded in assimilated knowledge of Ātman=Brahman (the lived import of Mahāvākyas).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)