Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ऊर्ध्वाम्नायः। निरालम्बपीठः। संयोगदीक्षा। वियोगोपदेशः। दीक्षासन्तोषपानं च। द्वादशादित्यावलोकनम्। विवेकरक्षा। करुणैव केलिः। आनन्दमाला। एकान्तगुहायां मुक्तासनसुखगोष्ठी। अकल्पितभिक्षाशी। हंसाचारः। सर्वभूतान्तर्वर्ती हंस इति प्रतिपादनम्॥१२–२४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

ऊर्ध्व-आम्नायः । निरालम्ब-पीठः । संयोग-दीक्षा । वियोग-उपदेशः । दीक्षा-सन्तोष-पानम् च । द्वादश-आदित्य-अवलोकनम् । विवेक-रक्षा । करुणा एव केलिः । आनन्द-माला । एकान्त-गुहायाम् मुक्त-आसन-सुख-गोष्ठी । अ-कल्पित-भिक्षा-आशी । हंस-आचारः । सर्व-भूत-अन्तः-वर्ती हंसः इति प्रतिपादनम् ॥

Recitation with translationNirvana Upanishad 13

IAST Transliteration

ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ | nirālambapīṭhaḥ | saṃyogadīkṣā | viyogopadeśaḥ | dīkṣāsantoṣapānaṃ ca | dvādaśādityāvalokanam | vivekarakṣā | karuṇaiva keliḥ | ānandamālā | ekāntaguhāyāṃ muktāsanasukhagoṣṭhī | akalpitabhikṣāśī | haṃsācāraḥ | sarvabhūtāntarvartī haṃsa iti pratipādanam ||12–24||

Translation

Hinglish

Yeh sab cheezein follow karni hain. Gyaan upar se aata hai. Kisi support pe baithna nahi. Diksha se judna. Updesh se alag rehna. Diksha ka santosh peena. Baarah surya ko dekhna. Vivek se apna bachao. Karuna hi khel hai. Khushi ki mala. Akeli gufa mein mukt aasan pe sukh se baithna. Bina plan ki bheek khana. Hans jaisa rehna. Sab jeevon mein Hans hai, yeh samjhana.

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Academic Translation

(These are the characteristics/observances:) the ‘upper’ transmission (ūrdhvāmnāya); the supportless seat (nirālamba-pīṭha); initiation into union (saṃyoga-dīkṣā); instruction in disunion/detachment (viyoga-upadeśa); and the drinking of the contentment of initiation; contemplation of the twelve Ādityas; safeguarding of discrimination; compassion alone as play; a garland of bliss; in the solitary cave, a pleasant assembly in the posture of liberation; one who eats unpremeditated alms; the conduct of the Haṃsa; and the teaching that the Haṃsa dwells within all beings.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ: the ‘upward’ tradition/lineage of instruction
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + āmnāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• nirālamba-pīṭhaḥ: the supportless seat/ground (state without reliance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• saṃyoga-dīkṣā: initiation into union/connection
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viyoga-upadeśaḥ: instruction in disunion/detachment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + upadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• dīkṣā-santoṣa-pānam: the drinking/imbibing of contentment from initiation
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + santoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• dvādaśa-āditya-avalokanam: contemplation of the twelve Ādityas
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viveka-rakṣā: the safeguarding of discernment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viveka (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• karuṇā: compassion
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• eva: indeed/alone
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्

• keliḥ: play/sport
• Type: Noun
• Root: keli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ānanda-mālā: a garland/series of bliss
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ekānta-guhāyām: in the solitary cave (inner cave)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक) + guhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī: a gathering in the ease of the liberated posture/state
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + goṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• akalpita-bhikṣā-āśī: one who eats unpremeditated alms
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akalpita (प्रातिपदिक) + bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + āśin/āśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)

• haṃsa-ācāraḥ: the conduct of the Haṃsa (paramahaṃsa way)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī: dwelling within all beings
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + antar (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)

• haṃsaḥ: the Haṃsa (the Self/paramahaṃsa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-परामर्शार्थक-अव्ययम्

• pratipādanam: the exposition/establishing (of the doctrine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati√pad (धातु) + lyuṭ प्रत्ययः → pratipādana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Sandhi Notes

• Resolved: ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ → ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ (a + ā sandhi)
• karuṇaiva → karuṇā eva (ā + e)
• ekāntaguhāyāṃ → ekānta-guhāyām (compound segmentation)
• muktāsanasukhagoṣṭhī → mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī
• akalpitabhikṣāśī → akalpita-bhikṣā-āśī
• sarvabhūtāntarvartī → sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī
• viyogopadeśaḥ → viyoga-upadeśaḥ
• dvādaśādityāvalokanam → dvādaśa-āditya-avalokanam

About this Verse

Central concept

Moksha (jīvanmukti) through viveka-vairāgya; Haṃsa (Paramahaṃsa) as inner Self (Ātman/Brahman) present in all beings

The mahavakyas

Indirectly supports ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’ and ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ by asserting the inner Haṃsa/Self as immanent in all beings (sarvabhūtāntarvartī).

Veda

Rig Veda

Chandas

Prose (gadyam; aphoristic/nominal style)

Yoga and practice

Cultivation of viveka (discernment) and vairāgya (detachment); solitary meditation (ekānta-guhā); effortless acceptance (akalpita-bhikṣā) as practice of non-reactivity; contemplation practices (āditya-avalokana) as inner luminosity/awareness meditation; compassion as ethical foundation (karuṇā).