Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 7
अथ निर्वाणोपनिषदं व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः सोऽहम् । परिव्राजकाः पश्चिमलिङ्गाः । मन्मथः क्षेत्रपालः । गगनसिद्धान्तः अमृतकल्लोलनदी । अक्षयं निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशय ऋषिः । निर्वाणो देवता । निष्कुलप्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवलज्ञानम् ॥१–११॥
अथ । निर्वाण-उपनिषदम् । व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः । सः । अहम् । परिव्राजकाः । पश्चिम-लिङ्गाः । मन्मथः । क्षेत्र-पालः । गगन-सिद्धान्तः । अमृत-कल्लोल-नदी । अक्षयम् । निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशयः । ऋषिः । निर्वाणः । देवता । निष्कुल-प्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवल-ज्ञानम् ॥
atha nirvāṇopaniṣadaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ | paramahaṃsaḥ so’ham | parivrājakāḥ paścimaliṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gaganasiddhāntaḥ amṛtakallolanadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkulapravṛttiḥ | niṣkevalajñānam ||1–11||
Chalo ab Nirvana Upanishad ka khulasa karte hain. Main khud Paramahans hoon. Jo baba log ghoomte rehte hain, unka ling 'western' type ka hai. Manmatha is sthal ka rakshak hai. Yeh siddhant aasmaan pe based hai. Nadi amrit ki tarah hai, lahrein aati jaati hain. Yeh kabhi na mitne wala hai, bilkul saaf-suthra. Rishi hai 'Nihshanshay', shak se free. Devta hai Nirvana. Kaam karte ho bina kisi kul ke. Gyaan hai pure, non-dual.
Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. “I am the Paramahaṃsa.” The wandering renunciants are the (so‑called) ‘western marks.’ Manmatha is the guardian of the sacred precinct. The doctrine is the ‘sky’ (gagana‑siddhānta); the river is the nectar‑river with surging waves. (It is) the imperishable, the stainless. Niḥsaṃśaya is the seer (ṛṣi). Nirvāṇa is the deity. The activity is ‘without lineage’ (niṣkula‑pravṛtti). The knowledge is ‘non‑exclusive’/‘non‑dual’ (niṣkevala‑jñāna).
- so’ham = saḥ + aham (visarga sandhi: ḥ + a → o’)
- nirvāṇopaniṣadam = nirvāṇa + upaniṣadam (a+u → o)
- niḥsaṃśaya = nis + saṃśaya (visarga before s)
- Compounds analyzed as written (e.g., amṛta-kallola-nadī; niṣkevala-jñānam)
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Moksha (Nirvāṇa) through Paramahaṃsa/saṃnyāsa identity and niṣkevala (non-dual) jñāna
- The mahavakyas
- Aligns with ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ (Aham brahmāsmi) via ‘सोऽहम्’ (so’ham) identity-assertion; also resonates with ‘तत् त्वम् असि’ as implied non-difference.
- Veda
- Rig Veda
- Chandas
- Prose
Yoga and practice
So’ham-bhāvanā (identity contemplation); vairāgya toward kāma (Manmatha) as a gatekeeper; sky-like awareness meditation (ākāśa-dhyāna); resting in nirvikalpa/niṣkevala-jñāna; renunciant ethics—non-identification with social markers.
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