Skanda Upanishad: Verse 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

जीवः शिवः शिवो जीवः स जीवः केवलः शिवः । तुषेण बद्धो व्रीहिः स्यात् तुषाभावेन तण्डुलः ॥६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

जीवः शिवः शिवः जीवः सः जीवः केवलः शिवः । तुषेण बद्धः व्रीहिः स्यात् तुष-अभावेन तण्डुलः ॥६॥

Recitation with translationSkanda Upanishad 6

IAST Transliteration

jīvaḥ śivaḥ śivo jīvaḥ sa jīvaḥ kevalaḥ śivaḥ | tuṣeṇa baddho vrīhiḥ syāt tuṣābhāvena taṇḍulaḥ ||6||

Translation

Jeev aur Shiv ek hi hain. Jeev mein Shiv hai, Shiv mein jeev hai. Jaise dhaan ke upar bhusa hota hai, woh dhaan kahlata hai. Jab bhusa utar jaata hai, tab chawal milta hai.

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Academic Translation

The individual soul is Śiva; Śiva is the individual soul; that individual soul is Śiva alone. When bound by husk it is called ‘paddy’; by the absence of husk it is (called) ‘rice grain.’

Verse Context

• Jīva–Śiva aikya (identity of individual self and the Absolute) and upādhi/avidyā as covering
• Mahavakya: Restates ‘tat tvam asi’ in Śaiva idiom (jīva = Śiva) and supports ‘aham brahmāsmi’ by removing upādhis (husk) to reveal identity.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)