Atma Upanishad: Verse 22
तथैव ब्रह्मविच्छ्रेष्ठः सदा ब्रह्मैव नापरः । घटे नष्टे यथा व्योम व्योमैव भवति स्वयम् ॥२२॥
तथा । एव । ब्रह्म-वित्-श्रेष्ठः । सदा । ब्रह्म । एव । न । अपरः । घटे । नष्टे । यथा । व्योम । व्योम । एव । भवति । स्वयम् ॥२२॥
tathaiva brahmavicchreṣṭhaḥ sadā brahmaiva nāparaḥ | ghaṭe naṣṭe yathā vyoma vyomaiva bhavati svayam ||22||
वैसे ही ब्रह्मा को सबसे ज़्यादा जाननेवाला हमेशा ब्रह्मा ही रहता है, और कुछ नहीं। जैसे अगर मिट्टी का बर्तन टूट जाए, तो उसके अंदर का हवा पूरा हवा में मिल जाता है। वो अपने आप हवा बन जाता है, कोई अलग चीज़ नहीं।
So too, the best of knowers of Brahman is always Brahman alone, not other; as when a pot is destroyed, the space (within) becomes space alone by itself.
- ब्रह्मविच्छ्रेष्ठः → ब्रह्म-वित्-श्रेष्ठः (त् + श् → च्छ्)
- ब्रह्मैव → ब्रह्म + एव
- घटे नष्टे = सति-सप्तमी (घटस्य नाशे)
- व्योमैव → व्योम + एव
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Jīva–Brahman identity; ghaṭākāśa–mahākāśa illustration; liberation as recognition
- The mahavakyas
- Aligns with ‘तत् त्वम् असि’ (Tat tvam asi): the ‘inner space’ (tvam) is not other than the vast space (tat).
- Veda
- Atharva Veda
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (śloka)
Yoga and practice
Meditation on inner awareness as space-like and unconfined; inquiry into the ‘container’ (body-mind) as a conceptual boundary; practice of witnessing thoughts as passing forms in space.
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