Atma Upanishad: Verse 27
अमुष्य ब्रह्मभूतत्त्वाद् ब्रह्मणः कुत उद्भवः । मायाक्लृप्तौ बन्धमोक्षौ न स्तः स्वात्मनि वस्तुतः ॥
यथा रज्जौ निष्क्रियायां सर्पाभासविनिर्गमौ । अवृतेः सदसत्त्वाभ्यां वक्तव्ये बन्धमोक्षणे ॥ २६–२७ ॥
यथा । रज्जौ । निष्क्रियायाम् । सर्प-आभास-विनिर्गमौ ।
अ-वृतेः । सत्-असत्त्वाभ्याम् । वक्तव्ये । बन्ध-मोक्षणे ।
(पूर्वार्धः सह: अमुष्य… वस्तुतः)
yathā rajjau niṣkriyāyāṃ sarpābhāsavinirgamau | avṛteḥ sadasattvābhyāṃ vaktavye bandhamokṣaṇe || 26–27 ||
जैसे रस्सी पड़ी है, कुछ नहीं करती। अंधेरा है तोह लगता है साँप है। रोशनी आई तोह साँप गायब, सिर्फ रस्सी है। पास और छुटना भी ऐसे ही है, सिर्फ सोच का खेल है।
Just as, in an inactive rope, the appearance and withdrawal of a snake-appearance are spoken of because of the presence or absence of covering, so too are bondage and liberation spoken of (only in that manner).
- sarpābhāsavinirgamau = sarpa-ābhāsa-vinirgamau
- sad-asattvābhyām = sat-asattvābhyām.
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Adhyāsa (superimposition) and nivṛtti (sublation) as the basis for speaking of bandha–mokṣa
- The mahavakyas
- Clarifies how Mahāvākya-realization sublates error: the ‘I’ (tvam) is recognized as Brahman (tat), dissolving the imagined snake of limitation.
- Veda
- Atharva Veda
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (śloka-style)
Yoga and practice
Pratyāhāra and dhyāna: withdraw attention from projected attributes; cultivate sākṣī-bhāva (witness stance) to see appearances arise/cease without affecting the substratum.
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