Avadhuta Upanishad: Verse 27

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

देवार्चनस्नानशौचभिक्षादौ वर्ततां वपुः । तारं जपतु वाक् तद्वत् पठत्वाम्नायमस्तकम् ॥२७॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

देव-अर्चन-स्नान-शौच-भिक्षा-आदौ । वर्तताम् । वपुः । तारम् । जपतु । वाक् । तद्वत् । पठतु । आम्नाय-मस्तकम् ॥२७॥

Recitation with translationAvadhuta Upanishad 27

IAST Transliteration

devārcanasnānaśaucabhikṣādau vartatāṃ vapuḥ | tāraṃ japatu vāk tadvat paṭhatvāmnāyamastakam ||27||

Translation

शरीर मंदिर जाके भगवान की पूजा करे, नहाए, साफ रहे, भीख मांगे, यह सब करता रहे। जबान राम नाम या कोई मंत्र जपती रहे। और वेद के सबसे मेन बातें पढ़ती रहे।

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Academic Translation

Let the body engage in worship of the gods, bathing, purity, alms-begging, and the like. Let speech repeat the Tāraka (mantra); likewise, let it recite the crest of the Veda (the essential teaching).

Word by Word

• devārcana-snāna-śauca-bhikṣā-ādau: in (acts like) deity-worship, bathing, cleanliness, alms, etc.
• Type: Noun
• Root: devārcana + snāna + śauca + bhikṣā + ādi (puṃ./n.)
• Form: locative singular (ādau); samāhāra-dvandva with ādi; 'in worship of gods, bathing, purity, alms, etc.'

• vartatām: let it engage / let it remain
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (dhātu)
• Form: imperative, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada (vidhi-liṅ/loṭ)

• vapuḥ: the body
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (n.)
• Form: nominative singular neuter

• tāram: the Tāraka (Oṃ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāra (puṃ.)
• Form: accusative singular masculine

• japatu: let it repeat (mutter)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (dhātu)
• Form: imperative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• vāk: speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (strī.)
• Form: nominative singular feminine

• tadvat: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadvat (avyaya)
• Form: avyaya; 'in that manner'

• paṭhatu: let it recite
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paṭh (dhātu)
• Form: imperative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada

• āmnāya-mastakam: the crest/essence of the Vedic tradition
• Type: Noun
• Root: āmnāya + mastaka (n.)
• Form: accusative singular neuter; 'āmnāyasya mastakam'

Sandhi Notes

• bhikṣādau = bhikṣā + ādau (ā+a→ā)
• paṭhatvāmnāyamastakam (IAST) resolved as paṭhatu + āmnāya-mastakam (u+ā→vā by external sandhi in transmission)

About this Verse

Central concept

Akartṛtva with functional embodiment; nāma-japa and śravaṇa as supports while abiding as sākṣin

The mahavakyas

Indirectly supports ‘तत् त्वम् असि’/‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ by separating instruments (body/speech) from the Self; practice continues at the level of upādhi while identity is Brahman.

Veda

Atharva

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (śloka)

Yoga and practice

Practical integration: maintain sāttvika daily discipline (śauca), mantra-japa (tāra), and scriptural recitation as aids to steadiness (citta-śuddhi, dhāraṇā) without reinforcing egoic doership.