Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 15

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ऊर्ध्वाम्नायः। निरालम्बपीठः। संयोगदीक्षा। वियोगोपदेशः। दीक्षासन्तोषपानं च। द्वादशादित्यावलोकनम्। विवेकरक्षा। करुणैव केलिः। आनन्दमाला। एकान्तगुहायां मुक्तासनसुखगोष्ठी। अकल्पितभिक्षाशी। हंसाचारः। सर्वभूतान्तर्वर्ती हंस इति प्रतिपादनम्॥१२–२४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

ऊर्ध्व-आम्नायः । निरालम्ब-पीठः । संयोग-दीक्षा । वियोग-उपदेशः । दीक्षा-सन्तोष-पानम् च । द्वादश-आदित्य-अवलोकनम् । विवेक-रक्षा । करुणा एव केलिः । आनन्द-माला । एकान्त-गुहायाम् मुक्त-आसन-सुख-गोष्ठी । अ-कल्पित-भिक्षा-आशी । हंस-आचारः । सर्व-भूत-अन्तः-वर्ती हंसः इति प्रतिपादनम् ॥

Recitation with translationNirvana Upanishad 15

IAST Transliteration

ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ | nirālambapīṭhaḥ | saṃyogadīkṣā | viyogopadeśaḥ | dīkṣāsantoṣapānaṃ ca | dvādaśādityāvalokanam | vivekarakṣā | karuṇaiva keliḥ | ānandamālā | ekāntaguhāyāṃ muktāsanasukhagoṣṭhī | akalpitabhikṣāśī | haṃsācāraḥ | sarvabhūtāntarvartī haṃsa iti pratipādanam ||12–24||

Translation

(Inilah ciri-laku/observansi:) transmisi luhur (ūrdhvāmnāya); singgasana tanpa sandaran (nirālamba-pīṭha); dīkṣā menuju kesatuan (saṃyoga-dīkṣā); upadeśa tentang pelepasan (viyoga-upadeśa); serta meminum kepuasan dīkṣā; kontemplasi atas dua belas Āditya; perlindungan melalui viveka (pembedaan jernih); menjadikan welas asih semata sebagai lila; untaian ananda; di gua sunyi, pertemuan yang menenteramkan dalam āsana pembebasan; pemakan sedekah yang tidak dibuat-buat; laku Haṃsa; dan uraian bahwa Haṃsa bersemayam di dalam semua makhluk.

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Academic Translation

(These are the characteristics/observances:) the upper transmission; the supportless seat; initiation into union; instruction in detachment; and the drinking of the contentment of initiation; contemplation of the twelve Ādityas; protection by discrimination; compassion alone as play; a garland of bliss; in the solitary cave, a pleasant gathering in the posture of liberation; one who eats uncontrived alms; the conduct of the Haṃsa; and the exposition that the Haṃsa dwells within all beings.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ: the ‘upward’ tradition/lineage of instruction
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + āmnāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• nirālamba-pīṭhaḥ: the supportless seat/ground (state without reliance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• saṃyoga-dīkṣā: initiation into union/connection
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viyoga-upadeśaḥ: instruction in disunion/detachment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viyoga (प्रातिपदिक) + upadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• dīkṣā-santoṣa-pānam: the drinking/imbibing of contentment from initiation
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + santoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + pāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्

• dvādaśa-āditya-avalokanam: contemplation of the twelve Ādityas
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viveka-rakṣā: the safeguarding of discernment
• Type: Noun
• Root: viveka (प्रातिपदिक) + rakṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• karuṇā: compassion
• Type: Noun
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• eva: indeed/alone
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम्

• keliḥ: play/sport
• Type: Noun
• Root: keli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ānanda-mālā: a garland/series of bliss
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānanda (प्रातिपदिक) + mālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• ekānta-guhāyām: in the solitary cave (inner cave)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ekānta (प्रातिपदिक) + guhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्

• mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī: a gathering in the ease of the liberated posture/state
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + goṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• akalpita-bhikṣā-āśī: one who eats unpremeditated alms
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akalpita (प्रातिपदिक) + bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + āśin/āśī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)

• haṃsa-ācāraḥ: the conduct of the Haṃsa (paramahaṃsa way)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī: dwelling within all beings
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + antar (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + vartin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (विशेषणम्)

• haṃsaḥ: the Haṃsa (the Self/paramahaṃsa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: haṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-परामर्शार्थक-अव्ययम्

• pratipādanam: the exposition/establishing (of the doctrine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati√pad (धातु) + lyuṭ प्रत्ययः → pratipādana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Sandhi Notes

• Resolved: ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ → ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ (a + ā sandhi)
• karuṇaiva → karuṇā eva (ā + e)
• ekāntaguhāyāṃ → ekānta-guhāyām (compound segmentation)
• muktāsanasukhagoṣṭhī → mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī
• akalpitabhikṣāśī → akalpita-bhikṣā-āśī
• sarvabhūtāntarvartī → sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī
• viyogopadeśaḥ → viyoga-upadeśaḥ
• dvādaśādityāvalokanam → dvādaśa-āditya-avalokanam

About this Verse

Central concept

Ātman/Brahman non-duality expressed as the ‘Haṃsa within all beings’; renunciate freedom (nirvāṇa/jīvanmukti)

The mahavakyas

Implicit—supports mahāvākya purport (tātparya) of non-duality: the one Self is the inner reality of all (basis for ‘Tat Tvam Asi’).

Veda

Atharva

Chandas

Prose (gadyam)

Yoga and practice

Meditative interiorization (guhā); stabilization in witness-consciousness (haṃsa); cultivation of santoṣa and aparigraha-like simplicity (akalpita-bhikṣā); compassion as yama; discrimination as continuous inquiry (ātma-vicāra).