Nirvana Upanishad: Verse 23

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-आवलोकनम् । विवेक-रक्षा । करुणा एव केलिः । आनन्द-माला । एकान्त-गुहायाम् मुक्त-आसन-सुख-गोष्ठी । अकल्पित-भिक्षा-आशी । हंस-आचारः । सर्व-भूत-अन्तः-वर्ती हंसः इति प्रतिपादनम् ॥

Recitation with translationNirvana Upanishad 23

IAST Transliteration

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

Translation

上方への伝承。支えなき座。合一への灌頂。離欲の教示。そして灌頂としての満足を飲むこと。十二アーディティヤの観想。識別を守ること。慈悲のみを聖なる戯れとすること。歓喜の花環。孤独の洞窟にて、解脱の座の喜びを分かち合う集い。思い計らわぬ托鉢を食する者。ハンサの行。ハンサが一切の内に住すと説く教え。

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Academic Translation

The upward transmission; the supportless seat; initiation into union; instruction in detachment; and the drinking of contentment that is initiation; contemplation of the twelve Ādityas; guarding of discrimination; compassion alone as play; a garland of bliss; in the solitary cave, an assembly of the happiness of the liberated posture/seat; one who eats unpremeditated alms; the conduct of the Haṃsa; the teaching that the Haṃsa dwells within all beings.

Word by Word

• ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ: the higher (upward) tradition/transmission
• Type: Noun
• Root: ūrdhva (प्रातिपदिक) + āmnāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• nirālamba-pīṭhaḥ: the supportless seat/base
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirālamba (प्रातिपदिक) + pīṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• saṃyoga-dīkṣā: initiation into union (yoga)
• 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: drinking/imbibing the contentment of 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/seeing of the twelve Ādityas
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + āditya (प्रातिपदिक) + avalokana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• viveka-rakṣā: protection/guarding 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 (delightful activity)
• Type: Noun
• Root: keli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

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

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

• mukta-āsana-sukha-goṣṭhī: the blissful gathering in the free seat/posture
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukta (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + goṣṭhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

• akalpita-bhikṣā-śī: one who lives on unpremeditated alms
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kalpita (प्रातिपदिक) + bhikṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + śī (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √śī/śay ‘to lie, rest’; here ‘one who lives on’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत्)

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

• sarva-bhūta-antar-vartī: abiding within all beings
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + antar (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vartin (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt ‘to abide’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

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

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्ययम्

• pratipādanam: establishing/teaching (as doctrine)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratipādana (प्रातिपदिक; from causative of √pad ‘to make known/establish’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-एकवचनम्

Sandhi Notes

• ūrdhvāmnāyaḥ → ūrdhva-āmnāyaḥ (a+a→ā)
• karuṇaiva → karuṇā eva (ā+e→ai)
• ekāntaguhāyāṃ → ekānta-guhāyām (compound; final anusvāra reflects nasalization before pause)
• Other items are primarily compounds written without internal sandhi separation

About this Verse

Central concept

Ātman as antaryāmin (inner dweller) and the saṃnyāsa discipline that supports realization

The mahavakyas

Implicitly aligned with mahāvākya teaching of identity/non-difference; not a direct quotation.

Veda

Rig Veda

Chandas

Prose (gadyam)

Yoga and practice

Supports nididhyāsana through solitude and non-attachment; ethical-yogic emphasis on compassion; contemplative support via āditya symbolism; lifestyle-yoga of simplicity and non-contrivance.