Prashna Upanishad 1.10 - Prashna 1

Various Rishis

Prashna Upanishad: Verse 1.10

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अथोत्तरेण तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया विद्ययाऽऽत्मानमन्विष्यादित्यमभिजयन्ते । एतद्वै प्राणानामायतनमेतदमृतमभयमेतत् परायणमेतस्मान्न पुनरावर्तन्त इत्येष निरोधस्तदेष श्लोकः ॥१०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अथ उत्तरेण तपसा ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रद्धया विद्यया आत्मानम् अन्विष्य आदित्यम् अभिजयन्ते । एतत् वै प्राणानाम् आयतनम् एतत् अमृतम् अभयम् एतत् परायणम् एतस्मात् न पुनरावर्तन्ते इति एषः निरोधः तत् एषः श्लोकः ॥१०॥

Recitation with translationPrashna Upanishad 1.10

IAST Transliteration

athottareṇa tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śraddhayā vidyayā'tmānamanviṣyādityamabhijayante | etadvai prāṇānāmāyatanametadamṛtamabhayametat parāyaṇametasmānna punarāvartante ityeṣa nirodhastadeṣa ślokaḥ ||10||

Translation

それから北のコースによって、苦行、禁欲、信仰、そして知識をもって、自己を求めたのち、彼らは太陽に到達する。これこそプラーナたちの拠り所、これこそ不死、これこそ無畏、これこそ最高の目標である。これから彼らは戻らない—これが止滅である。そしてこれが詩節である。

Academic Translation

Then, by the northern course, with austerity, celibacy, faith, and knowledge, having sought the Self, they attain the sun. This indeed is the refuge of the pranas, this is immortality, this is fearlessness, this is the supreme goal. From this they return not—this is the cessation. And this is the verse.

Word by Word

athathen / thereafter

uttareṇawith the northern / by the northern path

tapasāwith austerity

brahmacaryeṇawith celibacy / continence

śraddhayāwith faith

vidyayāwith knowledge

ātmānamthe Self

anviṣyahaving sought / searched out

ādityamthe immortal / the solar (Aditya)

abhijayantethey conquer / attain

etatthis

vaiindeed

prāṇānāmof the prāṇas / vital forces

āyatanamabode / seat

etatthis

amṛtamimmortal / nectar

etatthis

abhayamfearless / free from fear

etatthis

parāyaṇamsupreme refuge

etasmātfrom this

nanot

punarāvartantethey return again

itithus

eṣaḥthis

nirodhaḥcessation / absorption / dissolution

tatthat

etatthis

ślokaḥverse

Sandhi Notes

athottareṇa = atha + uttareṇa (a + u = o)
vidyayā'tmānam = vidyayā + ātmānam (ā + ā = ā, avagraha)
ātmānamanviṣya = ātmānam + anviṣya (m + a, no change in text)
anviṣyādityam = anviṣya + ādityam (a + ā = ā, shown with avagraha)
etadvai = etat + vai (t + v = tv)
prāṇānāmāyatanam = prāṇānām + āyatanam (ām + ā = āmā)
āyatanametad = āyatanam + etad (m + e = me)
amṛtamabhayam = amṛtam + abhayam (m + a = ma)
abhayametat = abhayam + etat (m + e = me)
parāyaṇametasmāt = parāyaṇam + etasmāt (m + e = me)
etasmānna = etasmāt + na (t + n = nn)
ityeṣa = iti + eṣa (i + e = ye)
nirodhastat = nirodhaḥ + tat (aḥ + t = ast)
tadetaśślokaḥ = tat + etat + ślokaḥ (t + e remains, etat + ślokaḥ: t + ś = cch in some readings, here shown as tadeṣa ślokaḥ)

Verse Context

Devayana (Northern Path) and Apunaravartana (Non-return)Mahavakya: While not a Mahavakya itself, this verse encapsulates the essence of atmavidya (Self-knowledge) central to 'Tat tvam asi' (Chandogya 6.8.7) and the non-return (apunaravartana) doctrine of 'Brahmavid āpnoti param' (Taittiriya 2.1.1). The phrase 'ātmānam anviṣya' (having sought the Self) resonates with the contemplative inquiry of 'Ayam ātmā brahma' (Mandukya 2).Atharva VedaPippalada (Paippalada) ShakhaChandas: Prose

Ask anything about this verse

Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.

Not sure where to start?

A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.

Read Upanishads in the Vedapath app

Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.

Continue reading in the Vedapath app

Open in App