Paingala Upanishad 18 — Verse 18

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आकाशवत्सूक्ष्मशरीर आत्मा न दृश्यते वायुवदन्तरात्मा। स बाह्यमभ्यन्तरनिश्चलात्मा ज्ञानोल्कयापश्यति चान्तरात्मा ॥१८॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

आकाश-वत् । सूक्ष्म-शरीरः । आत्मा । न । दृश्यते । वायु-वत् । अन्तर-आत्मा । सः । बाह्यम् । अभ्यन्तरम् । निश्चल-आत्मा । ज्ञान-उल्कया । पश्यति । च । अन्तर-आत्मा ॥१८॥

IAST Transliteration

ākāśavat sūkṣmaśarīra ātmā na dṛśyate vāyuvad antarātmā | sa bāhyam abhyantaraṃ niścalātmā jñānolkayā paśyati cāntarātmā ||18||

Translation

ആകാശംപോലെ സൂക്ഷ്മശരീരബന്ധമുള്ള ആത്മാവ് ദൃശ്യമല്ല; കാറ്റുപോലെ അന്തരാത്മാവ് പിടികൂടാനാവില്ല. പുറത്തും അകത്തും വ്യാപിച്ചു നിശ്ചലനായ ആ അന്തരാത്മാവിനെ ജ്ഞാനത്തിന്റെ ജ്വാല-ദീപികയാൽ (ജ്ഞാനോൽക്കയാൽ) ‘കാണുന്നു’.

Academic Translation

Like space, the Self—(even when associated with) the subtle body—is not seen; like the wind, the inner Self (is not grasped). That inner Self, motionless, (pervading) the outside and the inside—one ‘sees’ by the torch of knowledge.

Verse Context

• Ātman as subtle, invisible, all-pervading; knowledge as the means of ‘seeing’ (aparokṣa-anubhava)
• Mahavakya: Reinforces “अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म (ayam ātmā brahma)” by describing the inner Self as all-pervading and knowable through knowledge; supports “प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म (prajñānaṃ brahma)” via ‘seeing’ through jñāna (consciousness/knowledge) rather than sensory perception.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose with metrical cadence (not strict Vedic chandas)