Skanda Upanishad: Verse 11
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहंभावेन पूजयेत् । अभेददर्शनं ज्ञानं ध्यानं निर्विषयं मनः । स्नानं मनोमलत्यागः शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ॥११॥
त्यजेत् । अज्ञान-निर्माल्यम् । सः-अहम्-भावेन । पूजयेत् । अभेद-दर्शनम् । ज्ञानम् । ध्यानम् । निर्विषयम् । मनः । स्नानम् । मनः-मल-त्यागः । शौचम् । इन्द्रिय-निग्रहः ॥११॥
tyajed ajñāna-nirmālyaṃ so'haṃ-bhāvena pūjayet | abheda-darśanaṃ jñānaṃ dhyānaṃ nirviṣayaṃ manaḥ | snānaṃ mano-mala-tyāgaḥ śaucam indriya-nigrahaḥ ||11||
अज्ञानरूपी निर्माल्य टाकून देऊन ‘सोऽहं’ भावाने पूजन करावे। अभेददर्शन हेच ज्ञान; विषयविरहित मन हेच ध्यान; मनोमलत्याग हेच स्नान; इंद्रियनिग्रह हेच शौच।
One should cast off the garland-remnants of ignorance and worship with the attitude ‘I am He’. The vision of non-difference is knowledge; meditation is the mind free from objects; bathing is the abandonment of the mind’s impurities; purity is the restraint of the senses.
- so'ham-bhāvena resolved as saḥ + aham-bhāvena (visarga before vowel → o’)
- ajñāna-nirmālyaṃ, abheda-darśanaṃ, mano-mala-tyāgaḥ, indriya-nigrahaḥ are compounds (no further external sandhi required)
About this Verse
- Central concept
- Sādhana as inner purification; jñāna-dhyāna redefined as abheda-darśana; so’ham-bhāva
- The mahavakyas
- Directly aligns with ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ (and the so’ham upadeśa) by prescribing worship in the ‘He-I’ identity; reinforces ‘tat tvam asi’ via abheda-darśana.
- Veda
- Atharva
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (śloka)
Yoga and practice
Japa/ajapa of so’ham; nididhyāsana on non-difference; pratyāhāra (nirviṣaya-manas); yama/niyama reframed as inner śauca and indriya-nigraha; emphasizes antarmukhatā over external ritualism.
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