Skanda Upanishad: Verse 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

एवं बद्धस्तथा जीवः कर्मनाशे सदाशिवः । पाशबद्धस्तथा जीवः पाशमुक्तः सदाशिवः ॥७॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

एवम् । बद्धः । तथा । जीवः । कर्म-नाशे । सदाशिवः । पाश-बद्धः । तथा । जीवः । पाश-मुक्तः । सदाशिवः ।

Recitation with translationSkanda Upanishad 7

IAST Transliteration

evaṁ baddhas tathā jīvaḥ karmanāśe sadāśivaḥ | pāśabaddhas tathā jīvaḥ pāśamuktaḥ sadāśivaḥ ||7||

Translation

ଏହିପରି ଜୀବ ବନ୍ଧିତ ଅଟେ; କର୍ମନାଶ ହେଲେ ସେ ସଦାଶିବ ହୁଏ। ଜୀବ ପାଶରେ ବନ୍ଧିତ; ପାଶମୁକ୍ତ ହେଲେ ସେ ସଦାଶିବ ଅଟେ।

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Academic Translation

Thus, the individual self (jīva) is bound; upon the destruction of karma, (it is) Sadāśiva. Likewise, the jīva is bound by the fetter (pāśa); freed from the fetter, (it is) Sadāśiva.

Word by Word

• evaṁ: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evaṁ (avyaya-pratipadika)
• Form: avyaya (nipāta)

• baddhaḥ: bound
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bandh (dhātu) → baddha (kta-kṛdanta)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā vibhaktiḥ, ekavacanam; kta-participle ‘bound’

• tathā: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (avyaya-pratipadika)
• Form: avyaya

• jīvaḥ: the individual soul
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (prātipadika)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam

• karma-nāśe: upon the destruction of karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: karma (prātipadika) + nāśa (prātipadika)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, saptamī, ekavacanam; (karmasya nāśe)

• sadāśivaḥ: (becomes) Sadāśiva
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadāśiva (prātipadika)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam

• pāśa-baddhaḥ: bound by the fetter
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa (prātipadika) + √bandh (dhātu) → baddha (kta-kṛdanta)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam; (pāśena baddhaḥ / pāśe baddhaḥ)

• tathā: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (avyaya-pratipadika)
• Form: avyaya

• jīvaḥ: the individual soul
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (prātipadika)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam

• pāśa-muktaḥ: freed from the fetter
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāśa (prātipadika) + √muc (dhātu) → mukta (kta-kṛdanta)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam; (pāśāt muktaḥ)

• sadāśivaḥ: (is) Sadāśiva
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadāśiva (prātipadika)
• Form: puṁliṅgaḥ, prathamā, ekavacanam

Sandhi Notes

• No external sandhi across words requiring split
• Compounds analyzed: karma-nāśe (tatpuruṣa), pāśa-baddhaḥ (tatpuruṣa), pāśa-muktaḥ (tatpuruṣa)

About this Verse

Central concept

Moksha (liberation) through karma-kshaya and pāśa-mokṣa; identity of jīva with Śiva (non-dual realization)

The mahavakyas

Supports the purport of «अहं ब्रह्मास्मि» (Aham Brahmāsmi) and «तत् त्वम् असि» (Tat Tvam Asi): the bound jīva, when ignorance/karma-bondage is removed, is none other than the Absolute (here named Sadāśiva).

Veda

Atharva

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (śloka)

Yoga and practice

Vairāgya and karma-yoga as preparatory means; nididhyāsana on the witness-consciousness beyond doership; meditation on releasing pāśas (bondage of identification) and resting in śiva-bhāva (pure awareness).