Atma Upanishad 19 — Verse 19

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दैवेन नीयते देहो यथा कालोपभुक्तिषु ।

लक्ष्यालक्ष्यगतिं त्यक्त्वा यस्तिष्ठेत्केवलात्मना॥

शिव एव स्वयं साक्षादयं ब्रह्मविदुत्तमः ।

जीवन्नेव सदा मुक्तः कृतार्थो ब्रह्मवित्तमः॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

दैवेन । नीयते । देहः । यथा । काल-उपभुक्तिषु ।

लक्ष्य-अलक्ष्य-गतिम् । त्यक्त्वा । यः । तिष्ठेत् । केवल-आत्मना ॥

शिवः । एव । स्वयम् । साक्षात् । अयम् । ब्रह्म-विद्-उत्तमः ।

जीवन् । एव । सदा । मुक्तः । कृत-अर्थः । ब्रह्म-वित्-तमः ॥

IAST Transliteration

daivena nīyate deho yathā kālopabhuktiṣu |

lakṣyālakṣya-gatiṃ tyaktvā yas tiṣṭhet kevalātmanā ||

śiva eva svayaṃ sākṣād ayaṃ brahmaviduttamaḥ |

jīvanneva sadā muktaḥ kṛtārtho brahmavittamaḥ ||

Translation

ਕਾਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਭੋਗਣ ਯੋਗ ਅਨੁਭਵਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਦੇਹ ਦੈਵ ਦੇ ਅਧੀਨ ਚਲਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਲਕਸ਼੍ਯ ਅਤੇ ਅਲਕਸ਼੍ਯ—ਦੋਹਾਂ ਵੱਲ ਦੀ ਗਤੀ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਜੋ ਕੇਵਲ ਆਤਮਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਟਿਕਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਸੱਚਮੁੱਚ ਸਾਕਸ਼ਾਤ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਹੈ; ਉਹ ਉੱਚਤਮ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਵਿਦ ਹੈ। ਜੀਉਂਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਵੀ ਸਦਾ ਮੁਕਤ, ਕ੍ਰਿਤਾਰਥ—ਉਹ ਪਰਮ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਵਿਦ ਹੈ।

Academic Translation

The body is led by destiny (daiva), as in experiences that are to be undergone in time. Having abandoned movement toward the ‘aimed-at’ and the ‘not-aimed-at’ (the seen and unseen goals), he who stands by the Self alone—he is indeed Śiva himself, directly; this is the highest knower of Brahman. Living (still), he is ever liberated, fulfilled; the supreme knower of Brahman.

Verse Context

• Jīvanmukti; prārabdha (kālopabhukti); tyāga of saṅkalpa; kevalātma-niṣṭhā; identification of realized Self with Śiva/Brahman
• Mahavakya: Embodies Mahāvākya realization: ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’—the realized one is ‘Śiva himself’ (non-different from Brahman).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka-style)