Atma Upanishad 20 — Verse 20

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 ਭੋਗ/ਅਨੁਭਵ ਲਈ ਦੇਹ ਦੈਵ ਦੇ ਅਧੀਨ ਵਹਾਇਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ। ਲਕਸ਼੍ਯ–ਅਲਕਸ਼੍ਯ ਵੱਲ ਦੀ ਦੌੜ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਜੋ ਕੇਵਲ ਆਤਮਾ ਰੂਪ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਟਿਕਦਾ ਹੈ—ਉਹ ਸਾਕਸ਼ਾਤ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਹੈ; ਉਹ ਉੱਚਤਮ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਵਿਦ ਹੈ। ਜੀਉਂਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਵੀ ਸਦਾ ਮੁਕਤ, ਕ੍ਰਿਤਾਰਥ—ਉਹ ਪਰਮ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਵਿਦ ਹੈ।

Academic Translation

The body is carried along by destiny for enjoyments/experiences in time. He who, abandoning movement toward the aimed-at and the not-aimed-at, stands as the Self alone—he is verily Śiva himself, directly; the highest knower of Brahman. Even while living he is always liberated, fulfilled—the supreme knower of Brahman.

Verse Context

• Kevalātma-niṣṭhā; jīvanmukti; prārabdha exhaustion; non-dual Śiva/Brahman identity
• Mahavakya: Directly consonant with Mahāvākya realization (identity): the liberated one is not other than Brahman/Śiva.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka-style)