Atma Upanishad 6 — Verse 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

असत्यत्वेन भानं तु संसारस्य निवर्तकम् । घटोऽयमिति विज्ञातुं नियमः कोऽन्वपेक्षते ॥

विना प्रमाणसुष्ठुत्वं यस्मिन् सति पदार्थधीः । अयमात्मा नित्यसिद्धः प्रमाणे सति भासते ॥५–६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

असत्यत्वेन । भानम् । तु । संसारस्य । निवर्तकम् । घटः । अयम् । इति । विज्ञातुम् । नियमः । कः । अन्वपेक्षते ॥

विना । प्रमाण-सुष्ठुत्वम् । यस्मिन् । सति । पदार्थ-धीः । अयम् । आत्मा । नित्य-सिद्धः । प्रमाणे । सति । भासते ॥

IAST Transliteration

asatyatvena bhānaṃ tu saṃsārasya nivartakam | ghaṭo’yam iti vijñātuṃ niyamaḥ ko’nvapekṣate ||

vinā pramāṇa-suṣṭhutvaṃ yasmin sati padārtha-dhīḥ | ayam ātmā nitya-siddhaḥ pramāṇe sati bhāsate ||5–6||

Translation

ਸੰਸਾਰ ਦਾ ਭਾਨ ਅਸੱਤ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਜਾਣਿਆ ਜਾਣਾ ਹੀ ਸੰਸਾਰ-ਨਿਵ੍ਰਿੱਤੀ ਦਾ ਕਾਰਣ ਹੈ। “ਇਹ ਘੜਾ ਹੈ” ਇਹ ਜਾਣਨ ਲਈ ਕਿਹੜਾ ਨਿਯਮ ਜਾਂ ਪਾਬੰਦੀ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਲੈਣਾ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ? ਯਥਾਰਥ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ ਦੀ ਸੁਚੰਗੀ ਕਿਰਿਆ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਵੀ ਜਦੋਂ ਪਦਾਰਥ-ਬੁੱਧੀ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ, ਤਦ ਇਹ ਆਤਮਾ ਨਿਤ੍ਯਸਿੱਧ ਹੈ; ਪਰ ਜਦੋਂ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਹੋਵੇ, ਤਦ ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਜਾਣਿਆ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

Academic Translation

The appearance (cognition) of the world as unreal is indeed the remover of saṃsāra. To know “this is a pot,” what rule (restriction) does one depend upon? Without the proper functioning of a means of knowledge, when there is cognition of an object—this Self is eternally established; yet, when a means of knowledge is present, it becomes manifest (is known).

Verse Context

• Māyā/Asat-khyāti and Atman as nitya-siddha (ever-established); pramāṇa and aparokṣa-jñāna
• Mahavakya: Supports ‘Ayam Ātmā Brahma’ by asserting the Self is ever-established and revealed through right knowledge rather than produced; also aligns with ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ via immediate self-recognition analogy.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)