Kaivalya Upanishad: Verse 5

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

विविक्तदेशे च सुखासनस्थः शुचिः समग्रीवशिरःशरीरः । अन्त्याश्रमस्थः सकलेन्द्रियाणि निरुध्य भक्त्या स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य ॥५॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

विविक्त-देशे च सुख-आसन-स्थः । शुचिः सम-ग्रीव-शिरः-शरीरः । अन्त्य-आश्रम-स्थः सकल-इन्द्रियाणि । निरुध्य भक्त्या स्व-गुरुम् प्रणम्य ॥५॥

Recitation with translationKaivalya Upanishad 5

IAST Transliteration

viviktadeśe ca sukhāsanasthaḥ śuciḥ samagrīvaśiraḥśarīraḥ | antyāśramasthaḥ sakalendriyāṇi nirudhya bhaktyā svaguruṃ praṇamya ||5||

Translation

I w odosobnionym miejscu, siedząc w wygodnej pozie - czysty, z szyją, głową i ciałem trzymanymi prosto - przebywając w ostatnim āśramie (wyrzeczeniu), mając powściągnięte wszystkie zmysły i oddawszy pokłon swemu nauczycielowi z oddaniem -

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Academic Translation

And, seated on a comfortable posture in a secluded place—pure, with neck, head, and body held erect—abiding in the final stage of life (renunciation), having restrained all the senses, and having bowed to one’s own teacher with devotion—

Word by Word

• vivikta-deśe: in a secluded place
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivikta (कृदन्त, vi√vic) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः सप्तमी एकवचनम्; अधिकरणे

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्ययम्

• sukha-āsana-sthaḥ: seated on a comfortable posture/seat
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त, √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘sukhe āsane sthitaḥ’

• śuciḥ: pure
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्

• sama-grīva-śiraḥ-śarīraḥ: with neck, head, and body held erect and aligned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक) + grīvā (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्; बहुव्रीहिः—‘yasya grīvā-śiraḥ-śarīraṃ samam’

• antya-āśrama-sthaḥ: abiding in the final āśrama (renunciation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antya (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + stha (कृदन्त, √sthā)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः प्रथमा एकवचनम्; ‘antye āśrame sthitaḥ’

• sakala-indriyāṇi: all the senses
• Type: Noun
• Root: sakala (प्रातिपदिक) + indriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः द्वितीया बहुवचनम्

• nirudhya: having restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni√rudh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे); ‘having restrained’

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः तृतीया एकवचनम्; करण/हेतु

• sva-gurum: one’s own teacher (guru)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः द्वितीया एकवचनम्

• praṇamya: having bowed down
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभावे); ‘having bowed’

Sandhi Notes

• viviktadeśe = vivikta-deśe
• sukhāsanasthaḥ = sukha-āsana-sthaḥ
• samagrīvaśiraḥśarīraḥ = sama-grīva-śiraḥ-śarīraḥ (समास)
• antyāśramasthaḥ = antya-āśrama-sthaḥ (आ + आ → आ)
• sakalendriyāṇi = sakala-indriyāṇi
• svaguruṃ = sva-gurum

About this Verse

Central concept

Upāsanā/dhyāna as a preparatory discipline for Brahma-jñāna; saṃnyāsa and indriya-nigraha

The mahavakyas

Indirect: establishes contemplative prerequisites for assimilating identity-statements like “तत् त्वम् असि (tat tvam asi)” through nididhyāsana (deep contemplation).

Veda

Atharva

Shakha

Atharva-veda (Kaivalya Upaniṣad; specific śākhā not securely attested)

Chandas

Mixed/Upaniṣadic śloka (anuṣṭubh-like)

Yoga and practice

Classical meditation instructions: seclusion (vivikta-deśa), stable āsana (sukhāsana), spinal alignment, purity (śauca), sense-restraint (pratyāhāra), guru-bhakti and humility as supports for concentration and insight.