Brahma Purana — The Path of Liberation: Self-Knowledge, Sense-Restraint, and Crossing the River of Worldly Flow, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सर्वात्मानं महात्मानं विधूमम् इव पावकम् प्रपश्यन्ति महात्मानं ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः //

Translation

अस्य अध्यायस्य एकविंशतितमः श्लोकः—मूलपाठः अत्र निर्दिष्टः नास्ति; अतः यथाशक्ति सूचनामात्रं प्रदीयते।

Word by Word

• sarva-ātmānam: the Self of all (the universal Self)
• sarva-ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘sarveṣām ātmā’ (genitive relation); Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• mahā-ātmānam: the great-souled one
• mahā-ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘mahān ātmā’; Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• vidhūmam: smokeless
• vidhūmam: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-dhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa of pāvakam

• iva: like
• iva: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), upamā-vācaka particle (उपमावाचक)

• pāvakam: fire
• pāvakam: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• prapaśyanti: they behold clearly
• prapaśyanti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-paś (धातु; √paś=dṛś)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्) present, Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• mahā-ātmānam: the great Self
• mahā-ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय) ‘mahān ātmā’; Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Dvitīyā (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• brāhmaṇāḥ: Brahmins
• brāhmaṇāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)

• ye: who
• ye: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); relative pronoun referring to brāhmaṇāḥ

• manīṣiṇaḥ: wise, thoughtful
• manīṣiṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manīṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन); viśeṣaṇa of brāhmaṇāḥ

Speaker

• Unspecified teacher/sage describing realization attained by wise Brahmins