Verse 19

Amritbindu

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

गवामनेकवर्णानां क्षीरस्याप्येकवर्णता । क्षीरवत्पश्यते ज्ञानं लिङ्गिनस्तु गवां यथा ॥१९॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

गवाम् । अनेक-वर्णानाम् । क्षीरस्य । अपि । एक-वर्णता । क्षीर-वत् । पश्यते । ज्ञानम् । लिङ्गिनः । तु । गवाम् । यथा ॥

IAST Transliteration

gavām anekavarṇānāṃ kṣīrasyāpy ekavarṇatā | kṣīravat paśyate jñānaṃ liṅginas tu gavāṃ yathā ||19||

Translation

अनेकवर्णानां गवां क्षीरस्यैकवर्णता। क्षीरवत् ज्ञानमेकं पश्यति, देहिनो गवा इव॥१९॥

Academic Translation

Of cows of many colors, milk indeed has a single color. Knowledge is seen as (one) like milk; the embodied (beings) are like the cows.

Verse Context

• Unity of consciousness/knowledge (jñāna) amid diversity of upādhis (limiting adjuncts)
• Mahavakya: Resonates with ‘prajñānam brahma’ by emphasizing knowledge/consciousness as the single underlying reality across diverse embodiments.
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (traditionally associated with the Atharvaṇic corpus; specific śākhā not securely attested) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)