Verse 4

Mahavakya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अथ संसृतिबन्धमोक्षयोर्विद्याविद्ये चक्षुषी उपसंहृत्य विज्ञायाविद्यालोकाण्डस्तमोदृक् । तमो हि शारीरप्रपञ्चमाब्रह्मस्थावरान्तमनन्ताखिलाजाण्डभूतम् । निखिलनिगमोदितसकामकर्मव्यवहारो लोकः ॥३–४॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अथ । संसृति-बन्ध-मोक्षयोः । विद्या-अविद्ये । चक्षुषी । उपसंहृत्य । विज्ञाय । अविद्या-लोक-आण्डः । तमः-दृक् । तमः हि । शारीर-प्रपञ्चम् । आ-ब्रह्म-स्थावर-अन्तम् । अनन्त-अखिल-अजाण्ड-भूतम् । निखिल-निगम-उदित-सकाम-कर्म-व्यवहारः । लोकः ॥३–४॥

IAST Transliteration

atha saṃsṛti-bandha-mokṣayor vidyāvidye cakṣuṣī upasaṃhṛtya vijñāyāvidyā-lokāṇḍas tamo-dṛk | tamo hi śārīra-prapañcam ā-brahma-sthāvarāntam anantākhilājāṇḍa-bhūtam | nikhila-nigamodita-sakāma-karma-vyavahāro lokaḥ ||3–4||

Translation

अथ संसृतिबन्धमोक्षयोः प्रसङ्गे विद्याविद्ये इति द्वे चक्षुषी अन्तर्मुखीकृत्य तयोः स्वरूपं विज्ञाय—अविद्याप्रकृतं लोकाण्डं तमोमयदर्शनमेव। तमः खलु शारीरप्रपञ्चः, ब्रह्मादारभ्य स्थावरान्तं यावत्, अनन्ताखिलजगदण्डसमूहभूतः। निखिलनिगमोदितसकामकर्मव्यवहारभूमिर्लोक इति।

Academic Translation

Now, having withdrawn (i.e., gathered inward) the two “eyes” that are knowledge and ignorance with regard to bondage and liberation in saṃsāra, and having understood (their nature): the “cosmic egg” of the world constituted by ignorance is a vision of darkness. For darkness indeed is the embodied manifold (prapañca), extending from Brahmā down to the immobile (beings), becoming the endless totality of (world-)eggs. The world is the sphere of transactional activity of desire-motivated rites, as proclaimed by all the Vedas.

Verse Context

• Avidyā (ignorance) as the basis of saṃsāra; vidyā as the means to mokṣa; prapañca as tamas when misconstrued
• Mahavakya: Prepares the ground for mahāvākya-realization by diagnosing avidyā as the cause of saṃsāra; aligns with the intent of “Aham Brahmāsmi / Tat tvam asi” as knowledge that dispels ignorance.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose