Verse 18

Parabrahma

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

बहिरन्तश्चोपवीती विप्रः संन्यस्तुमर्हति । एकयज्ञोपवीती तु नैव संन्यस्तुमर्हति ॥१८॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

बहिः । अन्तः । च । उपवीती । विप्रः । संन्यस्तुम् । अर्हति । एक-यज्ञ-उपवीती । तु । न । एव । संन्यस्तुम् । अर्हति ॥१८॥

IAST Transliteration

bahir antaś copavītī vipraḥ saṃnyastum arhati | ekayajñopavītī tu naiva saṃnyastum arhati ||18||

Translation

बहिरन्तश्चोपवीती विप्रः संन्यस्तुमर्हति। एकयज्ञोपवीती तु नैव संन्यस्तुमर्हति॥१८॥

Academic Translation

The vipra who is ‘wearing the upavīta’ both outwardly and inwardly is fit to renounce. But one who wears only a single yajñopavīta is not at all fit to renounce.

Verse Context

• Saṃnyāsa-adhikāra; inner qualification (jñāna/vairāgya) over external marks
• Mahavakya: Indirect: readiness for renunciation is grounded in assimilated knowledge of Ātman=Brahman (the lived import of Mahāvākyas).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)