Atma Upanishad 6 — Verse 6

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

असत्यत्वेन भानं तु संसारस्य निवर्तकम् । घटोऽयमिति विज्ञातुं नियमः कोऽन्वपेक्षते ॥

विना प्रमाणसुष्ठुत्वं यस्मिन् सति पदार्थधीः । अयमात्मा नित्यसिद्धः प्रमाणे सति भासते ॥५–६॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

असत्यत्वेन । भानम् । तु । संसारस्य । निवर्तकम् । घटः । अयम् । इति । विज्ञातुम् । नियमः । कः । अन्वपेक्षते ॥

विना । प्रमाण-सुष्ठुत्वम् । यस्मिन् । सति । पदार्थ-धीः । अयम् । आत्मा । नित्य-सिद्धः । प्रमाणे । सति । भासते ॥

IAST Transliteration

asatyatvena bhānaṃ tu saṃsārasya nivartakam | ghaṭo’yam iti vijñātuṃ niyamaḥ ko’nvapekṣate ||

vinā pramāṇa-suṣṭhutvaṃ yasmin sati padārtha-dhīḥ | ayam ātmā nitya-siddhaḥ pramāṇe sati bhāsate ||5–6||

Translation

சம்சாரம் அசத்தியெனத் தோன்றும் அறிவே உண்மையில் சம்சார-நிவர்த்திகரமானது. “இது குடம்” என்று அறிய எந்த விதி அவசியம்? சரியான பிரமாணச் செயல் இல்லாவிட்டாலும் பொருள்-புத்தி எழும்போது இந்த ஆத்மா நித்தியசித்தமே; பிரமாணம் இருப்பின் அது தெளிவாக வெளிப்படுகிறது.

Academic Translation

The appearance (cognition) of the world as unreal is indeed the remover of saṃsāra. To know “this is a pot,” what rule (restriction) does one depend upon? Without the proper functioning of a means of knowledge, when there is cognition of an object—this Self is eternally established; yet, when a means of knowledge is present, it becomes manifest (is known).

Verse Context

• Māyā/Asat-khyāti and Atman as nitya-siddha (ever-established); pramāṇa and aparokṣa-jñāna
• Mahavakya: Supports ‘Ayam Ātmā Brahma’ by asserting the Self is ever-established and revealed through right knowledge rather than produced; also aligns with ‘Tat Tvam Asi’ via immediate self-recognition analogy.
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)