Verse 21

Kaivalya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अपाणिपादोऽहमचिन्त्यशक्तिः पश्याम्यचक्षुः स शृणोम्यकर्णः ।

अहं विजानामि विविक्तरूपो न चास्ति वेत्ता मम चित्सदाऽहम् ॥

वेदैरनेकैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अ-पाणि-पादः । अहम् । अ-चिन्त्य-शक्तिः । पश्यामि । अ-चक्षुः । सः । शृणोमि । अ-कर्णः ।

अहम् । विजानामि । विविक्त-रूपः । न । च । अस्ति । वेत्ता । मम । चित् । सदा । अहम् ।

वेदैः । अनेकैः । अहम् । एव । वेद्यः । वेदान्त-कृत् । वेद-वित् । एव । च । अहम् ।

IAST Transliteration

apāṇipādo ’ham acintyaśaktiḥ paśyāmy acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇomy akarṇaḥ |

ahaṃ vijānāmi viviktarūpo na cāsti vettā mama cit sadā ’ham ||

vedair anekair aham eva vedyo vedāntakṛd vedavideva cāham ||

Translation

நான் கை-கால் அற்றவன், சிந்திக்க இயலாத சக்தியுடையவன்; கண்கள் இன்றியே காண்கிறேன், காதுகள் இன்றியே கேட்கிறேன். நான் தனித்த சுவரூபமாக அறிகிறேன்; என்னை அறிபவன் எவரும் இல்லை—நான் எப்போதும் சைதன்யம். பல வேதங்களால் நானே அறியத்தக்கவன்; நானே வேதாந்தத்தின் கர்த்தா, நானே வேதத்தை அறிந்தவன்.

Academic Translation

Without hands and feet am I, of inconceivable power; I see without eyes, and I hear without ears. I know—of distinct (separate) nature; and there is no knower of me. I am ever consciousness. By many Vedas I alone am to be known; I am the maker of Vedānta, and I am indeed the knower of the Veda.

Verse Context

• Nirguṇa Brahman as self-luminous consciousness beyond sense-organs; the Self as the ultimate subject (cannot be objectified)
• Mahavakya: Strongly supports ‘Prajñānam Brahma’ (Aitareya) by identifying the Self with consciousness itself; also supports ‘Aham Brahmāsmi’ through first-person identity claims and the unknowability-as-object of the Self.
• Atharva
• Atharva-veda (Kaivalya Upaniṣad; śākhā attribution not firmly established) Shakha
• Chandas: Mixed metrical Upaniṣadic verse; first two lines often scan like Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-style cadence; last line closer to Anuṣṭubh-like balance in some recensions (not strictly uniform).