Paingala Upanishad 3 — Verse 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव च। बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥३॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

आत्मानम् । रथिनम् । विद्धि । शरीरम् । रथम् । एव । च । बुद्धिम् । तु । सारथिम् । विद्धि । मनः । प्रग्रहम् । एव । च ॥३॥

IAST Transliteration

ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva ca | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca ||3||

Translation

ஆத்மாவை ரதியாக (சவாரியாக) அறி; உடலை ரதமாகவே அறி; புத்தியை சாரதியாக அறி; மனத்தை கடிவாளமாகவே அறி.

Academic Translation

Know the Self as the rider; and the body indeed as the chariot. Know the intellect as the charioteer; and the mind as the reins indeed.

Verse Context

• Ātman distinct from body-mind; buddhi as discriminative faculty; mastery of mind; sādhana through viveka
• Mahavakya: Supports mahāvākya assimilation by disidentifying from body-mind and recognizing the witnessing Self (basis for ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’/‘ayam ātmā brahma’ in Advaita pedagogy).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)