Atma Upanishad 17 — Verse 17

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शरीर्यप्यशरीर्येष परिच्छिन्नोऽपि सर्वगः ।

अशरीरं सदा सन्तमिदं ब्रह्मविदं क्वचित्॥

प्रियाप्रिये न स्पृशतस्तथैव च शुभाशुभे ।

तमसा ग्रस्तवद्भानादग्रस्तोऽपि रविर्जनैः॥

ग्रस्त इत्युच्यते भ्रान्त्या ह्यज्ञात्वा वस्तुलक्षणम् ।

तद्वद्देहादिबन्धेभ्यो विमुक्तं ब्रह्मवित्तमम्॥

पश्यन्ति देहिवन्मूढाः शरीराभासदर्शनात् ।

अहिनिर्ल्वयनीवायं मुक्तदेहस्तु तिष्ठति॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

शरीरी अपि । अशरीरी । एषः । परिच्छिन्नः अपि । सर्वगः ।

अशरीरम् । सदा । सन्तम् । इदम् । ब्रह्म-विदम् । क्वचित् ॥

प्रिया-अप्रिये । न । स्पृशतः । तथा एव । च । शुभ-अशुभे ।

तमसा । ग्रस्त-वत् । भानात् । अग्रस्तः अपि । रविः । जनैः ॥

ग्रस्तः । इति । उच्यते । भ्रान्त्या । हि । अज्ञात्वा । वस्तु-लक्षणम् ।

तद्वत् । देह-आदि-बन्धेभ्यः । विमुक्तम् । ब्रह्म-वित्-तमम् ॥

पश्यन्ति । देहिवत् । मूढाः । शरीर-आभास-दर्शनात् ।

अहि-निर्ल्वयनी-इव । अयम् । मुक्त-देहः । तु । तिष्ठति ॥

IAST Transliteration

śarīry apy aśarīry eṣa paricchinno ’pi sarvagaḥ |

aśarīraṃ sadā santaṃ idaṃ brahmavidaṃ kvacit ||

priyāpriye na spṛśatas tathaiva ca śubhāśubhe |

tamasā grastavad bhānād agrasto ’pi ravir janaiḥ ||

grasta ity ucyate bhrāntyā hy ajñātvā vastu-lakṣaṇam |

tadvat dehādi-bandhebhyo vimuktaṃ brahmavittamam ||

paśyanti dehivam mūḍhāḥ śarīrābhāsa-darśanāt |

ahi-nirlvayanī ivāyaṃ mukta-dehas tu tiṣṭhati ||

Translation

แม้ดูประหนึ่งมีร่างกาย แท้จริงท่านไร้กาย; แม้ดูเหมือนจำกัด แต่แผ่ซ่านทั่วสรรพสิ่ง ผู้รู้พรหมนี้ดำรงอยู่เสมอในภาวะไร้กาย ทว่าโดยบางคนกลับเห็นว่าเป็นผู้มีร่างกาย สิ่งที่น่ารักและไม่น่ารักย่อมไม่แตะต้องท่าน เช่นเดียวกับมงคลและอัปมงคล ดวงอาทิตย์แท้มิได้ถูกคราส แต่เพราะปรากฏราวถูกความมืดกลืน ผู้คนจึงกล่าวว่า ‘ถูกคราส’ คำว่า ‘ถูกกลืน’ นั้นเกิดจากความหลง ไม่รู้ลักษณะจริงของสภาวะ ฉันใด ผู้รู้พรหมสูงสุดผู้พ้นพันธนาการแห่งกายเป็นต้น ก็ถูกคนหลงเห็นประหนึ่งมีร่างกาย เพราะเห็นเพียงเงาแห่งกาย ฉันนั้น ท่านดำรงอยู่ดุจคราบงูที่ลอกทิ้ง ราวกับสลัดกายแล้ว—เป็นไทหลุดพ้น

Academic Translation

Though (appearing) embodied, this one is (in truth) disembodied; though limited, it is all-pervading. This knower of Brahman, ever existing as bodiless, is (seen) by some (as embodied). Pleasant and unpleasant do not touch him; likewise the auspicious and the inauspicious. Though the sun is not eclipsed, people speak of it as ‘eclipsed’ because of its appearance as if seized by darkness. It is called ‘seized’ due to delusion, not knowing the real characteristic of the thing. In the same way, the supreme knower of Brahman, freed from bonds such as the body, is seen by the deluded as if embodied because of the perception of a bodily appearance. Like a snake’s slough, he remains as one whose body is (as it were) cast off—liberated.

Verse Context

• Asaṅga-ātman; adhyāsa; jñānī’s freedom amid appearance
• Mahavakya: Corroborative to Mahāvākya teaching: identity of Self and Brahman implies intrinsic freedom (nitya-mukta).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka-style)