Avadhuta Upanishad 20 — Verse 20

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अहं मनुष्य इत्यादिव्यवहारो विनाप्यमुम् । विपर्यासं चिराभ्यस्तवासनातोऽवकल्पते ॥२०॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अहम् । मनुष्यः । इति-आदि । व्यवहारः । विना । अपि । अमुम् । विपर्यासम् । चिर-अभ्यस्त-वासना-तः । अवकल्पते ॥२०॥

IAST Transliteration

ahaṃ manuṣya ityādivyavahāro vināpy amum | viparyāsaṃ cirābhyastavāsanāto 'vakalpate ||20||

Translation

แม้ปราศจากความวิปลาสนั้น การใช้ถ้อยคำตามสมมติ เช่น “ฉันเป็นมนุษย์” ก็ยังเป็นไปได้; เพราะความกลับตาลปัตรนั้นเกิดจากวาสนา คือรอยประทับแฝงที่สั่งสมมาช้านาน

Academic Translation

Even without this (error), the conventional usage such as ‘I am a man’ is possible; (for) the inversion arises from long-practiced latent impressions.

Verse Context

• Vyavahāra vs pāramārthika; vāsanā (latent tendencies) sustaining viparyaya
• Mahavakya: Clarifies post-realization language: mahāvākya-realization can coexist with empirical ‘I’-talk without reintroducing bondage (indirect relation).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (śloka)