Verse 1

Nirvana

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अथ निर्वाणोपनिषदं व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः सोऽहम् । परिव्राजकाः पश्चिमलिङ्गाः । मन्मथः क्षेत्रपालः । गगनसिद्धान्तः अमृतकल्लोलनदी । अक्षयं निरञ्जनम् । निःसंशय ऋषिः । निर्वाणो देवता । निष्कुलप्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवलज्ञानम् ॥१-११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

अथ । निर्वाण-उपनिषदम् । व्याख्यास्यामः । परमहंसः । सः-अहम् । परिव्राजकाः । पश्चिम-लिङ्गाः । मन्मथः । क्षेत्र-पालः । गगन-सिद्धान्तः । अमृत-कल्लोल-नदी । अक्षयम् । निरञ्जनम् । निः-संशयः । ऋषिः । निर्वाणः । देवता । निष्कुल-प्रवृत्तिः । निष्केवल-ज्ञानम् ॥

IAST Transliteration

atha nirvāṇopaniṣadaṃ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ | paramahaṃsaḥ so’ham | parivrājakāḥ paścimaliṅgāḥ | manmathaḥ kṣetrapālaḥ | gaganasiddhāntaḥ amṛtakallolanadī | akṣayaṃ nirañjanam | niḥsaṃśaya ṛṣiḥ | nirvāṇo devatā | niṣkulapravṛttiḥ | niṣkevalajñānam ||1-11||

Translation

บัดนี้เราจักอธิบาย “นิรวาณอุปนิษัท” เนื้อหาว่าด้วยปรมหังสะ—“โสऽหํ เราคือพระองค์นั้น” ผู้สละโลกคือบรรพชิตจาริก; เครื่องหมายภายนอกคือเครื่องหมายฝ่ายตะวันตก มนมถะเป็นผู้พิทักษ์แห่งทุ่งนา หลักคำสอนดุจอากาศ; สายน้ำคืออมฤตอันเป็นคลื่นไม่สิ้นสุด เป็นสิ่งไม่เสื่อมสูญ ไร้มลทิน ฤๅษีผู้เห็นคือ “นิหฺสํศยะ” เทวตาคือ “นิรวาณ” การดำเนินคือ “นิษกุล” พ้นพันธะตระกูลวงศ์ และญาณคือ “นิษเกวลญาณ” ญาณแท้หนึ่งเดียว อทไวตะ

Academic Translation

Now we shall expound the Nirvāṇa Upaniṣad. (Its) subject is the Paramahaṃsa—‘I am He’. (Its) renunciants are the wandering mendicants; (its) external mark is the western sign. Manmatha is the guardian of the field. The doctrine is the sky; the river is the nectar with its waves. (It is) imperishable, stainless. Niḥsaṃśaya is the seer. Nirvāṇa is the deity. (Its) activity is without lineage (i.e., beyond family/lineage obligations). (Its) knowledge is non-dual, absolute knowledge.

Verse Context

• Moksha (Nirvāṇa) through non-dual knowledge (Advaita-jñāna) and renunciation (saṃnyāsa/paramahaṃsa)
• Mahavakya: Directly echoes the mahāvākya orientation of identity-statements (esp. ‘ahaṃ brahmāsmi’ / ‘so’ham’) via “so’ham” (I am He/That).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose