Verse 11

Mahavakya

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सोऽहमर्कः परं ज्योतिरर्कज्योतिरहं शिवः । आत्मज्योतिरहं शुक्रः सर्वज्योतिरसावदोम् ॥११॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

सः अहम् अर्कः । परम् ज्योतिः । अर्क-ज्योतिः अहम् शिवः । आत्म-ज्योतिः अहम् शुक्रः । सर्व-ज्योतिः असौ ओम् ।

IAST Transliteration

so’ham arkaḥ paraṃ jyotir arkajyotir ahaṃ śivaḥ | ātmajyotir ahaṃ śukraḥ sarvajyotir asāv om ||11||

Translation

Ako Siya—ang Araw; (ako) ang Kataas-taasang Liwanag. Ako ang liwanag ng araw; ako si Śiva. Ako ang liwanag ng Sarili (Ātman); ako ang dalisay na nagniningning. Iyan ang liwanag ng lahat—Om.

Academic Translation

I am He—the Sun; (I am) the supreme Light. I am the solar light; I am Śiva. I am the light of the Self; I am the pure (radiant) one. That is the light of all—Om.

Verse Context

• Ahamgraha-upāsanā / non-dual self-identification with Brahman as self-luminous consciousness (svayaṃ-jyotis)
• Mahavakya: Directly echoes ‘सोऽहम्’ (so’ham) and aligns strongly with ‘अहं ब्रह्मास्मि’ by explicit first-person identity with the supreme Light; also resonates with ‘प्रज्ञानं ब्रह्म’ via emphasis on self-luminosity.
• Atharva
• Atharvaśiras (Atharvavedic Upaniṣad tradition; specific śākhā not securely attested) Shakha
• Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like śloka (32 syllables) in classical-style meter typical of later Upaniṣadic verses.