यत्र नात्मप्रपञ्चोऽयमपह्नवपदं गतः । प्रतियोगिविनिर्मुक्तः परमात्मावशिष्यते ॥ ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाँसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ ॐ अथाङ्गिरास्त्रिविधः पुरुषोऽजायतात्मान्तरात्मा परमात्मा चेति । त्वक्चर्ममांसरोमाङ्गुष्ठाङ्गुल्यः पृष्ठवंशनखगुल्फोदर- नाभिमेढ्रकटूरुकपोलश्रोत्रभ्रूललाटबाहुपार्श्वशिरोऽक्षीणि भवन्ति जायते म्रियत इत्येष आत्मा । अथान्तरात्मानाम पृथिव्यापस्तेजोवायुराकाशमिच्छाद्वेषसुखदुःख- काममोहविकल्पानादिस्मृतिलिङ्गोदात्तानुदात्तह्र्स्वदीर्घप्लुतः खलितगर्जितस्फुटितमुदितनृत्तगीतवादित्रप्रलयविजृम्भितादिभिः श्रोता घ्राता रसयिता नेता कर्ता विज्ञानात्मा पुरुषः पुराणन्यायमीमांसाधर्मशास्त्राणीति श्रवणघ्राणाकर्षणकर्मविशेषणं करोत्येषोऽन्तरात्मा । अथ परमात्मा नाम यथाक्षर उपासनीयः । स च प्राणायामप्रत्याहारधार्णाध्यानसमाधियोगानुमानात्मचिन्तकवटकणिका वा श्यामाकतण्डुलो वा वालाग्रशतसहस्रविकल्पनाभिः स लभ्यते नोपलभ्यते न जायते न म्रियते न शुष्यति न क्लिद्यते न दह्यते न कम्पते न भिद्यते न च्छिद्यते निर्गुणः साक्षिभूतः शुद्धो निरवयवात्मा केवलः सूक्ष्मो निर्ममो निरञ्जनो निर्विकारः शब्दस्पर्शरूपरसगन्धवर्जितो निर्विकल्पो निराकाङ्क्षः सर्वव्यापी सोऽचिन्त्यो निर्वर्ण्यश्च पुनात्यशुद्धान्यपूतानि । निष्क्रियस्तस्य संसारो नास्ति । आत्मसंज्ञः शिवः शुद्ध एक एवाद्वयः सदा । ब्रह्मरूपतया ब्रह्म केवलं प्रतिभासते ॥ १॥ जगद्रूपतयाप्येतद्ब्रह्मैव प्रतिभासते । विद्याविद्यादिभेदेन भावाभावादिभेदतः ॥ २॥ गुरुशिष्यादिभेदेन ब्रह्मैव प्रतिभासते । ब्रह्मैव केवलं शुद्धं विद्यते तत्त्वदर्शने ॥ ३॥ न च विद्या न चाविद्या न जगच्च न चापरम् । सत्यत्वेन जगद्भानं संसारस्य प्रवर्तकम् ॥ ४॥ असत्यत्वेन भानं तु संसारस्य निवर्तकम् । घटोऽयमिति विज्ञातुं नियमः कोन्वपेक्षते ॥ ५॥ विना प्रमाणसुष्ठुत्वं यस्मिन्सति पदार्थधीः । अयमात्मा नित्यसिद्धः प्रमाणे सति भासते ॥ ६॥ न देशं नापि कालं वा न शुद्धिं वाप्यपेक्षते । देवदत्तोऽहमित्येतद्विज्ञानं निरपेक्षकम् ॥ ७॥ तद्वद्ब्रह्मविदोऽप्यस्यब्रह्माहमिति वेदनम् । भानुनेव जगत्सर्वं भास्यते यस्य तेजसा ॥ ८॥ अनात्मकमसत्तुच्छं किं नु तस्यावभासकम् । वेदशास्त्रपुराणानि भूतानि सकलान्यपि ॥ ९॥ येनार्थवन्ति तं किं नु विज्ञातारं प्रकाशयेत् । क्षुधां देहव्यथां त्यक्त्वा बालः क्रीडति वस्तुनि ॥ १०॥ तथैव विद्वान्रमते निर्ममो निरहं सुखी । कामान्निष्कामरूपी संचरत्येकचरो मुनिः ॥ ११॥ स्वात्मनैव सदा तुष्टः स्वयं सर्वात्मना स्थितः । निर्धनोऽपि सदा तुष्टोऽप्यसहायो महाबलः ॥ १२॥ नित्यतृप्तोऽप्यभुञ्जानोऽप्यसमः समदर्शनः । कुर्वन्नपि न कुर्वाणश्चाभोक्ता फलभोग्यपि ॥ १३॥ शरीर्यप्यशरीर्येष परिच्छिन्नोऽपि सर्वगः । अशरीरं सदा सन्तमिदं ब्रह्मविदं क्वचित् ॥ १४॥ प्रियाप्रिये न स्पृशतस्तथैव च शुभा शुभे । तमसा ग्रस्तवद्भानादग्रस्तोऽपि रविर्जनैः ॥ १५॥ ग्रस्त इत्युच्यते भ्रान्त्या ह्यज्ञात्वा वस्तुलक्षणम् । तद्वद्देहादिबन्धेभ्यो विमुक्तं ब्रह्मवित्तमम् ॥ १६॥ पश्यन्ति देहिवन्मूढाः शरीराभासदर्शनात् । अहिनिर्ल्वयनीवायं मुक्तदेहस्तु तिष्ठति ॥ १७॥ इतस्ततश्चाल्यमानो यत्किञ्चित्प्राणवायुना । स्रोतसा नीयते दारु यथा निम्नोन्नतस्थलम् ॥ १८॥ दैवेन नीयते देहो यथा कालोपभुक्तिषु । लक्ष्यालक्ष्यगतिं त्यक्त्वा यस्तिष्ठेत्केवलात्मना ॥ १९॥ शिव एव स्वयं साक्षादयं ब्रह्मविदुत्तमः । जीवन्नेव सदा मुक्तः कृतार्थो ब्रह्मवित्तमः ॥ २०॥ उपाधिनाशाद्ब्रह्मैव सद्ब्रह्माप्येति निर्द्वयम् । शैलूषो वेषसद्भावाभावयोश्च यथा पुमान् ॥ २१॥ तथैव ब्रह्मविच्छ्रेष्ठः सदा ब्रह्मैव नापरः । घटे नष्टे यथा व्योम व्योमैव भवति स्वयम् ॥ २२॥ तथैवोपाधिविलये ब्रह्मैव ब्रह्मवित्स्वयम् । क्षीरं क्षीरे यथा क्षिप्तं तैलं तैले जलं जले ॥ २३॥ संयुक्तमेकतां याति तथात्मन्यात्मविन्मुनिः । एवं विदेहकैवल्यं सन्मात्रत्वमखण्डितम् ॥ २४॥ ब्रह्मभावं प्रपद्यैष यतिर्नावर्तते पुनः । सदात्मकत्वविज्ञानदग्धा विद्यादिवर्ष्मणः ॥ २५॥ अमुष्य ब्रह्मभूतत्त्वाद्ब्रह्मणः कुत उद्भवः । मायाक्लृप्तौ बन्धमोक्षौ न स्तः स्वात्मनि वस्तुतः ॥ २६॥ यथा रज्जौ निष्क्रियायां सर्पाभासविनिर्गमौ । अवृतेः सदसत्त्वाभ्यां वक्तव्ये बन्धमोक्षणे ॥ २७॥ नावृत्तिर्ब्रह्मणः क्वाचिदन्याभावादनावृतम् । अस्तीति प्रत्ययो यश्च यश्च नास्तीति वस्तुनि ॥ २८॥ बुद्धेरेव गुणावेतौ न तु नित्यस्य वस्तुनः । अतस्तौ मायया क्लृप्तौ बन्धमोक्षौ न चात्मनि ॥ २९॥ निष्कले निष्क्रिये शान्ते निरवद्ये निरंजने । अद्वितीये परे तत्त्वे व्योमवत्कल्पना कुतः ॥ ३०॥ न निरोधो न चोत्पत्तिर्न बद्धो न च साधकः । न मुमुक्षुर्न वै मुक्त इत्येषा परमार्थता ॥ ३१॥ इत्युपनिषत् ॥ ॐ भद्रं कर्णेभिः श्रुणुयाम देवाः । भद्रं पश्येमाक्षभिर्यजत्राः । स्थिरैरङ्गैस्तुष्टुवाँसस्तनूभिः । व्यशेम देवहितं यदायुः ॥ ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥ ॥ हरिः ॐ तत्सत् ॥
Om ! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship ! May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas, Praising them with our body and limbs steady ! May the glorious Indra bless us ! May the all-knowing Sun bless us ! May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us ! May Brihaspati grant us well-being ! Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! I-1. Now Angirah: The Spirit, manifests Itself, in three ways: the self, the inner Self and the supreme Self. I-2. There are the organs – the skin, inner and outer: flesh, hair, the thumb, the fingers, the backbone, the nails, the ankles, the stomach, the navel, the penis, the hip, the thighs, the cheeks, the ears, the brows, the forehead, the hands, the flanks, the head and the eyes; these are born and these die; so they constitute the self. I-3. Next this inner self is (indicated by the elements) earth, water, fire, air, ether, desire, aversion, pleasure, pain, desire, delusion, doubts, etc., and memory, (marked by) the high pitch and accentlessness, short, long and prolate (vowel sounds), the hearer, smeller, taster, leader, agent and self of knowledge vis-à-vis stumbling, shouting, enjoying, dancing, singing and playing on musical instruments. He is the ancient spirit that distinguishes between Nyaya, Mimamsa and the institutes of law and the specific object of listening, smelling and grasping. He is the inner Self. I-4. Next the supreme Self, the imperishable, He is to meditated on with (the help of) the Yogic steps, breath control, withdrawal (of sense organs), fixation (of mind), contemplation and concentration, He is to be inferred by the thinkers on the Self as like unto the seed of the Banyan tree or a grain of millet or a hundredth part of a split hair. (Thus) is He won and not known. He is not born, does not die, does not dry, is not wetted, not burnt, does not tremble, is not split, does not sweat. He is beyond the gunas, is spectator, is pure, partless, alone, subtle, owning naught, blemishless, immutable, devoid of sound, touch, colour, taste, smell, is indubitable, non-grasping, omnipresent. He is unthinkable and invisible. He purifies the impure, the unhallowed. He acts not. He is not subject to empirical existence. II-1. The good named the Atman is pure, one and non-dual always, in the form of Brahman. Brahman alone shines forth. II-2. Even as the world with its distinctions like affirmation, negation, etc., Brahman alone shines forth. II-3. With distinctions like teacher and disciples (also), Brahman alone appears. From the point of view of truth, pure Brahman alone is. II-4. Neither knowledge nor ignorance, neither the world nor aught else (is there). What sets empirical life afoot is the appearance of the world as real. II-5(a). What winds up empirical life is (its) appearance as unreal. II-5(b)-6. What discipline is required to know, ‘this is a pot’, except the adequacy of the means of right knowledge ? Once it is given, the knowledge of the object (supervenes). The ever present Self shines when the means of Its cognition (is present). II-7. Neither place nor time nor purity is required. The knowledge ‘I am Devadatta’ depends on nothing else. II-8. Similarly, the knowledge ‘I am Brahman’ of the Knower of Brahman (is independent). Just as the whole world by the sun, by the splendour of the Knowledge of Brahman is everything illumined. II-9-10(a). What can illumine the non-existent, and illusory, non-Self ? That which endows the Vedas, Shastras, Puranas and all other beings with import – that Knower what will illumine ? II-10(b)-11. The child ignores hunger and bodily pain and plays with things. In the same way, the happy Brahman-Knower delights (in himself) without the sense of ‘mine’ and ‘I’. Thus the silent sage, alive and alone, the embodiment of desirelessness, treats the objects of desire. II-12. Existing as the Self of all, he is ever content abiding in his Self. Free from all wealth, he rejoices always: though companionless, he is mighty. II-13. Though not eating, he is ever content, peerless he looks on all alike: though acting, he does nothing: though partaking of fruit, yet, he is no experiencer thereof. II-14-17. Living in a body, he is still disembodied; though determinate, he is omnipresent; never is this Brahman-Knower, disembodied and ever existent, affected by the pleasant and the unpleasant or by the good and the evil. Because it appears to be encompassed by Rahu (the darkness), the unencompassed sun is said to be encompassed by deluded men, not knowing the truth. Similarly, deluded folk behold the best of Brahman-Knowers, liberated from the bondage of body, etc., as though he is embodied, since he appears to have a body. The body of the liberated one remains like the shed Slough of the snake. II-18. Moved a little, hither and thither, by the vital breath, (that body) is borne like a piece of timber, up and down, by the flood waters. II-19-20. By fate is the body borne into contexts of experiences at appropriate times. (On the contrary) he who, giving up all migrations, both knowledge and unknowable, stays as the pure unqualified Self, is himself the manifest Shiva. He is the best of all Brahman-Knowers. In life itself the foremost Brahman-Knower is the ever free, he has accomplished his End. II-21. All adjuncts having perished, being Brahman he is assimilated to the non-dual Brahman, like a man who, with (appropriate) apparels, is an actor and without them (resumes his natural state), II-22(a). In the same way the best of Brahman-Knowers is always Brahman alone and none else. II-22(b)-23. Just as space becomes space itself when the (enclosing) pot perishes, so, when particular cognitions are dissolved, the Brahman-Knower himself becomes nothing but Brahman, as milk poured into milk, oil into oil, and water into water become (milk, oil and water). II-24(a). Just as, combined, they become one, so does the Atman-knowing sage in the Atman. II-24(b). Thus disembodied liberation is the infinite status of Being. II-25. Having won the status of Brahman, no longer is the Yogin reborn, for his ignorance-born bodies have all been consumed by the experimental knowledge of Being as the Self. II-26-27(a). Because that Yogin has become Brahman, how can Brahman be reborn ? Bondage and liberation, set up by Maya, are not real in themselves in relation to the Self, just as the appearance and disappearance of the snake are not in relation to the stirless rope. II-27(b). Bondage and liberation may be described as real and unreal and as due to the nescience (concealment of truth). II-28-29. Brahman suffers from no concealment whatsoever. It is uncovered, there being nothing other than It (to cover It). The ideas, ‘it is’ and ‘it is not’, as regards Reality, are only ideas in the intellect. They do not pertain to the eternal Reality. So bondage and liberation are set up by Maya and do not pertain to the Self. II-30. In the supreme Truth as in the sky, impartite, inactive, quiescent, flawless, unstained and non-dual where is room for (mental) construction ? II-31. Neither suppression nor generation, neither the bond nor the striving: neither the liberty seeking nor the liberated – this is the metaphysical truth. Om ! O Devas, may we hear with our ears what is auspicious; May we see with our eyes what is auspicious, O ye worthy of worship ! May we enjoy the term of life allotted by the Devas, Praising them with our body and limbs steady ! May the glorious Indra bless us ! May the all-knowing Sun bless us ! May Garuda, the thunderbolt for evil, bless us ! May Brihaspati grant us well-being ! Om ! Let there be Peace in me ! Let there be Peace in my environment ! Let there be Peace in the forces that act on me ! Here ends the Atmopanishad, as contained in the Atharva-Veda.
yatra nātmaprapañco'yamapahnavapadaṃ gataḥ । pratiyogivinirmuktaḥ paramātmāvaśiṣyate ॥ oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ । bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ । sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvām̐sastanūbhiḥ । vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ ॥ oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥ oṃ athāṅgirāstrividhaḥ puruṣo'jāyatātmāntarātmā paramātmā ceti । tvakcarmamāṃsaromāṅguṣṭhāṅgulyaḥ pṛṣṭhavaṃśanakhagulphodara- nābhimeḍhrakaṭūrukapolaśrotrabhrūlalāṭabāhupārśvaśiro'kṣīṇi bhavanti jāyate mriyata ityeṣa ātmā । athāntarātmānāma pṛthivyāpastejovāyurākāśamicchādveṣasukhaduḥkha- kāmamohavikalpānādismṛtiliṅgodāttānudāttahrsvadīrghaplutaḥ khalitagarjitasphuṭitamuditanṛttagītavāditrapralayavijṛmbhitādibhiḥ śrotā ghrātā rasayitā netā kartā vijñānātmā puruṣaḥ purāṇanyāyamīmāṃsādharmaśāstrāṇīti śravaṇaghrāṇākarṣaṇakarmaviśeṣaṇaṃ karotyeṣo'ntarātmā । atha paramātmā nāma yathākṣara upāsanīyaḥ । sa ca prāṇāyāmapratyāhāradhārṇādhyānasamādhiyogānumānātmacintakavaṭakaṇikā vā śyāmākataṇḍulo vā vālāgraśatasahasravikalpanābhiḥ sa labhyate nopalabhyate na jāyate na mriyate na śuṣyati na klidyate na dahyate na kampate na bhidyate na cchidyate nirguṇaḥ sākṣibhūtaḥ śuddho niravayavātmā kevalaḥ sūkṣmo nirmamo nirañjano nirvikāraḥ śabdasparśarūparasagandhavarjito nirvikalpo nirākāṅkṣaḥ sarvavyāpī so'cintyo nirvarṇyaśca punātyaśuddhānyapūtāni । niṣkriyastasya saṃsāro nāsti । ātmasaṃjñaḥ śivaḥ śuddha eka evādvayaḥ sadā । brahmarūpatayā brahma kevalaṃ pratibhāsate ॥ 1॥ jagadrūpatayāpyetadbrahmaiva pratibhāsate । vidyāvidyādibhedena bhāvābhāvādibhedataḥ ॥ 2॥ guruśiṣyādibhedena brahmaiva pratibhāsate । brahmaiva kevalaṃ śuddhaṃ vidyate tattvadarśane ॥ 3॥ na ca vidyā na cāvidyā na jagacca na cāparam । satyatvena jagadbhānaṃ saṃsārasya pravartakam ॥ 4॥ asatyatvena bhānaṃ tu saṃsārasya nivartakam । ghaṭo'yamiti vijñātuṃ niyamaḥ konvapekṣate ॥ 5॥ vinā pramāṇasuṣṭhutvaṃ yasminsati padārthadhīḥ । ayamātmā nityasiddhaḥ pramāṇe sati bhāsate ॥ 6॥ na deśaṃ nāpi kālaṃ vā na śuddhiṃ vāpyapekṣate । devadatto'hamityetadvijñānaṃ nirapekṣakam ॥ 7॥ tadvadbrahmavido'pyasyabrahmāhamiti vedanam । bhānuneva jagatsarvaṃ bhāsyate yasya tejasā ॥ 8॥ anātmakamasattucchaṃ kiṃ nu tasyāvabhāsakam । vedaśāstrapurāṇāni bhūtāni sakalānyapi ॥ 9॥ yenārthavanti taṃ kiṃ nu vijñātāraṃ prakāśayet । kṣudhāṃ dehavyathāṃ tyaktvā bālaḥ krīḍati vastuni ॥ 10॥ tathaiva vidvānramate nirmamo nirahaṃ sukhī । kāmānniṣkāmarūpī saṃcaratyekacaro muniḥ ॥ 11॥ svātmanaiva sadā tuṣṭaḥ svayaṃ sarvātmanā sthitaḥ । nirdhano'pi sadā tuṣṭo'pyasahāyo mahābalaḥ ॥ 12॥ nityatṛpto'pyabhuñjāno'pyasamaḥ samadarśanaḥ । kurvannapi na kurvāṇaścābhoktā phalabhogyapi ॥ 13॥ śarīryapyaśarīryeṣa paricchinno'pi sarvagaḥ । aśarīraṃ sadā santamidaṃ brahmavidaṃ kvacit ॥ 14॥ priyāpriye na spṛśatastathaiva ca śubhā śubhe । tamasā grastavadbhānādagrasto'pi ravirjanaiḥ ॥ 15॥ grasta ityucyate bhrāntyā hyajñātvā vastulakṣaṇam । tadvaddehādibandhebhyo vimuktaṃ brahmavittamam ॥ 16॥ paśyanti dehivanmūḍhāḥ śarīrābhāsadarśanāt । ahinirlvayanīvāyaṃ muktadehastu tiṣṭhati ॥ 17॥ itastataścālyamāno yatkiñcitprāṇavāyunā । srotasā nīyate dāru yathā nimnonnatasthalam ॥ 18॥ daivena nīyate deho yathā kālopabhuktiṣu । lakṣyālakṣyagatiṃ tyaktvā yastiṣṭhetkevalātmanā ॥ 19॥ śiva eva svayaṃ sākṣādayaṃ brahmaviduttamaḥ । jīvanneva sadā muktaḥ kṛtārtho brahmavittamaḥ ॥ 20॥ upādhināśādbrahmaiva sadbrahmāpyeti nirdvayam । śailūṣo veṣasadbhāvābhāvayośca yathā pumān ॥ 21॥ tathaiva brahmavicchreṣṭhaḥ sadā brahmaiva nāparaḥ । ghaṭe naṣṭe yathā vyoma vyomaiva bhavati svayam ॥ 22॥ tathaivopādhivilaye brahmaiva brahmavitsvayam । kṣīraṃ kṣīre yathā kṣiptaṃ tailaṃ taile jalaṃ jale ॥ 23॥ saṃyuktamekatāṃ yāti tathātmanyātmavinmuniḥ । evaṃ videhakaivalyaṃ sanmātratvamakhaṇḍitam ॥ 24॥ brahmabhāvaṃ prapadyaiṣa yatirnāvartate punaḥ । sadātmakatvavijñānadagdhā vidyādivarṣmaṇaḥ ॥ 25॥ amuṣya brahmabhūtattvādbrahmaṇaḥ kuta udbhavaḥ । māyāklṛptau bandhamokṣau na staḥ svātmani vastutaḥ ॥ 26॥ yathā rajjau niṣkriyāyāṃ sarpābhāsavinirgamau । avṛteḥ sadasattvābhyāṃ vaktavye bandhamokṣaṇe ॥ 27॥ nāvṛttirbrahmaṇaḥ kvācidanyābhāvādanāvṛtam । astīti pratyayo yaśca yaśca nāstīti vastuni ॥ 28॥ buddhereva guṇāvetau na tu nityasya vastunaḥ । atastau māyayā klṛptau bandhamokṣau na cātmani ॥ 29॥ niṣkale niṣkriye śānte niravadye niraṃjane । advitīye pare tattve vyomavatkalpanā kutaḥ ॥ 30॥ na nirodho na cotpattirna baddho na ca sādhakaḥ । na mumukṣurna vai mukta ityeṣā paramārthatā ॥ 31॥ ityupaniṣat ॥ oṃ bhadraṃ karṇebhiḥ śruṇuyāma devāḥ । bhadraṃ paśyemākṣabhiryajatrāḥ । sthirairaṅgaistuṣṭuvām̐sastanūbhiḥ । vyaśema devahitaṃ yadāyuḥ ॥ oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ॥ ॥ hariḥ oṃ tatsat ॥