Kaivalya Upanishad
1
ॐ अथाश्वलायनो भगवन्तं परमेष्ठिनमुपसमेत्योवाच ।
अधीहि भगवन्ब्रह्मविद्यां वरिष्ठां सदा सद्भिः सेव्यमानां निगूढाम् ।
ययाऽचिरात्सर्वपापं व्यपोह्य परात्परं पुरुषं याति विद्वान्
oṃ athāśvalāyano bhagavantaṃ parameṣṭhinamupasametyovāca. adhīhi bhagavanbrahmavidyāṃ variṣṭhāṃ sadā sadbhiḥ sevyamānāṃ nigūḍhām. yayā'cirātsarvapāpaṃ vyapohya parātparaṃ puruṣaṃ yāti vidvān
Then did A’svalayana approach the Lord Parameshthin, and said: Do thou, O Lord! teach Brahmavidya, the most excellent, always resorted to by the righteous, quite hidden, by which the wise man ere long shakes off all sin and reaches the Purusha (Spirit), greater than the great.
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2
तस्मै स होवाच पितामहश्च श्रद्धाभक्तिध्यानयोगादवैहि
tasmai sa hovāca pitāmahaśca śraddhābhaktidhyānayogādavaihi
And to him, verily, He, the Grandsire, said: Do thou know it by means of Faith, Devotion, and Meditation. Not by work, not by progeny, nor by wealth, but by renunciation the Great Ones attained immortality.
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3
न कर्मणा न प्रजया धनेन त्यागेनैके अमृतत्वमानशुः ।
परेण नाकं निहितं गुहायां विभ्राजते यद्यतयो विशन्ति
na karmaṇā na prajayā dhanena tyāgenaike amṛtatvamānaśuḥ. pareṇa nākaṃ nihitaṃ guhāyāṃ vibhrājate yadyatayo viśanti
That which is higher than svarga, That which, seated in the cave, shines resplendent,— That do those aspirants enter, Who by vedantic wisdom have well ascertained the Thing,— Those aspirants whose minds have been purified by sannyasa-yoga.
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4
वेदान्तविज्ञानसुनिश्र्चितार्थाः संन्यासयोगाद्यतयः शुद्धसत्त्वाः ।
ते ब्रह्मलोकेषु परान्तकाले परामृताः परिमुच्यन्ति सर्वे
vedāntavijñānasuniśrcitārthāḥ saṃnyāsayogādyatayaḥ śuddhasattvāḥ. te brahmalokeṣu parāntakāle parāmṛtāḥ parimucyanti sarve
In the regions of Brahma, at the last moment of Para, they all become released from the Great, the Immortal. At a retired spot, seated in an easy posture, pure, erect being the neck, the head and the body;
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5
विविक्तदेशे च सुखासनस्थः शुचिः समग्रीवशिरःशरीरः ।
अत्याश्रमस्थः सकलेन्द्रियाणि निरुध्य भक्त्या स्वगुरुं प्रणम्य ।
हृत्पुण्डरीकं विरजं विशुद्धं विचिन्त्य मध्ये विशदं विशोकम्
viviktadeśe ca sukhāsanasthaḥ śuciḥ samagrīvaśiraḥśarīraḥ. atyāśramasthaḥ sakalendriyāṇi nirudhya bhaktyā svaguruṃ praṇamya. hṛtpuṇḍarīkaṃ virajaṃ viśuddhaṃ vicintya madhye viśadaṃ viśokam
Leading the highest order of life, restraining all the sense-organs, and having saluted his own Guru in devotion, regarding the heart-lotus unstained and quite pure, and in its centre contemplating Him who is free from all taint and grief;
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6
अचिन्त्यमव्यक्तमनन्तरूपं शिवं प्रशान्तममृतं ब्रह्मयोनिम् ।
तथादिमध्यान्तविहीनमेकं विभुं चिदानन्दमरूपमद्भुतम्
acintyamavyaktamanantarūpaṃ śivaṃ praśāntamamṛtaṃ brahmayonim. tathādimadhyāntavihīnamekaṃ vibhuṃ cidānandamarūpamadbhutam
Who is Unthinkable, the Unmanifest, whose forms are endless; who is the Good, tranquil, immortal; who is the womb of Brahma; and who is devoid of a beginning, middle, or end; the One; who is Intelligence and Bliss; the Formless; the Wonderful.
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7
उमासहायं परमेश्वरं प्रभुं त्रिलोचनं नीलकण्ठं प्रशान्तम् ।
ध्यात्वा मुनिर्गच्छति भूतयोनिं समस्तसाक्षिं तमसः परस्तात्
umāsahāyaṃ parameśvaraṃ prabhuṃ trilocanaṃ nīlakaṇṭhaṃ praśāntam. dhyātvā munirgacchati bhūtayoniṃ samastasākṣiṃ tamasaḥ parastāt
Him whose help-mate is Uma; who is the Supreme Lord, Mighty, Three-eyed; Dark-necked, and Serene: having meditated thus, the sage reaches Him who is the womb of all beings, the witness of all, transcending darkness.
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8
स ब्रह्मा स शिवः सेन्द्रः सोऽक्षरः परमः स्वराट् ।
स एव विष्णुः स प्राणः स कालोऽग्निः स चन्द्रमाः
sa brahmā sa śivaḥ sendraḥ so'kṣaraḥ paramaḥ svarāṭ. sa eva viṣṇuḥ sa prāṇaḥ sa kālo'gniḥ sa candramāḥ
He is Brahma, He is S’iva, He is Rudra, He the Indestructible, the Supreme, the Self-luminous; He Himself is Vishnu. He is Prana. He is Time, He is Fire, He the Moon.
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9
स एव सर्वं यद्भूतं यच्च भव्यं सनातनम् ।
ज्ञात्वा तं मृत्युमत्येति नान्यः पन्था विमुक्तये
sa eva sarvaṃ yadbhūtaṃ yacca bhavyaṃ sanātanam. jñātvā taṃ mṛtyumatyeti nānyaḥ panthā vimuktaye
He Himself is all, what has been and what is yet to be, the Eternal. Having known Him, one crosses beyond death. There exists no other path to liberation.
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10
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
सम्पश्यन्ब्रह्म परमं याति नान्येन हेतुना
sarvabhūtasthamātmānaṃ sarvabhūtāni cātmani. sampaśyanbrahma paramaṃ yāti nānyena hetunā
Seeing the Atman abiding in all beings and all beings in the Atman, one reaches the Supreme Brahman,—not by any other means. Meditation by Pranava. When the meditation practised on the line recommended above does not lead to the right knowledge of Brahman, then the neophyte should have recourse to the meditation of the One Self by means of Pranava:
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11
आत्मानमरणिं कृत्वा प्रणवं चोत्तरारणिम् ।
ज्ञाननिर्मथनाभ्यासात्पाशं दहति पण्डितः
ātmānamaraṇiṃ kṛtvā praṇavaṃ cottarāraṇim. jñānanirmathanābhyāsātpāśaṃ dahati paṇḍitaḥ
Having made the Atman the arani, and Pranava the upper arani, by practice of knowledge, by repeated churning, the wise man burns up the bond (pasa).
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12
स एव मायापरिमोहितात्मा शरीरमास्थाय करोति सर्वम् ।
स्त्र्यन्नपानादिविचित्रभोगैः स एव जाग्रत्परितृप्तिमेति
sa eva māyāparimohitātmā śarīramāsthāya karoti sarvam. stryannapānādivicitrabhogaiḥ sa eva jāgratparitṛptimeti
It is He who becomes deluded as to the real Self by Maya, and who, seated in the body, does everything. He it is who, while awake, attains satisfaction by women, food, drink and other divers pleasures.
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13
स्वप्ने स जीवः सुखदुःखभोक्ता स्वमायया कल्पितजीवलोके ।
सुषुप्तिकाले सकले विलीने तमोऽभिभूतः सुखरूपमेति
svapne sa jīvaḥ sukhaduḥkhabhoktā svamāyayā kalpitajīvaloke. suṣuptikāle sakale vilīne tamo'bhibhūtaḥ sukharūpameti
In svapna, He, the jiva, is the enjoyer of pleasures and pains in all world created by his own Maya. At the time of sushupti, everything vanished, by darkness (tamas) enveloped, He attains the blessed condition. And again, in virtue of Karma of past births, the self-same jiva dreams or becomes awake.
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14
पुनश्च जन्मान्तरकर्मयोगात्स एव जीवः स्वपिति प्रबुद्धः ।
पुरत्रये क्रीडति यश्च जीवस्ततस्तु जातं सकलं विचित्रम् ।
आधारमानन्दमखण्डबोधं यस्मिँल्लयं याति पुरत्रयं च
punaśca janmāntarakarmayogātsa eva jīvaḥ svapiti prabuddhaḥ. puratraye krīḍati yaśca jīvastatastu jātaṃ sakalaṃ vicitram. ādhāramānandamakhaṇḍabodhaṃ yasmiṃllayaṃ yāti puratrayaṃ ca
And it is verily from Him, who as the jiva amuses himself in the three bodies, that the whole variegated being is born. He is the basis, the Bliss, the Infinite Wisdom, in whom the three bodies and (all) get dissolved.
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15
एतस्माज्जायते प्राणो मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च ।
खं वायुर्ज्योतिरापश्च पृथ्वी विश्वस्य धारिणी
etasmājjāyate prāṇo manaḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca. khaṃ vāyurjyotirāpaśca pṛthvī viśvasya dhāriṇī
From Him are born prana, manas, and all the indriyas; the akasa, vayu, light, water, the earth which maintains the whole universe.
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16
यत्परं ब्रह्म सर्वात्मा विश्वस्यायतनं महत् ।
सूक्ष्मात्सूक्ष्मतरं नित्यं तत्त्वमेव त्वमेव तत्
yatparaṃ brahma sarvātmā viśvasyāyatanaṃ mahat. sūkṣmātsūkṣmataraṃ nityaṃ tattvameva tvameva tat
That Supreme Brahman, the Self of all, the great abode of the universe, subtler than the subtle, the Eternal, That is thyself, and thou art That.
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17
जाग्रत्स्वप्नसुषुप्त्यादिप्रपञ्चं यत्प्रकाशते ।
तद्ब्रह्माहमिति ज्ञात्वा सर्वबन्धैः प्रमुच्यते
jāgratsvapnasuṣuptyādiprapañcaṃ yatprakāśate. tadbrahmāhamiti jñātvā sarvabandhaiḥ pramucyate
That which illumines the universe composed of jagrat, svapna, sushupti and so on,—knowing “I am That Brahman”, from all bonds one is released.
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18
त्रिषु धामसु यद्भोग्यं भोक्ता भोगश्च यद्भवेत् ।
तेभ्यो विलक्षणः साक्षी चिन्मात्रोऽहं सदाशिवः
triṣu dhāmasu yadbhogyaṃ bhoktā bhogaśca yadbhavet. tebhyo vilakṣaṇaḥ sākṣī cinmātro'haṃ sadāśivaḥ
Whatever in the three states is the object of enjoyment, the enjoyer and the enjoyment itself, from them distinct am I, the Witness, the pure Intelligence, the Ever-Good.
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19
मय्येव सकलं जातं मयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
मयि सर्वं लयं याति तद्ब्रह्माद्वयमस्म्यहम्
mayyeva sakalaṃ jātaṃ mayi sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam. mayi sarvaṃ layaṃ yāti tadbrahmādvayamasmyaham
In me all is born, in me all things firmly stand, in me all attains dissolution. So, I am Brahman, the secondless.
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20
अणोरणीयानहमेव तद्वन्महानहं विश्वमहं विचित्रम् ।
पुरातनोऽहं पुरुषोऽहमीशो हिरण्मयोऽहं शिवरूपमस्मि
aṇoraṇīyānahameva tadvanmahānahaṃ viśvamahaṃ vicitram. purātano'haṃ puruṣo'hamīśo hiraṇmayo'haṃ śivarūpamasmi
I am verily subtler than the subtle, so am I the Great; I am the universe diverse; I am the ancient, I am full (Purusha), the Ruler, I am the Golden; and the Auspicious am I in form.
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21
अपाणिपादोऽहमचिन्त्यशक्तिः पश्याम्यचक्षुः स शृणोम्यकर्णः ।
अहं विजानामि विविक्तरूपो न चास्ति वेत्ता मम चित्सदाऽहम्
apāṇipādo'hamacintyaśaktiḥ paśyāmyacakṣuḥ sa śṛṇomyakarṇaḥ. ahaṃ vijānāmi viviktarūpo na cāsti vettā mama citsadā'ham ..
Without hands and feet I am of unthinkable activity; without eyes, I see; without ears, I hear; distinct (from Buddhi), I understand; and there is none who knows Me; I am ever conscious. I am He who is knowable by the many Vedas: I am the Maker of the Vedanta, as well as the Knower of the Vedas.
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22
वेदैरनेकैरहमेव वेद्यो वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ।
न पुण्यपापे मम नास्ति नाशो न जन्म देहेन्द्रियबुद्धिरस्ति
vedairanekairahameva vedyo vedāntakṛdvedavideva cāham. na puṇyapāpe mama nāsti nāśo na janma dehendriyabuddhirasti
To me there is no virtue or sin, no death or birth, no body, senses or buddhi. No earth or water exists for me, and no fire, and no air exists for me, nor ether.
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23
न भूमिरापो न च वह्निरस्ति न चानिलो मेऽस्ति न चाम्बरं च ।
एवं विदित्वा परमात्मरूपं गुहाशयं निष्कलमद्वितीयम्
समस्तसाक्षिं सदसद्विहीनं प्रयाति शुद्धं परमात्मरूपम्
na bhūmirāpo na ca vahnirasti na cānilo me'sti na cāmbaraṃ ca. evaṃ viditvā paramātmarūpaṃ guhāśayaṃ niṣkalamadvitīyam
samastasākṣiṃ sadasadvihīnaṃ prayāti śuddhaṃ paramātmarūpam
Thus knowing the essence of the Paramatman, the Supreme Self lying in the cave, partless and secondless, the Witness of all, having neither the existent nor non-existent, one reaches the pure essence of Paramatman.
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24
यः शतरुद्रियमधीते सोऽग्निपूतो भवति सुरापानात्पूतो भवति स ब्रह्महत्यायाः पूतो भवति स सुवर्णस्तेयात्पूतो भवति स कृत्याकृत्यात्पूतो भवति तस्मादविमुक्तमाश्रितो भवत्यत्याश्रमी सर्वदा सकृद्वा जपेत्
yaḥ śatarudriyamadhīte so'gnipūto bhavati surāpānātpūto bhavati sa brahmahatyāyāḥ pūto bhavati sa suvarṇasteyātpūto bhavati sa kṛtyākṛtyātpūto bhavati tasmādavimuktamāśrito bhavatyatyāśramī sarvadā sakṛdvā japet
He who recites the S’atarudriya becomes purified by sacred fires; he has atoned for wine-drinking; he has atoned for brahmanicide; he has atoned for voluntary and involuntary sins. Thereby he is refuged in the Avimukta (the Lord). He who is of the highest order should recite it always, or once.
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25
अनेन ज्ञानमाप्नोति संसारार्णवनाशनम् । तस्मादेवं विदित्वैनं कैवल्यं पदमश्नुते कैवल्यं पदमश्नुत इति
anena jñānamāpnoti saṃsārārṇavanāśanam. tasmādevaṃ viditvainaṃ kaivalyaṃ padamaśnute kaivalyaṃ padamaśnuta iti
By this he attains wisdom which is destructive of the ocean of samsara. Therefore, having thus known Him, he attains liberation as the result.
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