Advaita Pancharatnam (Atma Panchakam) Meaning — Line by Line
अद्वैत पञ्चरत्नम् (आत्मपञ्चकम्)
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Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Advaita Pancharatnam (Atma Panchakam) with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
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nāhaṃ deho nendriyāṇy antaraṅgo
नाहं देहो नेन्द्रियाण्यन्तरङ्गो नाहङ्कारः प्राणवर्गो न बुद्धिः। दारापत्यक्षेत्रवित्तादिदूरः साक्षी नित्यः प्रत्यगात्मा शिवोऽहम्॥१॥
nāhaṃ deho nendriyāṇy antaraṅgo nāhaṅkāraḥ prāṇavargo na buddhiḥ | dārāpatya-kṣetra-vittādi-dūraḥ sākṣī nityaḥ pratyagātmā śivo'ham ||1||
MeaningI am not the body, nor the senses, nor the inner mind; I am neither the ego, nor the vital breaths, nor the intellect. Utterly remote from wife, children, lands and wealth, I am the eternal witness, the innermost Self — I am Shiva.
rajjv-ajñānād bhāti rajjau yathāhiḥ
रज्ज्वज्ञानाद्भाति रज्जौ यथाहिः स्वात्माज्ञानादात्मनो जीवभावः। आप्तोक्त्याहिभ्रान्तिनाशे स रज्जुर् जीवो नाहं देशिकोक्त्या शिवोऽहम्॥२॥
rajjv-ajñānād bhāti rajjau yathāhiḥ svātmājñānād ātmano jīvabhāvaḥ | āptoktyā-hi-bhrānti-nāśe sa rajjur jīvo nāhaṃ deśikoktyā śivo'ham ||2||
MeaningJust as a snake appears in a rope through ignorance of the rope, so the notion of being a limited soul appears in the Self through ignorance of one's own nature. As the delusion of the snake vanishes when a trustworthy person reveals 'it is only a rope', so, by the word of the guru, I am not the limited soul — I am Shiva.
ābhātīdaṃ viśvam ātmany asatyaṃ
आभातीदं विश्वमात्मन्यसत्यं सत्यज्ञानानन्दरूपे विमोहात्। निद्रामोहात्स्वप्नवत्तन्न सत्यं शुद्धः पूर्णो नित्य एकः शिवोऽहम्॥३॥
ābhātīdaṃ viśvam ātmany asatyaṃ satya-jñānānanda-rūpe vimohāt | nidrā-mohāt svapnavat tan na satyaṃ śuddhaḥ pūrṇo nitya ekaḥ śivo'ham ||3||
MeaningThrough delusion this unreal universe appears within Me, whose nature is Truth, Knowledge and Bliss; but like a dream born of the stupor of sleep, it is not real. Pure, full, eternal and one without a second — I am Shiva.
nāhaṃ jāto na pravṛddho na naṣṭo
नाहं जातो न प्रवृद्धो न नष्टो देहस्योक्ताः प्राकृताः सर्वधर्माः। कर्तृत्वादिश्चिन्मयस्यास्ति नाहं- कारस्यैव ह्यात्मनो मे शिवोऽहम्॥४॥
nāhaṃ jāto na pravṛddho na naṣṭo dehasyoktāḥ prākṛtāḥ sarva-dharmāḥ | kartṛtvādiś cinmayasyāsti nāhaṃ- kārasyaiva hy ātmano me śivo'ham ||4||
MeaningI am not born, I do not grow, I do not perish; all such changes belong to the body's natural states. Doership and the rest belong only to the ego, not to Me, the Self of pure consciousness — I am Shiva.
matto nānyat kiñcid atrāsti viśvaṃ
मत्तो नान्यत्किञ्चिदत्रास्ति विश्वं सत्यं बाह्यं वस्तु मायोपकॢप्तम्। आदर्शान्तर्भासमानस्य तुल्यं मय्यद्वैते भाति तस्माच्छिवोऽहम्॥५॥
matto nānyat kiñcid atrāsti viśvaṃ satyaṃ bāhyaṃ vastu māyopaklṛptam | ādarśāntar-bhāsamānasya tulyaṃ mayy advaite bhāti tasmāc chivo'ham ||5||
MeaningThere is nothing here at all apart from Me; the external world taken as real is but a fabrication of Maya. As a reflection shines within a mirror, so it appears within Me, the non-dual reality — therefore I am Shiva.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Prakarana (independent Advaita hymn) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Period: Classical (traditionally 8th century CE)
The Advaita Pancharatnam, also titled Atma Panchakam, belongs to Adi Shankaracharya's group of brief prakarana hymns that compress the teaching of Advaita Vedanta into a handful of verses. Like the Nirvana Shatkam and Dashashloki, it negates the seeker's identification with the body, senses, mind and the apparent world, and affirms the Self as 'Shiva' — the one, pure, witnessing consciousness. The colophon attributes it to Shri Shankara Bhagavatpada, disciple of Govinda Bhagavatpada.
Frequently Asked Questions
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