Brahma Jnanavali Mala
ब्रह्मज्ञानावलीमाला
Also known as: brahma jnanavali mala · brahmajnanavali mala · brahma gyanavali mala · asango'ham asango'ham · brahma satyam jagan mithya
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✦ Meaning
The Brahma Jnanavali Mala ('Garland of Gems of the Knowledge of Brahman') is a celebrated Advaita prakarana of about twenty verses attributed to Adi Shankaracharya, said to grant the knowledge of Brahman upon merely hearing it once. The verses are a sustained, first-person affirmation — 'aham eva aham avyayah', 'I alone am the imperishable Self' — and culminate in the famous Vedantic summary 'Brahman is real, the world is illusory, the soul is none other than Brahman'. It is a powerful tool for Self-enquiry and meditation on one's true nature.
Origin & Story
Prakarana grantha (independent didactic treatise) ascribed to Adi Shankaracharya · Adi Shankaracharya · Classical (traditionally 8th century CE)
The Brahma Jnanavali Mala is one of Adi Shankaracharya's prakarana works — short independent treatises that distil the teaching of Advaita Vedanta. Composed as a garland of affirmative verses in the first person, it describes the marks of the one who has realized 'I am Brahman'. Its opening verse boldly states that it is meant for the liberation of all and that Brahma-jnana can dawn upon merely hearing it once. The hymn is treasured by advanced seekers as a direct pointer to the non-dual Self, ending with the luminous declaration 'I am Shiva, the light of lights'.
✦ As told in scripture
Tradition holds that this garland of verses is so potent that 'sakrit shravana matrena' — by a single sincere hearing — the listener's heart can be turned toward the knowledge of Brahman; seekers who steep the mind in its affirmation 'I am the witness, the imperishable Self' are said to be freed, in that very recognition, from the bondage of birth and death.
Complete Text with Meaning
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असङ्गोऽहमसङ्गोऽहमसङ्गोऽहं पुनः पुनः। सच्चिदानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१॥
asaṅgo'ham asaṅgo'ham asaṅgo'haṃ punaḥ punaḥ | sac-cid-ānanda-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||1||
Meaning:Unattached am I, unattached am I, unattached am I, again and again; of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
नित्यशुद्धविमुक्तोऽहं निराकारोऽहमव्ययः। भूमानन्दस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥२॥
nitya-śuddha-vimukto'haṃ nirākāro'ham avyayaḥ | bhūmānanda-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||2||
Meaning:Eternally pure and ever-free am I, formless and changeless; of the nature of infinite bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
नित्योऽहं निरवद्योऽहं निराकारोऽहमुच्यते। परमानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥३॥
nityo'haṃ niravadyo'haṃ nirākāro'ham ucyate | paramānanda-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||3||
Meaning:Eternal am I, blameless am I, formless I am declared to be; of the nature of supreme bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
शुद्धचैतन्यरूपोऽहमात्मारामोऽहमेव च। अखण्डानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥४॥
śuddha-caitanya-rūpo'ham ātmārāmo'ham eva ca | akhaṇḍānanda-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||4||
Meaning:Of the nature of pure consciousness am I, ever delighting in the Self; of the nature of undivided bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
प्रत्यक्चैतन्यरूपोऽहं शान्तोऽहं प्रकृतेः परः। शाश्वतानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥५॥
pratyak-caitanya-rūpo'haṃ śānto'haṃ prakṛteḥ paraḥ | śāśvatānanda-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||5||
Meaning:Of the nature of inner consciousness am I, serene am I, beyond Nature; of the nature of everlasting bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
तत्त्वातीतः परात्माहं मध्यातीतः परः शिवः। मायातीतः परंज्योतिरहमेवाहमव्ययः॥६॥
tattvātītaḥ parātmāhaṃ madhyātītaḥ paraḥ śivaḥ | māyātītaḥ paraṃ-jyotir aham evāham avyayaḥ ||6||
Meaning:Beyond all principles I am the Supreme Self; beyond the middle, I am the supreme Shiva; beyond Maya, the supreme Light am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
नानारूपव्यतीतोऽहं चिदाकारोऽहमच्युतः। सुखरूपस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥७॥
nānā-rūpa-vyatīto'haṃ cid-ākāro'ham acyutaḥ | sukha-rūpa-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||7||
Meaning:Beyond all manifold forms am I, of the form of consciousness, undecaying; of the very nature of happiness am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
मायातत्कार्यदेहादि मम नास्त्येव सर्वदा। स्वप्रकाशैकरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥८॥
māyā-tat-kārya-dehādi mama nāsty eva sarvadā | sva-prakāśaika-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||8||
Meaning:Maya and its effects — the body and the rest — never truly belong to me at all; self-luminous and one am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
गुणत्रयव्यतीतोऽहं ब्रह्मादीनां च साक्ष्यहम्। अनन्तानन्दरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥९॥
guṇa-traya-vyatīto'haṃ brahmādīnāṃ ca sākṣy aham | anantānanda-rūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||9||
Meaning:Beyond the three gunas am I, the witness of Brahma and all the gods; of the nature of endless bliss am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
अन्तर्यामिस्वरूपोऽहं कूटस्थः सर्वगोऽस्म्यहम्। परमात्मस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१०॥
antaryāmi-svarūpo'haṃ kūṭasthaḥ sarvago'smy aham | paramātma-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||10||
Meaning:Of the nature of the inner ruler am I, changeless and all-pervading am I; of the nature of the Supreme Self am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
निष्कलोऽहं निष्क्रियोऽहं सर्वात्माद्यः सनातनः। अपरोक्षस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥११॥
niṣkalo'haṃ niṣkriyo'haṃ sarvātmādyaḥ sanātanaḥ | aparokṣa-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||11||
Meaning:Partless am I, actionless am I, the Self of all, first and eternal; of the nature of immediate (direct) experience am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
द्वन्द्वादिसाक्षिरूपोऽहमचलोऽहं सनातनः। सर्वसाक्षिस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१२॥
dvandvādi-sākṣi-rūpo'ham acalo'haṃ sanātanaḥ | sarva-sākṣi-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||12||
Meaning:The witness of the pairs of opposites am I, unmoving and eternal; of the nature of the witness of all am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
प्रज्ञानघन एवाहं विज्ञानघन एव च। अकर्ताहमभोक्ताहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१३॥
prajñāna-ghana evāhaṃ vijñāna-ghana eva ca | akartāham abhoktāham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||13||
Meaning:A mass of pure cognition am I indeed, a mass of pure knowledge too; the non-doer and the non-enjoyer am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
निराधारस्वरूपोऽहं सर्वाधारोऽहमेव च। आप्तकामस्वरूपोऽहमहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१४॥
nirādhāra-svarūpo'haṃ sarvādhāro'ham eva ca | āpta-kāma-svarūpo'ham aham evāham avyayaḥ ||14||
Meaning:Without any support am I, yet the support of all am I; ever-content, with every desire fulfilled, am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
तापत्रयविनिर्मुक्तो देहत्रयविलक्षणः। अवस्थात्रयसाक्ष्यस्मि चाहमेवाहमव्ययः॥१५॥
tāpa-traya-vinirmukto deha-traya-vilakṣaṇaḥ | avasthā-traya-sākṣy asmi cāham evāham avyayaḥ ||15||
Meaning:Free from the three afflictions, distinct from the three bodies, the witness of the three states am I, I alone am I, the imperishable.
दृग्दृश्यौ द्वौ पदार्थौ स्तः परस्परविलक्षणौ। दृग्ब्रह्म दृश्यं मायेति सर्ववेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥१६॥
dṛg-dṛśyau dvau padārthau staḥ paraspara-vilakṣaṇau | dṛg-brahma dṛśyaṃ māyeti sarva-vedānta-ḍiṇḍimaḥ ||16||
Meaning:Seer and seen are two categories, mutually distinct; the seer is Brahman, the seen is Maya — such is the drumbeat (proclamation) of all Vedanta.
अहं साक्षीति यो विद्याद्विविच्यैवं पुनः पुनः। स एव मुक्तः सो विद्वानिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥१७॥
ahaṃ sākṣīti yo vidyād vivicyaivaṃ punaḥ punaḥ | sa eva muktaḥ so vidvān iti vedānta-ḍiṇḍimaḥ ||17||
Meaning:Whoever knows, by enquiring thus again and again, 'I am the witness', he alone is liberated, he alone is the wise one — such is the proclamation of Vedanta.
घटकुड्यादिकं सर्वं मृत्तिकामात्रमेव च। तद्वद्ब्रह्म जगत्सर्वमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥१८॥
ghaṭa-kuḍyādikaṃ sarvaṃ mṛttikā-mātram eva ca | tadvad brahma jagat sarvam iti vedānta-ḍiṇḍimaḥ ||18||
Meaning:Just as pot, wall and the rest are nothing but clay, so too this entire world is nothing but Brahman — such is the proclamation of Vedanta.
ब्रह्म सत्यं जगन्मिथ्या जीवो ब्रह्मैव नापरः। अनेन वेद्यं सच्छास्त्रमिति वेदान्तडिण्डिमः॥१९॥
brahma satyaṃ jagan mithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ | anena vedyaṃ sac-chāstram iti vedānta-ḍiṇḍimaḥ ||19||
Meaning:Brahman is real, the world is illusory, and the soul is Brahman itself, not other; this is to be known as the conclusion of true scripture — such is the proclamation of Vedanta.
अन्तर्ज्योतिर्बहिर्ज्योतिः प्रत्यग्ज्योतिः परात्परः। ज्योतिर्ज्योतिः स्वयंज्योतिरात्मज्योतिः शिवोऽस्म्यहम्॥२०॥
antar-jyotir bahir-jyotiḥ pratyag-jyotiḥ parāt-paraḥ | jyotir-jyotiḥ svayaṃ-jyotir ātma-jyotiḥ śivo'smy aham ||20||
Meaning:Inner light, outer light, the indwelling light, higher than the highest; the light of lights, self-luminous light, the light of the Self — that auspicious Self am I.
Word-by-Word Meaning
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Benefits of Chanting Brahma Jnanavali Mala
Said to bestow the knowledge of Brahman (Brahma-jnana) even upon a single attentive hearing
Powerfully reinforces the great Advaitic truths 'Aham Brahmasmi' and 'Brahman is real, the world illusory'
An ideal text for nididhyasana — sustained meditation on one's true Self
Dissolves the false identification with body, mind, gunas and the three states (waking, dream, deep sleep)
Cultivates deep, abiding peace and freedom from the three afflictions (tapatraya)
Frequently used for daily Vedantic study (svadhyaya) and contemplation by seekers of liberation
How to Chant Brahma Jnanavali Mala
Sit quietly facing east or north in a calm, clean place. Recite the verses slowly, allowing each first-person affirmation ('I am the witness… I alone am the imperishable Self') to sink in. Reflect on the closing teaching 'Brahman is real, the world illusory, the soul is Brahman itself'. Even a single careful recitation is said to be fruitful; many recite it daily as part of contemplation and Self-enquiry.
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