Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati (The Knower of Brahman Becomes Brahman) — Word-by-Word Meaning
ब्रह्मविद् ब्रह्मैव भवति
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
सः यः ह वै
sa yo ha vai
He who, verily, indeed
तत् परमम् ब्रह्म
tat paramam brahma
That supreme Brahman
वेद
veda
Knows, realizes
ब्रह्म एव भवति
brahma eva bhavati
Becomes Brahman itself
न अस्य अब्रह्मवित् कुले भवति
na asya abrahmavit kule bhavati
In his family none is born who does not know Brahman
तरति शोकम्
tarati śokam
He crosses over sorrow, goes beyond grief
तरति पाप्मानम्
tarati pāpmānam
He crosses over sin and evil
गुहाग्रन्थिभ्यः
guhāgranthibhyaḥ
From the knots of the heart (the bonds hidden in the cave of the heart)
विमुक्तः
vimuktaḥ
Wholly freed, released
अमृतः भवति
amṛtaḥ bhavati
Becomes immortal
Complete Translation
He who knows that supreme Brahman becomes Brahman itself; in his line none is born ignorant of Brahman. He crosses beyond sorrow, crosses beyond sin, and freed from the knots of the heart, becomes immortal.
Origin & History
Source: Mundaka Upanishad, Verse 3.2.9
Author: Traditional (Upanishadic)
Period: Vedic / Upanishadic
The Mundaka Upanishad leads the seeker from the lower knowledge of rituals and texts to the higher knowledge (para vidya) by which the imperishable Brahman is directly realized. In its final section it describes the liberated knower who, beholding the supreme Self in the cave of the heart, has the knots of ignorance cut and all doubts dissolved. This verse crowns that teaching with its ringing declaration that whoever knows the supreme Brahman becomes Brahman itself, crossing beyond sorrow and sin into immortality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati mean?▼
It means 'the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman itself'. It teaches that realizing the supreme Reality is not gaining something separate but awakening to one's own identity as Brahman — crossing beyond sorrow and sin and becoming immortal.
Where does this verse come from?▼
It is from the Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.9), which belongs to the Atharva Veda. The Mundaka Upanishad is famous for distinguishing higher knowledge (para vidya) of Brahman from lower knowledge, and for the image of the two birds on one tree.
What are the 'knots of the heart'?▼
The 'knots of the heart' (hridaya-granthi) are the deep bonds of ignorance, desire and the ego-sense that tie the Self to the body and world. The Mundaka Upanishad says that when one beholds the supreme Self, these knots are cut, all doubts vanish, and one's karma is exhausted.
Does becoming Brahman mean a person disappears?▼
It does not mean annihilation but the falling away of the false sense of being a separate, limited self. What remains is the ever-present Reality, Brahman, recognized as one's own true nature — full, blissful and deathless. The individual illusion ends; infinite Being shines.
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