advaitavedantashankaracharyabrahman

Slokardhena Pravakshyami

श्लोकार्धेन प्रवक्ष्यामि in English · English

🕉️ hindu·📿 11× repetitions·🕐 Morning during study and meditation, or before beginning the study of any Vedantic scripture·📜 Advaita Vedanta tradition; attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (also appears in Brahma Jnanavali Mala)

Read in your language / script

हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀEnglishසිංහල 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

✦ Meaning

This is one of the most quoted couplets in all of Advaita Vedanta. With magnificent confidence it announces that the entire teaching of countless scriptures can be compressed into a single half-verse, and then delivers it: Brahman is real, the world is mithya (a dependent appearance), and the jiva is in truth identical with Brahman. It is celebrated as the perfect distillation of Adi Shankaracharya's non-dual vision.

Origin & Story

Advaita Vedanta tradition; attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (also appears in Brahma Jnanavali Mala) · Adi Shankaracharya (traditional) · c. 8th century CE

This couplet is one of the best-loved summaries of Advaita Vedanta. Its bold opening line — 'I shall declare in half a verse what is said in millions of books' — became a byword for the conciseness and power of the non-dual teaching. The half-verse it delivers, 'Brahman is real, the world is appearance, the self is Brahman,' is regarded as the crest-jewel statement of the entire tradition.

✦ As told in scripture

Teachers say that the seeker who fully realizes the meaning of this single half-verse has grasped the goal of all scripture; for in directly knowing that the Self is Brahman and the world a mere appearance, the bondage born of ignorance is dissolved and liberation is attained.

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The Mantra

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ślokārdhena pravakṣyāmi yad uktaṃ grantha-koṭibhiḥ | brahma satyaṃ jagan-mithyā jīvo brahmaiva nāparaḥ ||

Meaning:In half a verse I shall declare what has been taught in millions of scriptures: Brahman alone is real, the world is an appearance, and the individual self is none other than Brahman itself.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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śloka-ardhena🔊in half a verse, in half a sloka

pravakṣyāmi🔊I shall declare, I will state

yat uktam🔊that which has been said / taught

grantha-koṭibhiḥ🔊by millions (tens of millions) of books / scriptures

brahma🔊Brahman, the absolute Reality

satyam🔊real, true, ever-existent

jagat🔊the world, the universe

mithyā🔊unreal, illusory, of merely apparent (dependent) existence

jīvaḥ🔊the individual self, the embodied soul

brahma eva🔊Brahman alone, verily Brahman

na aparaḥ🔊not other, not different

Benefits of Chanting श्लोकार्धेन प्रवक्ष्यामि

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Compresses the essence of all Vedantic scripture into a single, unforgettable couplet

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Establishes the threefold non-dual truth with striking clarity

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Ideal for daily contemplation and as a touchstone for the whole path of knowledge

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Frees the mind from confusion by stating the goal in the simplest possible terms

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Affirms the seeker's own identity with the infinite Brahman

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Often recited by teachers as the opening summary of Advaita Vedanta

How to Chant श्लोकार्धेन प्रवक्ष्यामि

Repetitions11times

Best TimeMorning during study and meditation, or before beginning the study of any Vedantic scripture

Recite the couplet with attention, letting the first line awaken wonder at how all wisdom can be held in half a verse, and the second line settle into contemplation of its threefold truth. It is a manana (reflection) verse; repeat it 11 or 21 times to memorize it, then return to it often as a reminder of the heart of Vedanta.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete श्लोकार्धेन प्रवक्ष्यामि written in the English script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya and is among the most famous summaries of Advaita Vedanta. It is widely cited in the Vedantic tradition (including the Brahma Jnanavali Mala) and is treasured as the perfect 'half-verse' encapsulation of non-dual teaching.

The first line makes exactly this claim, and the second delivers the summary. All the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras and the vast commentarial literature point to one conclusion: the reality of Brahman, the appearance-nature of the world, and the identity of the self with Brahman. The verse offers that conclusion directly.

Mithya does not mean the world is non-existent; it means the world has only a dependent, appearance-level reality, like a reflection or a dream. It is experienced but is not absolutely, independently real the way Brahman is.

Its second line is the celebrated statement 'Brahma satyam jagan mithya jivo brahmaiva naparah.' This couplet frames that statement with the striking first line declaring that it sums up the teaching of millions of texts.