Atma Shatkam

The Atma shatkam (Devanāgarī: आत्मषट्कम्, IAST: ātmaṣaṭkam)is also known as Nirvana Shatkam (Devanāgarī: निर्वाणषट्कम्, IAST: Nirvāṇaṣaṭkam), and by other variations of these names. It is a śloka in six stanzas written by the great Ādi Śaṅkara (first Shankaracharya) summarizing the basic teachings of Advaita Vedanta, or the Hindu teachings of non-dualism. It was written around 788-820 CE. He mastered the Vedas by the age of 6. This shows he is a re-incarnation, as Vedas take a whole lifetime to master.

When a young boy of eight (Adi Sankara), while wandering in the Himalayas, seeking to find his Guru, he encountered a sage who asked him, "Who are you?". The boy answered with these stanzas, which are known as "Nirvana Shatakam" or Atma Shatakam".

The sage the boy was talking to was Swami Govindpada Acharya, who was, indeed, the teacher he was looking for. These few verses can be of tremendous value to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.

"Nirvana" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Atma" is the True Self.

The speaker of the poem is nominally Śiva, but it is generally seen as a statement by a knowing person of identity with Śiva or Brahmān. The speaker lists in the earlier verses what he (or Brahmān) is not. He is not body or mind, nor the things that attach them to each other and to the world, including the intellect, the senses, the practices of life, the occurrences of life such as birth and death. In the last verse he says that he permeates the universe, and that he is consciousness, bliss and the soul, and by implication, the Atman and Brahmān.

Sanskrit

Transliteration in IAST format.

manobuddhyahaṃkāra chittāni nāhaṃ

na cha śrotrajihve na cha ghrāṇanetre

na cha vioma bhūmir na tejo na vāyuḥ

chidānandarūpaḥ śhivo'ham śhivo'ham

(Sanskrit:मनोबुद्धयहंकार चित्तानि नाहं, न च श्रोत्रजिव्हे न च घ्राणनेत्रे । न च व्योम भूमिर्न तेजो न वायुः, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 1 ।।)

na ca praṇasajño na vai paṃcavāyuḥ

na vā saptadhātur na vā paṃcakośaḥ

na vākpāṇipādaṃ na copasthapāyu

cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham

(Sanskrit:न च प्राणसंज्ञो न वै पंचवायुः, न वा सप्तधातुः न वा पञ्चकोशः । न वाक्पाणिपादं न चोपस्थपायु, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 2 ।।)

na me dveşarāgau na me lobhamohau

mado naiva me naiva mātsaryabhāvaḥ

na dharmo na cārtho na kāmo na mokşaḥ

cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham

(Sanskrit:न मे द्वेषरागौ न मे लोभमोहौ, मदो नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः । न धर्मो न चार्थो न कामो न मोक्षः, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 3 ।।)

na puṇyaṃ na pāpaṃ na saukhyaṃ na dukhyaṃ

na mantro na tīrthaṃ na vedā na yajña

ahaṃ bhojanaṃ naiva bhojyaṃ na bhoktā

cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham

(Sanskrit:न पुण्यं न पापं न सौख्यं न दुःखं, न मन्त्रो न तीर्थो न वेदा न यज्ञ । अहं भोजनं नैव भोज्यं न भोक्ता, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 4 ।।)

na me mṛtyuśaṃkā na me jātibhedaḥ

pitā naiva me naiva mātā na janmaḥ

na bandhur na mitraṃ gurunaiva śişyaḥ

cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham

(Sanskrit:न मे मृत्युशंका न मे जातिभेदः, पिता नैव मे नैव माता न जन्मः । न बन्धुर्न मित्रं गुरूर्नैव शिष्यः, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 5 ।।)

ahaṃ nirvikalpo nirākāra rūpo

vibhutvāca sarvatra sarveṃdriyāṇaṃ

na cāsangata naiva muktir na meyaḥ

cidānandarūpaḥ śivo'ham śivo'ham

(Sanskrit:अहं निर्विकल्पो निराकार रूपो, विभुत्वाच सर्वत्र सर्वेन्द्रियाणाम् । न चासङत नैव मुक्तिर्न मेयः, चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ।। 6 ।।)

Meaning

1) I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor the reflections of inner self (chitta). I am not the five senses. I am beyond that. I am not the ether, nor the earth, nor the fire, nor the wind (the five elements). I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

2) Neither can I be termed as energy (prana), nor five types of breath (vayus), nor the seven material essences, nor the five coverings (pancha-kosha). Neither am I the five instruments of elimination, procreation, motion, grasping, or speaking. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

3) I have no hatred or dislike, nor affiliation or liking, nor greed, nor delusion, nor pride or haughtiness, nor feelings of envy or jealousy. I have no duty (dharma), nor any money, nor any desire (kama), nor even liberation (moksha). I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

4) I have neither merit (virtue), nor demerit (vice). I do not commit sins or good deeds, nor have happiness or sorrow, pain or pleasure. I do not need mantras, holy places, scriptures (Vedas), rituals or sacrifices (yagnas). I am none of the triad of the observer or one who experiences, the process of observing or experiencing, or any object being observed or experienced. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

5) I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death. I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence, nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth. I have no father or mother, nor did I have a birth. I am not the relative, nor the friend, nor the guru, nor the disciple. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

6) I am all pervasive. I am without any attributes, and without any form. I have neither attachment to the world, nor to liberation (mukti). I have no wishes for anything because I am everything, everywhere, every time, always in equilibrium. I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Shivam), love and pure consciousness.

This text has been transliterated from the sources at [1], [2], with some corrections made.

References

• Iyengar, B. K. S. (1966, 1976). Light on Yoga (or the Yoga Dipika). Thorsons: An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, Hammersmith, London. ISBN 1-85538-166-4

External links

• Audio download