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The Atmashatkam (आत्मषट्कम्, ātmaṣatkam), also known as Nirvanashatkam (निर्वाणषट्कम्, Nirvāṇaṣatkam),^[1] is a non-dualistic (advaita) composition consisting of 6 verses or ślokas, attributed to the Hindu exegete Adi Shankara summarizing the basic teachings of Advaita Vedanta, or the Hindu teachings of non-dualism. ^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

"Ātma" is the True Self. "Nirvāṇa" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Shatkam" means "six" or "consisting of six."^[2]

Origin

It is said that when Ādi Śaṅkara was a young boy of eight and wandering near River Narmada, seeking to find his guru, he encountered the seer Govinda Bhagavatpada who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, and Swami Govindapada accepted Ādi Śaṅkara as his disciple. The verses are said to be valued to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.

Text

The text is as follows:^[3]

I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor the reflections of inner self (citta).
I am not the five senses, nor am I the five elements.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.

Neither can I be termed as energy (prāṇa),
nor five types of breath (vāyus - Prāṇa, Apāna, Vyāna, Udāna, Samāna),
nor the seven material essences,
nor the five sheaths (pañca-kośa).
Neither am I the organ of Speech, nor the organs for Holding ( Hand ), Movement ( Feet ) or Excretion.
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.

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 purpose (artha),
nor any desire (kāma),
nor even liberation (mokṣa).
I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.

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 (yajñas).
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 (Śivam), pure consciousness.

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 caste or creed.
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 (Śivam), pure consciousness.

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 (Śivam), pure consciousness.

References

^ "Nirvana Shatkam - Works of Sankaracharya, Advaita Vedānta and Hindu Sacred Scriptures". Sankaracharya.org. 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2014-02-07.
^ Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, shatkam
^ This text has been transliterated from the sources at G. Sivakumar, Nirvashtakam, stutimandal.com, Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine with some corrections made based on HinduPedia, "Nirvana Shatakam

External links

Isha foundation

[1] "Nirvana Shatkam - Works of Sankaracharya, Advaita Vedānta and Hindu Sacred Scriptures". Sankaracharya.org. 2007-09-22. Retrieved 2014-02-07.

[2] Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, shatkam

[3] This text has been transliterated from the sources at G. Sivakumar, Nirvashtakam, stutimandal.com, Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine with some corrections made based on HinduPedia, "Nirvana Shatakam

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|8th-century Hindu text}}
-The '''''Atmashatakam''''' ({{lang|sa|आत्मषट्कम्}}, {{IAST|ātmaṣatkam}}), also known as '''''Nirvanashatkam ''''' (निर्वाणषट्कम्, {{IAST|Nirvāṇaṣatkam}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sankaracharya.org/nirvana_shatkam.php |title=Nirvana Shatkam - Works of Sankaracharya, Advaita Vedānta and Hindu Sacred Scriptures |publisher=Sankaracharya.org |date=2007-09-22 |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> is a non-dualistic (advaita) composition consisting of 6 verses or [[shlokas|ślokas]], attributed to the Hindu exegete [[Adi Shankara]] summarizing the basic teachings of [[Advaita Vedanta]], or the [[Hindu]] teachings of non-dualism. It was written around 788-820 CE.{{source?|date=December 2021}}
+The '''''Atmashatkam''''' ({{lang|sa|आत्मषट्कम्}}, {{IAST|ātmaṣatkam}}), also known as '''''Nirvanashatkam ''''' (निर्वाणषट्कम्, {{IAST|Nirvāṇaṣatkam}}),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sankaracharya.org/nirvana_shatkam.php |title=Nirvana Shatkam - Works of Sankaracharya, Advaita Vedānta and Hindu Sacred Scriptures |publisher=Sankaracharya.org |date=2007-09-22 |accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref> is a non-dualistic (advaita) composition consisting of 6 verses or [[shlokas|ślokas]], attributed to the Hindu exegete [[Adi Shankara]] summarizing the basic teachings of [[Advaita Vedanta]], or the [[Hindu]] teachings of non-dualism. {{source?|date=December 2021}}
 ==Etymology==
-"Ātma" is the True Self. "Nirvāṇa" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Ashtakam" means "eight" or "consisting of eight."<ref>Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, [https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/index.php?mode=3&direct=au&script=hk&tran_input=shatkam shatkam]</ref>
+"Ātma" is the True Self. "Nirvāṇa" is complete equanimity, peace, tranquility, freedom and joy. "Shatkam" means "six" or "consisting of six."<ref>Sanskrit Dictionary for Spoken Sanskrit, [https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/index.php?mode=3&direct=au&script=hk&tran_input=shatkam shatkam]</ref>
 ==Origin==
-It is said that when Ādi Śaṅkara was a young boy of eight and wandering near River Narmada, seeking to find his guru, he encountered the seer [[Govinda Bhagavatpada]] who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, and Swami Govindapada accepted Ādi Śaṅkara as his disciple. The verses are said to be valued to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.
+It is said that when [[Adi Shankara|Ādi Śaṅkara]] was a young boy of eight and wandering near River Narmada, seeking to find his guru, he encountered the seer [[Govinda Bhagavatpada]] who asked him, "Who are you?" The boy answered with these stanzas, and Swami Govindapada accepted Ādi Śaṅkara as his disciple. The verses are said to be valued to progress in contemplation practices that lead to Self-Realization.
 == Text ==
@@ Line 12: / Line 13: @@
 I am not mind, nor intellect, nor ego, nor the reflections of inner self (citta).<br/>
-I am not the five senses.<br/>
+I am not the five senses, nor am I the five elements.<br/>
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious ([[Shiva|Śivam]]), pure consciousness.<br/>
-I am beyond that.<br/>
-I am not the seven elements or the five sheaths ([[Panchakosha|pañca-kośa]]).<br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious ([[Shiva|Śivam]]), love and pure consciousness.<br/>
@@ Line 23: / Line 22: @@
 nor the five sheaths ([[Panchakosha|pañca-kośa]]).<br/>
 Neither am I the organ of Speech, nor the organs for Holding ( Hand ), Movement ( Feet ) or Excretion.<br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.
@@ Line 33: / Line 32: @@
 nor feelings of envy or jealousy.<br/>
 I have no duty (dharma),<br/>
-nor any money (artha),<br/>
+nor any purpose (artha),<br/>
 nor any desire (kāma),<br/>
 nor even liberation (mokṣa).<br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.
@@ Line 46: / Line 45: @@
 I do not need mantras, holy places, scriptures (Vedas), rituals or sacrifices (yajñas).<br/>
 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.<br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.
 I do not have fear of death, as I do not have death.<br/>
 I have no separation from my true self, no doubt about my existence,<br/>
-nor have I discrimination on the basis of birth.<br/>
+nor have I discrimination on the basis of caste or creed.<br/>
 I have no father or mother,<br/>
 nor did I have a birth.<br/>
@@ Line 58: / Line 57: @@
 nor the guru,<br/>
 nor the disciple. <br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.
@@ Line 70: / Line 69: @@
 every time,<br/>
 always in equilibrium.<br/>
-I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), love and pure consciousness.
+I am indeed, That eternal knowing and bliss, the auspicious (Śivam), pure consciousness.
 ==References==
@@ Line 80: / Line 79: @@
 [[Category:Hindu texts]]
 [[Category:Adi Shankara]]
-[[Category:Sanskrit texts]]
+[[Category:8th-century Sanskrit literature]]
 [[Category:Advaita Vedanta]]
 [[Category:Advaita Vedanta texts]]