Universal Oneness & Self-Knowledge Upanishadic Verse
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10: “I am Brahman”, one of the four great sayings of Vedanta. Sanskrit text and meaning in simple English.
Sanskrit
ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत् तदात्मानमेवावेदहं ब्रह्मास्मीति ।
The words are joined as in the edition we compared: “evāved aham” is “evāvet aham” (“knew only itself: I”). Another edition prints it split: “tad ātmānam evāvet | aham brahmāsmīti”. The verse is long; this is its opening sentence, which holds the great saying.
Transliteration (IAST)
brahma vā idam agra āsīt tad ātmānam evāved aham brahmāsmīti |
Meaning
In the beginning this was only Brahman. It knew only itself: “I am Brahman.”
Source / Textual Reference
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 (Chapter 1, section 4, verse 10)
Only the opening sentence of the verse is shown. Text compared with Sanskrit Documents (the Brihadaranyaka text, which numbers the verse I.iv.10) and VivekaVani; the Wisdomlib edition with Shankara’s commentary also marks the verse 1.4.10 but its Sanskrit is damaged in places, so it was not used for the words.
Traditional Significance
The verse goes on: “therefore it became all”. It then says that whoever among the gods, the sages and human beings woke to this knowledge also became it. The sentence “aham brahmāsmi” (“I am Brahman”) is counted by many teachers among the four “great sayings” (mahāvākyas) of Vedanta.
Shankara’s commentary reads it as the oneness of the self and Brahman. The words are given here as they stand, and the explanation is best learned from a teacher.
Traditional Practice
The words are studied and reflected on, usually with a teacher. There is no fixed time or number of repetitions.
Related Content
- Tat Tvam Asi, another of the four great sayings
- Om Ityetad Aksharam, the Mandukya Upanishad on Om
- Ishavasyam Idam Sarvam, the Lord within all