यदक्षरं वेदविदो वदन्ति विशन्ति यद्यतयो वीतरागाः ।यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण प्रवक्ष्ये ॥
yad akṣaraṃ vedavido vadanti viśanti yad yatayo vītarāgāḥ | yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tat te padaṃ saṃgraheṇa pravakṣye ||
- यत् · yat
- which
- अक्षरम् · akṣaram
- the imperishable
- वेदविदः · vedavidaḥ
- knowers of the Veda
- वदन्ति · vadanti
- speak of
- विशन्ति · viśanti
- enter
- यतयः · yatayaḥ
- strivers, ascetics
- वीतरागाः · vītarāgāḥ
- freed from passion
- ब्रह्मचर्यम् · brahmacaryam
- the life of continence, sacred study
- पदम् · padam
- the state, goal
- संग्रहेण · saṃgraheṇa
- in brief
“That imperishable goal which knowers of the Veda speak of, which passion-free strivers enter, and desiring which they live a life of continence — that goal I shall declare to you in brief.”
— Original plain-language translation
Krishna pauses to gather the prestige of the whole Vedic tradition behind the teaching. The imperishable of the Upanishads is promised in compact form. What follows in verses 12-13 is the famous syllable OM as its doorway.
— Reader's notes (original)