अग्निर्ज्योतिरहः शुक्लः षण्मासा उत्तरायणम् ।तत्र प्रयाता गच्छन्ति ब्रह्म ब्रह्मविदो जनाः ॥
agnir jyotir ahaḥ śuklaḥ ṣaṇmāsā uttarāyaṇam | tatra prayātā gacchanti brahma brahmavido janāḥ ||
- अग्निः · agniḥ
- fire
- ज्योतिः · jyotiḥ
- light, flame
- अहः · ahaḥ
- day
- शुक्लः · śuklaḥ
- the bright fortnight
- षण्मासाः · ṣaṇmāsāḥ
- the six months
- उत्तरायणम् · uttarāyaṇam
- of the sun's northern course
- तत्र · tatra
- there, by that way
- प्रयाताः · prayātāḥ
- departed
- गच्छन्ति · gacchanti
- go
- ब्रह्मविदः जनाः · brahmavidaḥ janāḥ
- knowers of Brahman
“Fire, light, day, the bright fortnight, the six months of the sun's northern course — departing by that way, knowers of Brahman go to Brahman.”
— Original plain-language translation
The path of light gathers every bright omen: flame, daylight, waxing moon, northward sun. Whether read as literal timing or as stages of ascent, its mark is luminosity. Those who know Brahman travel it to Brahman.
— Reader's notes (original)