Beginner (जिज्ञासु): Direct entry: original verse, clear literal translation, and accessible life takeaway. (मूल श्लोक, सरल शब्दार्थ और जीवनोपयोगी सार।)
नेति नेति ।न ह्येतस्मादिति न अत्येति ।अथ नामधेयं सत्यस्य सत्यमिति
Explain this line · इस पंक्ति को सरल भाषा में समझें
neti neti | na hyetasmāditi na atyeti | atha nāmadheyaṃ satyasya satyamiti
मूल पाठ सहायकReading aid for the sourceWord by word (पदच्छेद व अन्वय)पदच्छेद
Neti neti is not nihilism — it is the most precise possible approach to the Absolute. Every description, every concept, every image of God is NOT Brahman. Brahman is that which all descriptions point toward but none can capture. Yet it is not nothing — it is called "satyasya satyam" (the truth of truth) — the ultimate reality behind all apparent realities.
नेति नेति। इससे परे कुछ और नहीं कहा जा सकता। और इसका नाम है "सत्यस्य सत्यम्" — क्योंकि प्राण सत्य है और ब्रह्म उस सत्य का भी सत्य है।
अक्षरशः अनुवाद — मूल संस्कृत श्लोक के प्रत्येक पद का प्रत्यक्ष अर्थ।
Not this, not this. For there is nothing higher than this "not this." And its name is "the Truth of truth" — for the vital breath is truth, and Brahman is the Truth of that.
Direct literal rendering preserving Sanskrit philosophical terminology.
परम्परागत भाष्यTraditional commentaryTraditional Commentary (परम्परागत भाष्य)परम्परागत भाष्य
Pluralistic Tradition Neutrality (सम्प्रदाय-तटस्थता):
Classical commentaries represent distinct philosophical darshanas (Advaita, Vishishtadvaita, Dvaita). Dharma Granth presents multiple traditional viewpoints without declaring any single tradition as universal or exclusive.
Layers side by side · परतों की तुलना
Each layer is labelled by what it is. None is presented as the correct or best reading.
Original Sanskrit
Source scripture
नेति नेति । न ह्येतस्मादिति न अत्येति । अथ नामधेयं सत्यस्य सत्यमिति ॥
Literal translation
Translation of the source text
Not this, not this. For there is nothing higher than this "not this." And its name is "the Truth of truth" — for the vital breath is truth, and Brahman is the Truth of that.
Traditional commentary
No reviewed traditional commentary has been added for this verse yet, so there is nothing to compare. Commentaries will appear here only with their commentator, edition and review status.
Simple explanation
Editorial explanation, not scripture
Neti neti is not nihilism — it is the most precise possible approach to the Absolute. Every description, every concept, every image of God is NOT Brahman. Brahman is that which all descriptions point toward but none can capture. Yet it is not nothing — it is called "satyasya satyam" (the truth of truth) — the ultimate reality behind all apparent realities.
Neti neti is not nihilism — it is the most precise possible approach to the Absolute. Every description, every concept, every image of God is NOT Brahman. Brahman is that which all descriptions point toward but none can capture. Yet it is not nothing — it is called "satyasya satyam" (the truth of truth) — the ultimate reality behind all apparent realities.
शोध संदर्भResearch context · not scriptureComparative Research Noteशोध टिप्पणी
नेति नेति। धीमी और लंबी श्वास वेगस तंत्रिका को सक्रिय कर हृदय की गति और भय-प्रतिक्रिया को शांत करती है। यह पंक्ति उसी श्वास-मन संबंध को कहती है।
A modern parallel offered for reflection. It is not part of the scripture, and it has not been checked against the original sources it may allude to.
स्रोतSources and editionSources and editionस्रोत एवं संस्करण
- Sanskrit text
- sanskritdocuments.org/doc_upanishhat/brihadaaraNyaka.itx · fetched 2026-06-03
- Translations
- Hindi: not flagged as AI · English: not flagged as AI
- Explanation, reflection, research
- Editorial text; no AI flag recorded
- Last updated
- 2026-10-16
- Licence note (as recorded)
- Sanskrit mūla — public domain. Digitized by sanskritdocuments.org.
Found a mistake?
विस्तृत स्रोत एवं भाष्य वर्गीकरण