1.4.6
Brahma Sūtra / Adhyāya 1 / 1.4.6
त्रयाणामेव चैवमुपन्यासः प्रश्नश् च
trayāṇām eva caivam upanyāsaḥ praśnaś ca
The line
And the exposition and the question bear only on the three, in this way.
नेपालीमा
र व्याख्यान र प्रश्न यसरी तीनमा मात्र अडिन्छन्।
Where it sits
The Kaṭha (कठ) context of 1.4.5 is still in force. trayāṇām (त्रयाणाम्) is the three boons, not the three guṇas (गुण) and not three Sāṃkhya (सांख्य) principles. The pradhāna (प्रधान) remains what was never asked about.
Split: trayāṇām (त्रयाणाम्) + eva (एव) + ca (च) + evam (एवम्) + upanyāsaḥ (उपन्यासः) + praśnaḥ (प्रश्नः) + ca (च)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| trayāṇām (त्रयाणाम्) | genitive plural, neuter | of three |
| eva (एव) | indeclinable | only |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
| evam (एवम्) | indeclinable | thus, in this matter |
| upanyāsaḥ (उपन्यासः) | nominative singular, masculine | the exposition, the setting forth |
| praśnaḥ (प्रश्नः) | nominative singular, masculine | the question |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | and |
The phrases
Naciketas's three boons are the three. The first is his father's peace. The second is the fire. The third is what happens to a person at death. eva says only these. Nothing else was asked.
upanyāsa (उपन्यास) is the exposition, the chariot included. praśna (प्रश्न) is the question. Both, evam, bear on those three, and the third's answer is the self. There is no question about a pradhāna (प्रधान) and no exposition of one. ca joins the two nominatives, question and exposition.
Sanskrit in this line
trayāṇām (त्रयाणाम्) is genitive plural of tri. praśnaḥ (प्रश्नः) before ca is praśnaś (प्रश्नश्) ca. upanyāsa (उपन्यास) is masculine.
Say it back
Name the three boons, and say the third is the only one this figure serves.