The Upaniṣads / Īśāvāsya / 4 Unmoving, swifter
4
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद् देवा आप्नुवन् पूर्वमर्षत् ।
तद् धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठत् तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति anejad ekaṃ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat |
tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti
The line
The one, unmoving, is swifter than mind. The gods did not reach it: it moved on ahead. Standing still, it passes beyond others who run. In it Mātariśvan (मातरिश्वन्) sets the waters.
नेपालीमा
एक, अचल, मनभन्दा छिटो छ। देवताहरूले त्यसलाई भेटेनन्, त्यो अघि नै गयो, स्थिर उभिएर दौडिने अरूलाई नाघ्छ, र त्यसमा मातरिश्वन्ले जल राख्छ।
Where it sits
This is the one mantras 1 and 6 are talking about, still not called ātman (आत्मन्) by name. The next mantra will say the same one both moves and does not.
Split: anejat (अनेजत्) + ekam (एकम्) + manasaḥ (मनसः) + javīyas (जवीय) + na (न) + enat (एनत्) + devāḥ (देवाः) + āpnuvan (आप्नुवन्) + pūrvam (पूर्वम्) + arṣat (अर्षत्) + tat (तत्) + dhāvataḥ (धावतः) + anyān (अन्यान्) + atyeti (अत्येति) + tiṣṭhat (तिष्ठत्) + tasmin (तस्मिन्) + apaḥ (अपः) + mātariśvan (मातरिश्वन्) + dadhāti (दधाति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| anejat (अनेजत्) | nominative singular, neuter | Unmoving. an (अन्) plus ejat (एजत्), not trembling. Heard anejad (अनेजद्) before ekam (एकम्). |
| ekam (एकम्) | nominative singular, neuter | The one. Heard ekaṃ (एकं). |
| manasaḥ (मनसः) | ablative singular, neuter | Than the mind. The comparison. Heard manaso (मनसो). |
| javīyas (जवीय) | nominative singular, neuter | Swifter. A comparative. Heard javīyo (जवीयो) before na (न). |
| na (न) | indeclinable | Not. Joins enat (एनत्): nainat (नैनत्). |
| enat (एनत्) | accusative singular, neuter | This. Heard enad (एनद्) before devāḥ (देवाः). |
| devāḥ (देवाः) | nominative plural, masculine | The gods. Heard devā (देवा) before āpnuvan (आप्नुवन्). |
| āpnuvan (आप्नुवन्) | imperfect, third person plural | They reached. From āp (आप्). The past of a reaching that did not happen. |
| pūrvam (पूर्वम्) | indeclinable, or accusative | Before, in front. Heard pūrvam (पूर्वम्). |
| arṣat (अर्षत्) | nominative singular, neuter | Moving onward. A participle. It was already going. |
| tat (तत्) | nominative singular, neuter | That. Heard tad (तद्) before dhāvataḥ (धावतः). |
| dhāvataḥ (धावतः) | accusative plural, masculine | Ones who run. Heard dhāvato (धावतो) before anyān (अन्यान्). |
| anyān (अन्यान्) | accusative plural, masculine | Others. |
| atyeti (अत्येति) | present, third person singular | It goes beyond. From ati (अति) and i (इ). |
| tiṣṭhat (तिष्ठत्) | nominative singular, neuter | While standing. A participle. Heard tiṣṭhat (तिष्ठत्) before tasmin (तस्मिन्). |
| tasmin (तस्मिन्) | locative singular, neuter | In that. Heard tasminn (तस्मिन्न्) before apaḥ (अपः). |
| apaḥ (अपः) | accusative plural, feminine | The waters. |
| mātariśvan (मातरिश्वन्) | nominative singular, masculine | The wind. Mātariśvan (मातरिश्वन्). Heard mātariśvā (मातरिश्वा) before dadhāti (दधाति). |
| dadhāti (दधाति) | present, third person singular | He places. From dhā (धा). |
The phrases
The one does not move, and it is swifter than mind. The gods did not reach it. It was already moving onward.
Standing, it overtakes the others who run. In it the wind places the waters.
Sanskrit in this line
Anejat (अनेजत्) plus ekam (एकम्) is anejad ekam (अनेजदेकम्). A final t (त्) before a vowel is heard as d (द्).
Na (न) plus enat (एनत्) is nainat (नैनत्). Enat (एनत्) before devāḥ (देवाः) is enad (एनद्).
Tat (तत्) plus dhāvataḥ (धावतः) is tad dhāvataḥ (तद् धावतः). The d (द्) doubles before dh (ध्) in the recital tad dhāvato (तद् धावतो).
Tasmin (तस्मिन्) plus apaḥ (अपः) is tasminn apaḥ (तस्मिन्नपः). A final n (न्) before a vowel doubles.
Say it back
Say the two claims that look opposed: unmoving, and swifter than mind.