The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.16 By your name
1.16
तमब्रवीत् प्रीयमाणो महात्मा वरं तवेहाद्य ददामि भूयः ।
तवैव नाम्ना भवितायमग्निः सृङ्कां चेमामनेकरूपां गृहाण tam abravīt prīyamāṇo mahātmā varaṃ tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ |
tavaiva nāmnā bhavitāyam agniḥ sṛṅkāṃ cemām anekarūpāṃ gṛhāṇa
The line
Pleased, the great one said to him: a further boon I give you here today. This fire will be by your name. And take this chain of many forms.
नेपालीमा
प्रसन्न भएर महानले तिनलाई भन्नुभयो, आज यहाँ म तिमीलाई थप वर दिन्छु। यो अग्नि तिम्रो नामले चिनिनेछ, र अनेक रूपको यो साङ्लो लेऊ।
Where it sits
The name is Nāciketa (नाचिकेत), built in the next mantra from his name. The chain is given, not explained.
Split: tam (तम्) + abravīt (अब्रवीत्) + prīyamāṇaḥ (प्रीयमाणः) + mahātmā (महात्मा) + varam (वरम्) + tava (तव) + iha (इह) + adya (अद्य) + dadāmi (ददामि) + bhūyaḥ (भूयः) + tava eva (तव एव) + nāmnā (नाम्ना) + bhavitā (भविता) + ayam (अयम्) + agniḥ (अग्निः) + sṛṅkām (सृङ्काम्) + ca (च) + imām (इमाम्) + aneka-rūpām (अनेक-रूपाम्) + gṛhāṇa (गृहाण)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tam (तम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Him. Heard tam (तम्). |
| abravīt (अब्रवीत्) | imperfect, third person singular | He said. |
| prīyamāṇaḥ (प्रीयमाणः) | nominative singular, masculine | Being pleased. Heard prīyamāṇo (प्रीयमाणो). |
| mahātmā (महात्मा) | nominative singular, masculine | The great one. |
| varam (वरम्) | accusative singular, masculine | A boon. Heard varaṃ (वरं). |
| tava (तव) | genitive singular | For you. Joins iha (इह): taveha (तवेह). |
| iha (इह) | indeclinable | Here. Joins adya (अद्य): ihādya (इहाद्य). |
| adya (अद्य) | indeclinable | Today. |
| dadāmi (ददामि) | present, first person singular | I give. |
| bhūyaḥ (भूयः) | indeclinable | Further. Again. |
| tava eva (तव एव) | genitive, plus eva (एव) | By your very. Heard tavaiva (तवैव). |
| nāmnā (नाम्ना) | instrumental singular, neuter | By the name. |
| bhavitā (भविता) | periphrastic future | It will be. |
| ayam (अयम्) | nominative singular, masculine | This. Heard ayam (अयम्). |
| agniḥ (अग्निः) | nominative singular, masculine | Fire. |
| sṛṅkām (सृङ्काम्) | accusative singular, feminine | A chain, a necklace. Heard sṛṅkāṃ (सृङ्कां). |
| ca (च) | indeclinable | And. Heard cemām (चेमाम्): ca (च) plus imām (इमाम्). |
| imām (इमाम्) | accusative singular, feminine | This. |
| aneka-rūpām (अनेक-रूपाम्) | accusative singular, feminine | Of many forms. Heard anekarūpāṃ (अनेकरूपां). |
| gṛhāṇa (गृहाण) | imperative, second person singular | Take. From grah (ग्रह्). |
The phrases
A further gift, beyond the three: the fire will bear the boy's name, and he is to take a many-formed chain.
Sanskrit in this line
Tava iha adya (तव इह अद्य) is tavehādya (तवेहाद्य). Ca (च) plus imām (इमाम्) is cemām (चेमाम्). Tava eva (तव एव) is tavaiva (तवैव).
Say it back
Say the two extra gifts.