The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.17 Three times
1.17
त्रिणाचिकेतस् त्रिभिरेत्य सन्धिं त्रिकर्मकृत् तरति जन्ममृत्यू ।
ब्रह्मजज्ञं देवमीड्यं विदित्वा निचाय्येमां शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति triṇāciketas tribhir etya sandhiṃ trikarmakṛt tarati janmamṛtyū |
brahmajajñaṃ devam īḍyaṃ viditvā nicāyyemāṃ śāntim atyantam eti
The line
Who has the triple Nāciketa (नाचिकेत), who has come to the junction with the three, who has done the three works, crosses birth and death. Having known the god born of brahman (ब्रह्मन्), worthy of praise, and having perceived, he goes to this peace without end.
नेपालीमा
जसले तीन नाचिकेत गरेको छ, तीनसँगको संगममा पुगेको छ र तीन कर्म गरेको छ, त्यो जन्म र मृत्यु तर्छ। प्रशंसा योग्य, ब्रह्मन्बाट जन्मेको देवलाई जानेर र बुझेर त्यो यो अनन्त शान्तिमा जान्छ।
Where it sits
The mantra praises the fire just named. It does not yet open the third boon. The three works are not itemized here.
Split: tri-nāciketaḥ (त्रि-नाचिकेतः) + tribhiḥ (त्रिभिः) + etya (एत्य) + sandhim (सन्धिम्) + tri-karma-kṛt (त्रि-कर्म-कृत्) + tarati (तरति) + janma-mṛtyū (जन्म-मृत्यू) + brahma-ja (ब्रह्म-ज) + devam (देवम्) + īḍyam (ईड्यम्) + viditvā (विदित्वा) + nicāyya (निचाय्य) + imām (इमाम्) + śāntim (शान्तिम्) + atyantam (अत्यन्तम्) + eti (एति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tri-nāciketaḥ (त्रि-नाचिकेतः) | nominative singular, masculine | One who has piled the Nāciketa (नाचिकेत) fire three times. Heard triṇāciketas (त्रिणाचिकेत). |
| tribhiḥ (त्रिभिः) | instrumental plural | With the three. Heard tribhir (त्रिभिर्). |
| etya (एत्य) | gerund | Having come to. From ā-i (आ-इ). |
| sandhim (सन्धिम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The junction, the meeting. Heard sandhiṃ (सन्धिं). |
| tri-karma-kṛt (त्रि-कर्म-कृत्) | nominative singular, masculine | One who has done the three works. |
| tarati (तरति) | present, third person singular | He crosses. |
| janma-mṛtyū (जन्म-मृत्यू) | accusative dual | Birth and death. |
| brahma-ja (ब्रह्म-ज) | stem | Born of brahman (ब्रह्मन्). In brahmajajñam (ब्रह्मजज्ञम्), born of brahman (ब्रह्मन्) and knowing, or the god who is born of brahman (ब्रह्मन्). The compound is brahmajajñam (ब्रह्मजज्ञम्). |
| devam (देवम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The god. Heard devam (देवम्). |
| īḍyam (ईड्यम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Worthy of praise. Heard īḍyaṃ (ईड्यं). |
| viditvā (विदित्वा) | gerund | Having known. |
| nicāyya (निचाय्य) | gerund | Having perceived. Joins imām (इमाम्): nicāyyemām (निचाय्येमाम्). |
| imām (इमाम्) | accusative singular, feminine | This. Heard imāṃ (इमां). |
| śāntim (शान्तिम्) | accusative singular, feminine | Peace. |
| atyantam (अत्यन्तम्) | indeclinable, or accusative | Without end. Heard atyantam (अत्यन्तम्). |
| eti (एति) | present, third person singular | He goes. |
The phrases
Three 'three's, then a crossing of birth and death, then a going to peace.
Sanskrit in this line
Nicāyya (निचाय्य) plus imām (इमाम्) is nicāyyemām (निचाय्येमाम्). Janman (जन्मन्) plus mṛtyū (मृत्यू) is janmamṛtyū (जन्ममृत्यू).
Say it back
Count the word tri (त्रि) in the first line, and say what he crosses.