The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.19 Choose the third
1.19
एष तेऽग्निर् नचिकेतः स्वर्ग्यो यमवृणीथा द्वितीयेन वरेण ।
एतमग्निं तवैव प्रवक्ष्यन्ति जनासस् तृतीयं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व eṣa te 'gnir naciketaḥ svargyo yam avṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa |
etam agniṃ tavaiva pravakṣyanti janāsas tṛtīyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva
The line
This is your heavenly fire, Naciketas (नचिकेत), which you chose with the second boon. People will proclaim this fire as yours. Choose the third boon.
नेपालीमा
हे नचिकेत, यो तिम्रो स्वर्गको अग्नि हो, जुन तिमीले दोस्रो वरले रोज्यौ। मानिसहरू यो अग्नि तिम्रो हो भनी घोषणा गर्नेछन्, तेस्रो वर रोज।
Where it sits
The third boon is the one the book is for. The boy states it next, as a doubt.
Split: eṣaḥ (एषः) + te (ते) + agniḥ (अग्निः) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + svargyaḥ (स्वर्ग्यः) + yam (यम्) + avṛṇīthāḥ (अवृणीथाः) + dvitīyena vareṇa (द्वितीयेन वरेण) + etam agnim (एतमग्निम्) + tava eva (तव एव) + pravakṣyanti (प्रवक्ष्यन्ति) + janāsaḥ (जनासः) + tṛtīyam (तृतीयम्) + varam (वरम्) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| eṣaḥ (एषः) | nominative singular, masculine | This. Heard eṣa (एष). |
| te (ते) | genitive singular | Your. Heard te 'gniḥ (तेऽग्निः). |
| agniḥ (अग्निः) | nominative singular, masculine | Fire. Heard agnir (अग्निर्). |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative singular | Naciketas (नचिकेत). |
| svargyaḥ (स्वर्ग्यः) | nominative singular, masculine | Leading to heaven. Heard svargyo (स्वर्ग्यो). |
| yam (यम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Which. Heard yam (यम्). |
| avṛṇīthāḥ (अवृणीथाः) | imperfect, second person singular | You chose. Heard avṛṇīthā (अवृणीथा). |
| dvitīyena vareṇa (द्वितीयेन वरेण) | instrumental singular, masculine | By the second boon. |
| etam agnim (एतमग्निम्) | accusative | This fire. Heard agniṃ (अग्निं). |
| tava eva (तव एव) | genitive plus eva (एव) | As yours. Heard tavaiva (तवैव). |
| pravakṣyanti (प्रवक्ष्यन्ति) | future, third person plural | They will call, they will proclaim. |
| janāsaḥ (जनासः) | nominative plural, masculine | People. A Vedic plural. Heard janāsas (जनास). |
| tṛtīyam (तृतीयम्) | accusative singular, neuter | The third. Heard tṛtīyaṃ (तृतीयं). |
| varam (वरम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Boon. Heard varaṃ (वरं). |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative singular | Naciketas (नचिकेत). Heard naciketo (नचिकेतो) before the verb. |
| vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व) | imperative, second person singular | Choose. |
The phrases
Death closes the second boon by naming it, and points at the third with an imperative.
Sanskrit in this line
Te (ते) plus agniḥ (अग्निः) is te 'gniḥ (तेऽग्निः). Janāsaḥ (जनासः) before tṛtīyam (तृतीयम्) is janāsas (जनास). A visarga before t (त्) is heard as s (स्).
Say it back
Say which boon is finished, and which he is told to choose.