The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.20 The doubt
1.20
येयं प्रेते विचिकित्सा मनुष्ये अस्तीत्येके नायमस्तीति चैके ।
एतद् विद्यामनुशिष्टस् त्वयाहं वराणामेष वरस् तृतीयः yeyaṃ prete vicikitsā manuṣye astīty eke nāyam astīti caike |
etad vidyām anuśiṣṭas tvayāhaṃ varāṇām eṣa varas tṛtīyaḥ
The line
This doubt that there is about a man who has died: some say he is, and some say he is not. Taught by you, I would know this. Of the boons, this is the third.
नेपालीमा
मरेको मानिसबारे यो शंका छ, कोही भन्छन् त्यो छ र कोही भन्छन् त्यो छैन। तपाईंले सिकाउनुभयो भने म यो जान्नेछु, र वरहरूमध्ये यही तेस्रो हो।
Where it sits
Death's answer is not the teaching. It is a refusal, in the next mantra. The Brahma Sūtra (ब्रह्म सूत्र) will later treat the person this question is aiming at. The question itself is still the boy's.
Split: yā iyam (या इयम्) + prete (प्रेते) + vicikitsā (विचिकित्सा) + manuṣye (मनुष्ये) + asti (अस्ति) + iti (इति) + eke (एके) + na (न) + ayam (अयम्) + asti iti (अस्ति इति) + ca eke (च एके) + etat (एतत्) + vidyām (विद्याम्) + anuśiṣṭaḥ (अनुशिष्टः) + tvayā (त्वया) + aham (अहम्) + varāṇām (वराणाम्) + eṣaḥ (एषः) + varaḥ (वरः) + tṛtīyaḥ (तृतीयः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yā iyam (या इयम्) | nominative singular, feminine | This which. Heard yeyam (येयम्). |
| prete (प्रेते) | locative singular, masculine | About one who has died. In the dead man. |
| vicikitsā (विचिकित्सा) | nominative singular, feminine | Doubt. A desiderative noun from cit (चित्). |
| manuṣye (मनुष्ये) | locative singular, masculine | In man. Among humans. |
| asti (अस्ति) | present, third person singular | He is. Heard astīty (अस्तीत्य्): asti iti (अस्ति इति). |
| iti (इति) | indeclinable | Quotes the claim. |
| eke (एके) | nominative plural, masculine | Some. |
| na (न) | indeclinable | Not. Joins ayam (अयम्): nāyam (नायम्). |
| ayam (अयम्) | nominative singular, masculine | This one. |
| asti iti (अस्ति इति) | he is, quoted | Heard astīti (अस्तीति). |
| ca eke (च एके) | and some | Heard caike (चैके). |
| etat (एतत्) | accusative singular, neuter | This. Heard etad (एतद्). |
| vidyām (विद्याम्) | optative, first person singular | I would know. From vid (विद्). |
| anuśiṣṭaḥ (अनुशिष्टः) | nominative singular, masculine | Taught. Heard anuśiṣṭas (अनुशिष्ट). |
| tvayā (त्वया) | instrumental singular | By you. Joins aham (अहम्): tvayāham (त्वयाहम्). |
| aham (अहम्) | nominative singular | I. |
| varāṇām (वराणाम्) | genitive plural, masculine | Of the boons. |
| eṣaḥ (एषः) | nominative singular, masculine | This. Heard eṣa (एष). |
| varaḥ (वरः) | nominative singular, masculine | Boon. Heard varas (वर) before tṛtīyaḥ (तृतीयः). |
| tṛtīyaḥ (तृतीयः) | nominative singular, masculine | The third. |
The phrases
The doubt is a pair of quotations: he is, he is not. The boy names it the third boon.
Sanskrit in this line
Asti iti (अस्ति इति) is astīti (अस्तीति). Na (न) plus ayam (अयम्) is nāyam (नायम्). Ca (च) plus eke (एके) is caike (चैके). Tvayā (त्वया) plus aham (अहम्) is tvayāham (त्वयाहम्).
Say it back
Say the two things some people say, and which boon this is.