The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.21 Choose another
1.21
देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा न हि सुज्ञेयमणुरेष धर्मः ।
अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व मा मोपरोत्सीरति मा सृजैनम् devair atrāpi vicikitsitaṃ purā na hi sujñeyam aṇur eṣa dharmaḥ |
anyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva mā moparotsīr ati mā sṛjainam
The line
Even the gods doubted this of old. It is not easy to know. This dharma (धर्म) is subtle. Choose another boon, Naciketas (नचिकेत). Do not press me. Let this one go.
नेपालीमा
उहिले देवताहरूले पनि यसमा शंका गरे, यो जान्न सजिलो छैन, र यो धर्म सूक्ष्म छ। हे नचिकेत, अर्को वर रोज, मलाई नदबाऊ, यो छाडिदेऊ।
Where it sits
The boy will refuse the refusal. The pressure is the point of the story: the third boon stays.
Split: devaiḥ (देवैः) + atra api (अत्र अपि) + vicikitsitam (विचिकित्सितम्) + purā (पुरा) + na hi (न हि) + sujñeyam (सुज्ञेयम्) + aṇuḥ (अणुः) + eṣaḥ dharmaḥ (एषः धर्मः) + anyam varam (अन्यम् वरम्) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व) + mā (मा) + uparotsīḥ (उपरोत्सीः) + ati (अति) + mā (मा) + sṛja (सृज) + enam (एनम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| devaiḥ (देवैः) | instrumental plural, masculine | By the gods. Heard devair (देवैर्). |
| atra api (अत्र अपि) | here, even | Heard atrāpi (अत्रापि). |
| vicikitsitam (विचिकित्सितम्) | nominative singular, neuter | It was doubted. Heard vicikitsitaṃ (विचिकित्सितं). |
| purā (पुरा) | indeclinable | Of old. |
| na hi (न हि) | not, indeed | It is not, indeed. |
| sujñeyam (सुज्ञेयम्) | nominative singular, neuter | Easily known. Heard sujñeyam (सुज्ञेयम्). |
| aṇuḥ (अणुः) | nominative singular, masculine | Subtle. Heard aṇur (अणुर्). |
| eṣaḥ dharmaḥ (एषः धर्मः) | nominative singular, masculine | This law, this matter. Heard eṣa dharmaḥ (एष धर्मः). |
| anyam varam (अन्यम् वरम्) | accusative singular, masculine | Another boon. Heard anyaṃ varaṃ (अन्यं वरं). |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative | Naciketas (नचिकेत). Heard naciketo (नचिकेतो). |
| vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व) | imperative | Choose. |
| mā (मा) | indeclinable | Do not. Said twice, mā mā (मा मा), heard mā mo (मा मो) before uparotsīḥ (उपरोत्सीः). |
| uparotsīḥ (उपरोत्सीः) | injunctive, or aorist, second person | Press. From upa-rudh (उप-रुध्). Heard uparotsīr (उपरोत्सीर्). |
| ati (अति) | preverb | Beyond. With sṛja (सृज), let go. |
| mā (मा) | accusative, or the prohibitive | Do not. In mā sṛja (मा सृज). |
| sṛja (सृज) | imperative, second person singular | Release. Let go. |
| enam (एनम्) | accusative singular, masculine | This one. This boon. Heard sṛjainam (सृजैनम्): sṛja enam (सृज एनम्). |
The phrases
Death gives three reasons to drop the boon, then two prohibitions: do not press, let this go.
Sanskrit in this line
Atra (अत्र) plus api (अपि) is atrāpi (अत्रापि). Sṛja (सृज) plus enam (एनम्) is sṛjainam (सृजैनम्). Devaḥ (देवः) instrumental plural devaiḥ (देवैः) before a vowel is devair (देवैर्).
Say it back
Say the two things Death tells him not to do.