The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.25 Do not ask
1.25
ये ये कामा दुर्लभा मर्त्यलोके सर्वान् कामांश् छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व ।
इमा रामाः सरथाः सतूर्या न हीदृशा लम्भनीया मनुष्यैः ।
आभिर् मत्प्रत्ताभिः परिचारयस्व नचिकेतो मरणं मानुप्राक्षीः ye ye kāmā durlabhā martyaloke sarvān kāmāṃś chandataḥ prārthayasva |
imā rāmāḥ sarathāḥ satūryā na hīdṛśā lambhanīyā manuṣyaiḥ |
ābhir matprattābhiḥ paricārayasva naciketo maraṇaṃ mānuprākṣīḥ
The line
Whatever desires are hard to get in the mortal world, ask for all of them as you wish. These women with chariots and music are not such as men obtain. Be served by them, given by me. Naciketas (नचिकेत), do not ask about dying.
नेपालीमा
मर्त्य लोकमा पाउन गाह्रा जति इच्छा छन्, चाहेअनुसार सबै माग। रथ र संगीतसहित यी नारी मानिसले पाउने जस्ता होइनन्, मैले दिएका तिनीहरूको सेवा लेऊ, हे नचिकेत, मर्ने कुरा नसोध।
Where it sits
The prohibition names the third boon as a question about maraṇa (मरण). The boy's answer will be that tomorrow's things wear a man out.
Split: ye ye (ये ये) + kāmāḥ (कामाः) + durlabhāḥ (दुर्लभाः) + martya-loke (मर्त्य-लोके) + sarvān kāmān (सर्वान् कामान्) + chandataḥ (छन्दतः) + prārthayasva (प्रार्थयस्व) + imāḥ (इमाः) + rāmāḥ (रामाः) + sa-rathāḥ (स-रथाः) + sa-tūryāḥ (स-तूर्याः) + na hi (न हि) + īdṛśāḥ (ईदृशाः) + lambhanīyāḥ (लम्भनीयाः) + manuṣyaiḥ (मनुष्यैः) + ābhiḥ (आभिः) + mat-prattābhiḥ (मत्-प्रत्ताभिः) + paricārayasva (परिचारयस्व) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + maraṇam (मरणम्) + mā (मा) + anuprākṣīḥ (अनुप्राक्षीः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ye ye (ये ये) | nominative plural | Whatever, whichever. |
| kāmāḥ (कामाः) | nominative plural, masculine | Desires. Heard kāmā (कामा). |
| durlabhāḥ (दुर्लभाः) | nominative plural, masculine | Hard to obtain. Heard durlabhā (दुर्लभा). |
| martya-loke (मर्त्य-लोके) | locative singular, masculine | In the mortal world. |
| sarvān kāmān (सर्वान् कामान्) | accusative plural | All desires. Heard kāmāṃś (कामांश्) before chandataḥ (छन्दतः). |
| chandataḥ (छन्दतः) | indeclinable | At will. As you wish. |
| prārthayasva (प्रार्थयस्व) | imperative, second person singular | Ask for. From pra-arth (प्र-अर्थ्). |
| imāḥ (इमाः) | nominative, or accusative, plural | These. Heard imā (इमा). |
| rāmāḥ (रामाः) | nominative plural, feminine | Women. Heard rāmāḥ (रामाः). |
| sa-rathāḥ (स-रथाः) | nominative plural, feminine | With chariots. |
| sa-tūryāḥ (स-तूर्याः) | nominative plural, feminine | With music. Heard satūryā (सतूर्या). |
| na hi (न हि) | not, indeed | Heard na hi (न हि). |
| īdṛśāḥ (ईदृशाः) | nominative plural, feminine | Such. Heard īdṛśā (ईदृशा). |
| lambhanīyāḥ (लम्भनीयाः) | nominative plural, feminine | To be obtained. Heard lambhanīyā (लम्भनीया). |
| manuṣyaiḥ (मनुष्यैः) | instrumental plural, masculine | By men. |
| ābhiḥ (आभिः) | instrumental plural, feminine | By these. Heard ābhir (आभिर्). |
| mat-prattābhiḥ (मत्-प्रत्ताभिः) | instrumental plural, feminine | Given by me. |
| paricārayasva (परिचारयस्व) | imperative | Be served. Cause yourself to be attended. |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative | Naciketas (नचिकेत). Heard naciketo (नचिकेतो). |
| maraṇam (मरणम्) | accusative singular, neuter | Dying. Heard maraṇaṃ (मरणं). |
| mā (मा) | indeclinable | Do not. |
| anuprākṣīḥ (अनुप्राक्षीः) | injunctive, second person singular | Ask after. From anu-prach (अनु-प्रछ्). Heard mānuprākṣīḥ (मानुप्राक्षीः): mā anuprākṣīḥ (मा अनुप्राक्षीः). |
The phrases
The offer widens to every hard desire, and to women with chariots and music, and ends with a prohibition: do not ask about dying.
Sanskrit in this line
Mā (मा) plus anuprākṣīḥ (अनुप्राक्षीः) is mānuprākṣīḥ (मानुप्राक्षीः). Kāmān (कामान्) plus chandataḥ (छन्दतः) is kāmāṃś chandataḥ (कामांश् छन्दतः).
Say it back
Say the prohibition in the last line.