The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.27 Not by wealth
1.27
न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यो लप्स्यामहे वित्तमद्राक्ष्म चेत् त्वा ।
जीविष्यामो यावदीशिष्यसि त्वं वरस् तु मे वरणीयः स एव na vittena tarpaṇīyo manuṣyo lapsyāmahe vittam adrākṣma cet tvā |
jīviṣyāmo yāvad īśiṣyasi tvaṃ varas tu me varaṇīyaḥ sa eva
The line
A man is not to be satisfied by wealth. We shall get wealth if we have seen you. We shall live as long as you rule. The boon for me to choose is that one alone.
नेपालीमा
मानिस धनले तृप्त हुँदैन। तपाईंलाई देख्यौं भने हामीले धन पाउँछौं, तपाईं शासन गर्नुभएसम्म हामी बाँच्छौं, र मैले रोज्ने वर त्यही एउटै हो।
Where it sits
One mantra remains in the vallī (वल्ली). It asks what ground an aging mortal would stand on, among the deathless, and then repeats the choice.
Split: na (न) + vittena (वित्तेन) + tarpaṇīyaḥ (तर्पणीयः) + manuṣyaḥ (मनुष्यः) + lapsyāmahe (लप्स्यामहे) + vittam (वित्तम्) + adrākṣma (अद्राक्ष्म) + cet (चेत्) + tvā (त्वा) + jīviṣyāmaḥ (जीविष्यामः) + yāvat (यावत्) + īśiṣyasi (ईशिष्यसि) + tvam (त्वम्) + varaḥ (वरः) + tu (तु) + me (मे) + varaṇīyaḥ (वरणीयः) + saḥ eva (सः एव)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | indeclinable | Not. |
| vittena (वित्तेन) | instrumental singular, neuter | By wealth. |
| tarpaṇīyaḥ (तर्पणीयः) | nominative singular, masculine | To be satisfied. Heard tarpaṇīyo (तर्पणीयो). |
| manuṣyaḥ (मनुष्यः) | nominative singular, masculine | A man. Heard manuṣyo (मनुष्यो). |
| lapsyāmahe (लप्स्यामहे) | future, first person plural | We shall obtain. |
| vittam (वित्तम्) | accusative singular, neuter | Wealth. Heard vittam (वित्तम्). |
| adrākṣma (अद्राक्ष्म) | aorist, first person plural | We have seen. From dṛś (दृश्). |
| cet (चेत्) | indeclinable | If. |
| tvā (त्वा) | accusative | You. |
| jīviṣyāmaḥ (जीविष्यामः) | future, first person plural | We shall live. Heard jīviṣyāmo (जीविष्यामो). |
| yāvat (यावत्) | indeclinable | As long as. |
| īśiṣyasi (ईशिष्यसि) | future, second person singular | You shall rule. |
| tvam (त्वम्) | nominative | You. Heard tvaṃ (त्वं). |
| varaḥ (वरः) | nominative singular, masculine | The boon. Heard varas (वर). |
| tu (तु) | indeclinable | But. |
| me (मे) | genitive | Of me. For me. |
| varaṇīyaḥ (वरणीयः) | nominative singular, masculine | To be chosen. Heard varaṇīyaḥ (वरणीयः). |
| saḥ eva (सः एव) | nominative plus eva (एव) | That one alone. Heard sa eva (स एव). |
The phrases
Wealth will not satisfy. Seeing Death is already wealth enough, and life will last while Death rules. The boon stays the one already chosen.
Sanskrit in this line
Tarpaṇīyaḥ manuṣyaḥ (तर्पणीयः मनुष्यः) is tarpaṇīyo manuṣyaḥ (तर्पणीयो मनुष्यः). Jīviṣyāmaḥ (जीविष्यामः) before yāvat (यावत्) is jīviṣyāmo (जीविष्यामो).
Say it back
Say what does not satisfy, and which boon remains.