The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 1.9 Three nights
1.9
तिस्रो रात्रीर् यदवत्सीर् गृहे मे अनश्नन् ब्रह्मन्नतिथिर् नमस्यः ।
नमस् तेऽस्तु ब्रह्मन् स्वस्ति मेऽस्तु तस्मात् प्रति त्रीन् वरान् वृणीष्व tisro rātrīr yad avatsīr gṛhe me anaśnan brahmann atithir namasyaḥ |
namas te 'stu brahman svasti me 'stu tasmāt prati trīn varān vṛṇīṣva
The line
Since you stayed three nights in my house without eating, a Brahmin guest worthy of honor: honor to you, Brahmin, let there be well-being for me. Therefore choose three boons in return.
नेपालीमा
तिमी सम्मान योग्य ब्राह्मण पाहुना भएर मेरो घरमा तीन रात नखाई बस्यौ, हे ब्राह्मण, तिमीलाई नमस्कार, मलाई कुशल होस्। त्यसैले बदलामा तीन वर रोज।
Where it sits
The three boons organize the rest of this vallī (वल्ली). The first is the father. The second is the fire. The third is the question Death tries to refuse.
Split: tisraḥ (तिस्रः) + rātrīḥ (रात्रीः) + yat (यत्) + avātsīḥ (अवात्सीः) + gṛhe (गृहे) + me (मे) + anaśnan (अनश्नन्) + brahman (ब्रह्मन्) + atithiḥ (अतिथिः) + namasyaḥ (नमस्यः) + namaḥ (नमः) + te (ते) + astu (अस्तु) + brahman (ब्रह्मन्) + svasti (स्वस्ति) + me (मे) + tasmāt (तस्मात्) + prati (प्रति) + trīn (त्रीन्) + varān (वरान्) + vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| tisraḥ (तिस्रः) | accusative plural, feminine | Three. Heard tisro (तिस्रो) before rātrīḥ (रात्रीः). |
| rātrīḥ (रात्रीः) | accusative plural, feminine | Nights. Heard rātrīr (रात्रीर्) before yad (यद्). |
| yat (यत्) | indeclinable | Since. Heard yad (यद्). |
| avātsīḥ (अवात्सीः) | aorist, second person singular | You stayed. From vas (व). Heard avatsīr (अवत्सीर्). |
| gṛhe (गृहे) | locative singular | In the house. |
| me (मे) | genitive singular | Of me. |
| anaśnan (अनश्नन्) | nominative singular, masculine | Not eating. |
| brahman (ब्रह्मन्) | vocative singular, masculine | O Brahmin. |
| atithiḥ (अतिथिः) | nominative singular, masculine | A guest. Heard atithir (अतिथिर्). |
| namasyaḥ (नमस्यः) | nominative singular, masculine | Worthy of honor. |
| namaḥ (नमः) | nominative singular, neuter | Honor. Heard namas (नम) before te (ते). |
| te (ते) | dative singular | To you. Heard te 'stu (तेऽस्तु). |
| astu (अस्तु) | imperative, third person singular | Let it be. |
| brahman (ब्रह्मन्) | vocative singular, masculine | O Brahmin. |
| svasti (स्वस्ति) | indeclinable | Well-being. |
| me (मे) | dative, or genitive | For me. Heard me 'stu (मेऽस्तु). |
| tasmāt (तस्मात्) | ablative singular, neuter | Therefore. Heard tasmāt (तस्मात्). |
| prati (प्रति) | indeclinable | In return. For each. |
| trīn (त्रीन्) | accusative plural, masculine | Three. |
| varān (वरान्) | accusative plural, masculine | Boons. |
| vṛṇīṣva (वृणीष्व) | imperative, second person singular, ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद) | Choose. From vṛ (वृ). |
The phrases
Yama (यम) speaks. A since-clause, two blessings, then an imperative: choose three boons.
Sanskrit in this line
Tisraḥ rātrīḥ (तिस्रः रात्रीः) is tisro rātrīr (तिस्रो रात्रीर्). Namaḥ te astu (नमः ते अस्तु) is namas te 'stu (नमस् तेऽस्तु). Svasti me astu (स्वस्ति मे अस्तु) is svasti me 'stu (स्वस्ति मेऽस्तु).
Say it back
Say how many nights, and how many boons.