The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.1 Better and pleasanter
2.1
अन्यच् छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेयस् ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषं सिनीतः ।
तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद् य उ प्रेयो वृणीते anyac chreyo 'nyad utaiva preyas te ubhe nānārthe puruṣaṃ sinītaḥ |
tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhu bhavati hīyate 'rthād ya u preyo vṛṇīte
The line
The better is one thing, the pleasanter another. Different in aim, the two bind a person. For the one who takes the better, it goes well. He falls short of the aim who chooses the pleasanter.
नेपालीमा
श्रेय एउटा हो, प्रेय अर्को। उद्देश्य फरक भएका दुईले मानिसलाई बाँध्छन्, श्रेय लिनेको राम्रो हुन्छ, र प्रेय रोज्ने उद्देश्यबाट चुक्छ।
Where it sits
Yama (यम) begins the teaching by naming the choice Naciketas (नचिकेत) has just made. The boy took the better. The gifts were the pleasanter. 2.2 says who can tell them apart.
Split: anyat (अन्यत्) + śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) + anyat (अन्यत्) + uta eva (उत एव) + preyaḥ (प्रेयः) + te ubhe (ते उभे) + nānā-arthe (नाना-अर्थे) + puruṣam (पुरुषम्) + sinītaḥ (सिनीतः) + tayoḥ (तयोः) + śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) + ādadānasya (आददानस्य) + sādhu (साधु) + bhavati (भवति) + hīyate (हीयते) + arthāt (अर्थात्) + yaḥ u (यः उ) + preyaḥ (प्रेयः) + vṛṇīte (वृणीते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| anyat (अन्यत्) | nominative singular, neuter | One thing. Heard anyac (अन्यच्) before śreyaḥ (श्रेयः). |
| śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) | nominative singular, neuter | The better. Heard chreyo (छ्रेयो) after c (च्), and then 'nyat (ऽन्यत्). |
| anyat (अन्यत्) | nominative singular, neuter | Another thing. |
| uta eva (उत एव) | and, indeed | Heard utaiva (उतैव). |
| preyaḥ (प्रेयः) | nominative singular, neuter | The pleasanter. Heard preyas (प्रेय). |
| te ubhe (ते उभे) | nominative dual, neuter | Those two. |
| nānā-arthe (नाना-अर्थे) | accusative dual, or nominative | Of different aims. Heard nānārthe (नानार्थे). |
| puruṣam (पुरुषम्) | accusative singular, masculine | A person. Heard puruṣaṃ (पुरुषं). |
| sinītaḥ (सिनीतः) | present, third person dual | They bind. The two bind the person. |
| tayoḥ (तयोः) | genitive dual | Of those two. |
| śreyaḥ (श्रेयः) | accusative singular, neuter | The better. Heard śreya (श्रेय). |
| ādadānasya (आददानस्य) | genitive singular, masculine | Of one who takes. |
| sādhu (साधु) | indeclinable, or nominative | It goes well. |
| bhavati (भवति) | present | It comes to be. |
| hīyate (हीयते) | present, passive | He falls short. |
| arthāt (अर्थात्) | ablative singular, masculine | From the aim. Heard 'rthāt (ऽर्थात्) after hīyate (हीयते). |
| yaḥ u (यः उ) | who, and | Heard ya u (य उ). |
| preyaḥ (प्रेयः) | accusative singular, neuter | The pleasanter. Heard preyo (प्रेयो). |
| vṛṇīte (वृणीते) | present, third person singular | He chooses. |
The phrases
Two nominatives, different aims, both binding a person. Taking the better goes well. Choosing the pleasanter falls short of the aim.
Sanskrit in this line
Anyat śreyaḥ (अन्यत् श्रेयः) is anyac chreyaḥ (अन्यच् छ्रेयः). t (त्) plus ś (श्) is cch (च्छ्). Hīyate arthāt (हीयते अर्थात्) is hīyate 'rthāt (हीयतेऽर्थात्).
Say it back
Say which choice goes well, and which falls short.