The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.11 You let the end go past
2.11
कामस्य आप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां क्रतोरनन्त्यमभयस्य पारम् ।
स्तोममहदुरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा धृत्या धीरो नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः kāmasya āptiṃ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ krator anantyam abhayasya pāram |
stomamahad urugāyaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dṛṣṭvā dhṛtyā dhīro naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ
The line
The obtaining of desire, the world's foundation, the endlessness of the will, the far shore of the fearless, the great praise, the wide-sung foundation: having seen these, by resolve, wise one, you let them go, Naciketas (नचिकेत).
नेपालीमा
इच्छाको प्राप्ति, लोकको आधार, संकल्पको अनन्तता, निर्भयको पार, महान् प्रशंसा, विस्तृत गाइएको आधार, यी देखेर, हे ज्ञानी, दृढताले तिमीले छोड्यौ, नचिकेत।
Where it sits
He is being told that the refusal was a seeing, not a mood. The next mantra says what the wise one leaves behind when he has thought the god.
Split: kāmasya āptim (कामस्य आप्तिम्) + jagataḥ pratiṣṭhām (जगतः प्रतिष्ठाम्) + kratoḥ anantyam (क्रतोः अनन्त्यम्) + abhayasya pāram (अभयस्य पारम्) + stoma-mahat (स्तोम-महत्) + uru-gāyam (उरु-गायम्) + pratiṣṭhām (प्रतिष्ठाम्) + dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) + dhṛtyā (धृत्या) + dhīraḥ (धीरः) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| kāmasya āptim (कामस्य आप्तिम्) | the obtaining of desire | Heard kāmasya āptiṃ (कामस्य आप्तिं). |
| jagataḥ pratiṣṭhām (जगतः प्रतिष्ठाम्) | the foundation of the world | Heard pratiṣṭhāṃ (प्रतिष्ठां). |
| kratoḥ anantyam (क्रतोः अनन्त्यम्) | the endlessness of rite and will | Heard krator anantyam (क्रतोरनन्त्यम्). |
| abhayasya pāram (अभयस्य पारम्) | the far shore of the fearless | Heard pāram (पारम्). |
| stoma-mahat (स्तोम-महत्) | the greatness of praise | Heard stomamahad (स्तोममहद्). |
| uru-gāyam (उरु-गायम्) | the wide-sung | Heard urugāyaṃ (उरुगायं). |
| pratiṣṭhām (प्रतिष्ठाम्) | a foundation | Heard pratiṣṭhāṃ (प्रतिष्ठां), a second time. |
| dṛṣṭvā (दृष्ट्वा) | gerund | Having seen. |
| dhṛtyā (धृत्या) | instrumental | By resolve. |
| dhīraḥ (धीरः) | nominative | Wise. Heard dhīro (धीरो). |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative | Naciketas (नचिकेत). Heard naciketo (नचिकेतो). |
| atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः) | aorist, second person | You let go. The verb of 2.3. |
The phrases
A string of accusatives the boy has seen, and then the verb: by resolve he let them go.
Sanskrit in this line
The accusatives are in a row. The finite verb waits until atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः).
Say it back
Say the means, dhṛtyā (धृत्या), and the verb.