The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.16 This is the syllable
2.16
एतद् ध्येवाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतद् ध्येवाक्षरं परम् ।
एतद् ध्येवाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा यो यदिच्छति तस्य तत् etad dhy evākṣaraṃ brahma etad dhy evākṣaraṃ param |
etad dhy evākṣaraṃ jñātvā yo yad icchati tasya tat
The line
This very syllable is Brahman (ब्रह्मन्). This very syllable is the highest. Knowing this very syllable, what one desires, that is his.
नेपालीमा
यो नै अक्षर ब्रह्मन् हो, र यो नै अक्षर सर्वोच्च हो। यो नै अक्षर जानेर, जसले जे चाहन्छ, त्यो उसको हुन्छ।
Where it sits
The Māṇḍūkya (माण्डूक्य) opened by calling oṃ (ओं) an akṣara (अक्षर) and all this. This mantra calls the same akṣara (अक्षर) brahman (ब्रह्मन्). The next mantra calls it the best support.
Split: etat (एतत्) + hi eva (हि एव) + akṣaram (अक्षरम्) + brahma (ब्रह्म) + param (परम्) + jñātvā (ज्ञात्वा) + yaḥ (यः) + yat (यत्) + icchati (इच्छति) + tasya (तस्य) + tat (तत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| etat (एतत्) | nominative | This. Heard etad (एतद्) before hi (हि). |
| hi eva (हि एव) | indeed, itself | Heard dhy eva (ध्येव): hi (हि) after d (द्) is dhy (ध्य्), and eva (एव) joins akṣaram (अक्षरम्). |
| akṣaram (अक्षरम्) | nominative | The syllable. Heard akṣaraṃ (अक्षरं). |
| brahma (ब्रह्म) | nominative | Brahman (ब्रह्मन्). |
| param (परम्) | nominative | The highest. Heard param (परम्). |
| jñātvā (ज्ञात्वा) | gerund | Having known. |
| yaḥ (यः) | nominative | Who. Heard yo (यो). |
| yat (यत्) | accusative | What. Heard yad (यद्). |
| icchati (इच्छति) | present | He desires. |
| tasya (तस्य) | genitive | Of him. |
| tat (तत्) | nominative | That. |
The phrases
Three times, etad dhy evākṣaram (एतद् ध्येवाक्षरम्). It is brahman (ब्रह्मन्). It is the highest. Knowing it, what one desires is his.
Sanskrit in this line
Etat hi eva akṣaram (एतत् हि एव अक्षरम्) is etad dhy evākṣaram (एतद् ध्येवाक्षरम्). Hi (हि) before a vowel, after the d (द्) of etad (एतद्), is heard dhy (ध्य्). Eva (एव) plus akṣaram (अक्षरम्) is evākṣaram (एवाक्षरम्).
Say it back
Say the three predicates of the syllable, the third being what follows the knowing.