The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.17 The support
2.17
एतदालम्बनं श्रेष्ठमेतदालम्बनं परम् ।
एतदालम्बनं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते etad ālambanaṃ śreṣṭham etad ālambanaṃ param |
etad ālambanaṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate
The line
This is the best support. This is the highest support. Knowing this support, one is made great in the world of brahman (ब्रह्मन्).
नेपालीमा
यो उत्तम आश्रय हो, र यो सर्वोच्च आश्रय हो। यो आश्रय जानेर मानिस ब्रह्मन्को लोकमा महान् बनाइन्छ।
Where it sits
The syllable section is these three mantras, 15 through 17. 2.18 turns to the self that is not born and does not die. That verse is also Gītā (गीता) 2.20.
Split: etat (एतत्) + ālambanam (आलम्बनम्) + śreṣṭham (श्रेष्ठम्) + param (परम्) + jñātvā (ज्ञात्वा) + brahma-loke (ब्रह्म-लोके) + mahīyate (महीयते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| etat (एतत्) | nominative | This. Heard etad (एतद्). |
| ālambanam (आलम्बनम्) | nominative | A support, what one leans on. Heard ālambanaṃ (आलम्बनं). |
| śreṣṭham (श्रेष्ठम्) | nominative | The best. Heard śreṣṭham (श्रेष्ठम्). |
| param (परम्) | nominative | The highest. Heard param (परम्). |
| jñātvā (ज्ञात्वा) | gerund | Having known. |
| brahma-loke (ब्रह्म-लोके) | locative | In the world of brahman (ब्रह्मन्). |
| mahīyate (महीयते) | present, passive | He is magnified, he is made great. |
The phrases
The same etat (एतत्) three times, now as a support. Knowing it, one is made great in the brahman (ब्रह्मन्)-world.
Sanskrit in this line
No new sandhi. Ālambanam (आलम्बनम्) is the noun. Śreṣṭham (श्रेष्ठम्) and param (परम्) agree with it.
Say it back
Say what kind of support, and where one is made great.