The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.18 Not born, not dead
2.18
न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन् नायं कुतश्चिन् न बभूव कश्चित् ।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin nāyaṃ kutaścin na babhūva kaścit |
ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre
The line
The discerning one is not born, nor does he die. This one did not come to be from anywhere, nor did anyone. Unborn, constant, perpetual, ancient, he is not slain when the body is slain.
नेपालीमा
विवेकी जन्मदैन र मर्दैन। यो कतैबाट भएको होइन र कसैबाट पनि भएको होइन, अजन्मा, नित्य, शाश्वत, प्राचीन ऊ शरीर मारिँदा मारिँदैन।
Where it sits
Gītā (गीता) 2.20 is this mantra. The Gītā (गीता) sitting reads it in Kṛṣṇa (कृष्ण)'s speech to Arjuna (अर्जुन). Here it is Yama (यम) to Naciketas (नचिकेत). The next mantra is Gītā (गीता) 2.19, the slayer and the slain.
Split: na jāyate (न जायते) + mriyate vā (म्रियते वा) + vipaścit (विपश्चित्) + na ayam (न अयम्) + kutaścit (कुतश्चित्) + na babhūva (न बभूव) + kaścit (कश्चित्) + ajaḥ (अजः) + nityaḥ (नित्यः) + śāśvataḥ (शाश्वतः) + ayam (अयम्) + purāṇaḥ (पुराणः) + na hanyate (न हन्यते) + hanyamāne (हन्यमाने) + śarīre (शरीरे)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na jāyate (न जायते) | is not born | Present, passive, of jan (जन्). |
| mriyate vā (म्रियते वा) | or dies | Present, passive, of mṛ (मृ). |
| vipaścit (विपश्चित्) | nominative | The wise one, the discerning. A consonant stem. |
| na ayam (न अयम्) | not this | Heard nāyam (नायम्). |
| kutaścit (कुतश्चित्) | from anywhere | Heard kutaścin (कुतश्चिन्) before na (न). |
| na babhūva (न बभूव) | did not come to be | Perfect of bhū (भू). |
| kaścit (कश्चित्) | anyone | With na (न): no one, it did not become anyone. |
| ajaḥ (अजः) | unborn | Heard ajo (अजो). |
| nityaḥ (नित्यः) | constant | Heard nityaḥ (नित्यः). |
| śāśvataḥ (शाश्वतः) | perpetual | Heard śāśvato (शाश्वतो). |
| ayam (अयम्) | this | Heard 'yam (ऽयम्). |
| purāṇaḥ (पुराणः) | ancient | Heard purāṇo (पुराणो). |
| na hanyate (न हन्यते) | is not slain | Passive of han (हन्). |
| hanyamāne (हन्यमाने) | locative | While being slain. Agrees with śarīre (शरीरे). |
| śarīre (शरीरे) | locative | In the body. |
The phrases
The discerning one is not born and does not die. He did not come to be from anywhere. Unborn, constant, perpetual, ancient, he is not slain when the body is slain.
Sanskrit in this line
Na ayam (न अयम्) is nāyam (नायम्). Śāśvataḥ ayam (शाश्वतः अयम्) is śāśvato 'yam (शाश्वतोऽयम्). The locative hanyamāne śarīre (हन्यमाने शरीरे) is the time and the place of a slaying that does not touch him.
Say it back
Say what happens to the body, and what does not happen to him.