The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.19 Neither slays
2.19
हन्ता चेन् मन्यते हन्तुं हतश् चेन् मन्यते हतम् ।
उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायं हन्ति न हन्यते hantā cen manyate hantuṃ hataś cen manyate hatam |
ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate
The line
If the slayer thinks he slays, if the slain thinks he is slain, both of them do not know. This one does not slay, and is not slain.
नेपालीमा
यदि मार्नेले आफू मार्छ भन्ठान्छ र मारिएकोले आफू मारिएको भन्ठान्छ भने दुवैले जान्दैनन्। यो मार्दैन र मारिँदैन।
Where it sits
Gītā (गीता) 2.19 is this mantra, set there just before 2.20. The pair belongs together in both books.
Split: hantā (हन्ता) + cet (चेत्) + manyate (मन्यते) + hantum (हन्तुम्) + hataḥ (हतः) + hatam (हतम्) + ubhau tau (उभौ तौ) + na vijānītaḥ (न विजानीतः) + na ayam hanti (न अयम् हन्ति) + na hanyate (न हन्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| hantā (हन्ता) | nominative | A slayer. |
| cet (चेत्) | if | Heard cen (चेन्) before manyate (मन्यते). |
| manyate (मन्यते) | present | He thinks. |
| hantum (हन्तुम्) | infinitive | To slay. Heard hantuṃ (हन्तुं). |
| hataḥ (हतः) | nominative | Slain. Heard hataś (हतश्) before cet (चेत्). |
| hatam (हतम्) | accusative | The slain. Heard hatam (हतम्). |
| ubhau tau (उभौ तौ) | both those | Nominative dual. |
| na vijānītaḥ (न विजानीतः) | the two do not know | Heard vijānīto (विजानीतो). |
| na ayam hanti (न अयम् हन्ति) | this one does not slay | Heard nāyaṃ hanti (नायं हन्ति). |
| na hanyate (न हन्यते) | he is not slain | Passive. |
The phrases
If one thinks himself the slayer, and one thinks himself the slain, both fail to know. This one does not slay and is not slain.
Sanskrit in this line
Cet (चेत्) before manyate (मन्यते) is cen (चेन्). A final t (त्) before m (म्) is heard as n (न्). Hataḥ cet (हतः चेत्) is hataś cet (हतश् चेत्).
Say it back
Say what both of them fail to know, in the last half.