The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.20 Smaller than the small
2.20
अणोरणीयान् महतो महीयानात्मास्य जन्तोर् निहितो गुहायाम् ।
तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुप्रसादान् महिमानमात्मनः aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām |
tam akratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuprasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ
The line
Smaller than the small, greater than the great, the self of this creature is set in the cave. One without a scheme, grief gone, sees the greatness of the self, from the clarity of the faculties.
नेपालीमा
सानोभन्दा सानो, ठूलोभन्दा ठूलो, यस प्राणीको आत्मा गुफामा राखिएको छ। योजना नभएको, शोक गएको मानिस इन्द्रियको स्पष्टताबाट आत्माको महिमा देख्छ।
Where it sits
The cave is the same guhā (गुहा) as 1.14 and 2.12. Akratu (अक्रतु) is the opposite of the man whose kratu (क्रतु) is a plan of sacrifice. The seeing is his.
Split: aṇoḥ (अणोः) + aṇīyān (अणीयान्) + mahataḥ (महतः) + mahīyān (महीयान्) + ātmā (आत्मा) + asya jantoḥ (अस्य जन्तोः) + nihitaḥ (निहितः) + guhāyām (गुहायाम्) + tam (तम्) + akratuḥ (अक्रतुः) + paśyati (पश्यति) + vīta-śokaḥ (वीत-शोकः) + dhātu-prasādāt (धातु-प्रसादात्) + mahimānam (महिमानम्) + ātmanaḥ (आत्मनः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| aṇoḥ (अणोः) | ablative | Than the small. Heard aṇor (अणोर्). |
| aṇīyān (अणीयान्) | nominative | Smaller. Comparative. |
| mahataḥ (महतः) | ablative | Than the great. Heard mahato (महतो). |
| mahīyān (महीयान्) | nominative | Greater. |
| ātmā (आत्मा) | nominative | The self. |
| asya jantoḥ (अस्य जन्तोः) | of this creature | Heard jantor (जन्तोर्). |
| nihitaḥ (निहितः) | nominative | Set, placed. Heard nihito (निहितो). |
| guhāyām (गुहायाम्) | locative | In the cave. |
| tam (तम्) | accusative | Him. Heard tam (तम्). |
| akratuḥ (अक्रतुः) | nominative | One without kratu (क्रतु), without a scheme of rite. Heard akratuḥ (अक्रतुः). |
| paśyati (पश्यति) | present | He sees. |
| vīta-śokaḥ (वीत-शोकः) | nominative | Grief gone. Heard vītaśoko (वीतशोको). |
| dhātu-prasādāt (धातु-प्रसादात्) | ablative | From the clarity of the elements, of the faculties. Heard dhātuprasādān (धातुप्रसादान्) before the nasal of the next word in this pāṭha (पाठ), prasādān (प्रसादान्). |
| mahimānam (महिमानम्) | accusative | The greatness. Heard mahimānam (महिमानम्). |
| ātmanaḥ (आत्मनः) | genitive | Of the self. |
The phrases
Smaller than the small, greater than the great, the self of this creature is set in the cave. The one without a scheme, his grief gone, sees that greatness.
Sanskrit in this line
Aṇoḥ aṇīyān (अणोः अणीयान्) is the ablative of comparison. Mahataḥ mahīyān (महतः महीयान्) is the same construction, the other way.
Say it back
Say the two comparisons, and where the self is set.