The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.21 Sitting, he goes far
2.21
आसीनो दूरं व्रजति शयानो याति सर्वतः ।
कस् तं मदामदं देवं मदन्यो ज्ञातुमर्हति āsīno dūraṃ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvataḥ |
kas taṃ madāmadaṃ devaṃ mad anyo jñātum arhati
The line
Sitting, he goes far. Lying, he goes on every side. Who other than me is able to know that god, beyond exhilaration?
नेपालीमा
बसेर ऊ टाढा जान्छ, सुतेर ऊ सबैतिर जान्छ। मबाहेक अरू को उन्मादभन्दा परको त्यो देवलाई चिन्न सक्छ?
Where it sits
Yama (यम) claims the knowing as his to give. The picture, unmoving yet going, is the same kind of pair as Īśā (ईशा) 4 and 5.
Split: āsīnaḥ (आसीनः) + dūram (दूरम्) + vrajati (व्रजति) + śayānaḥ (शयानः) + yāti (याति) + sarvataḥ (सर्वतः) + kaḥ (कः) + tam (तम्) + mada-amadam (मद-अमदम्) + devam (देवम्) + mat (मत्) + anyaḥ (अन्यः) + jñātum (ज्ञातुम्) + arhati (अर्हति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| āsīnaḥ (आसीनः) | nominative | Sitting. Heard āsīno (आसीनो). |
| dūram (दूरम्) | accusative | Far. Heard dūraṃ (दूरं). |
| vrajati (व्रजति) | present | He goes. |
| śayānaḥ (शयानः) | nominative | Lying down. Heard śayāno (शयानो). |
| yāti (याति) | present | He goes. |
| sarvataḥ (सर्वतः) | indeclinable | Everywhere. |
| kaḥ (कः) | who | Heard kas (क) before tam (तम्). |
| tam (तम्) | accusative | Him. Heard taṃ (तं). |
| mada-amadam (मद-अमदम्) | accusative | The joy and the joyless, beyond exhilaration. Heard madāmadaṃ (मदामदं). |
| devam (देवम्) | accusative | The god. Heard devaṃ (देवं). |
| mat (मत्) | ablative | Other than me. Aside from me. |
| anyaḥ (अन्यः) | nominative | Another. Heard anyo (अन्यो). |
| jñātum (ज्ञातुम्) | infinitive | To know. |
| arhati (अर्हति) | present | Is able, is worthy. |
The phrases
Sitting he goes far. Lying down he goes everywhere. Who but me is able to know that god?
Sanskrit in this line
Mada (मद) plus amadam (अमदम्) is madāmadam (मदामदम्). Kaḥ tam (कः तम्) is kas tam (कस् तम्).
Say it back
Say the two postures, and who claims to know him.