The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.22 Bodiless
2.22
अशरीरं शरीरेषु अनवस्थेष्ववस्थितम् ।
महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति aśarīraṃ śarīreṣu anavastheṣv avasthitam |
mahāntaṃ vibhum ātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati
The line
Bodiless in bodies, settled in the unsettled: having thought the self, great and pervading, the wise one does not grieve.
नेपालीमा
शरीरहरूमा देहरहित, अस्थिरमा स्थिर रहेको महान् तथा व्याप्त आत्मालाई विचार गरेपछि ज्ञानी शोक गर्दैन।
Where it sits
The refrain of not grieving returns at 4.4 and 6.6. The next mantra says the self is not got by talk, by intelligence, or by much hearing.
Split: aśarīram (अशरीरम्) + śarīreṣu (शरीरेषु) + anavastheṣu (अनवस्थेषु) + avasthitam (अवस्थितम्) + mahāntam (महान्तम्) + vibhum (विभुम्) + ātmānam (आत्मानम्) + matvā (मत्वा) + dhīraḥ (धीरः) + na śocati (न शोचति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| aśarīram (अशरीरम्) | accusative | Bodiless. Heard aśarīraṃ (अशरीरं). |
| śarīreṣu (शरीरेषु) | locative plural | In bodies. |
| anavastheṣu (अनवस्थेषु) | locative plural | In the unsteady. Heard anavastheṣv (अनवस्थेष्व्) before avasthitam (अवस्थितम्). |
| avasthitam (अवस्थितम्) | accusative | Standing, settled. Heard avasthitam (अवस्थितम्). |
| mahāntam (महान्तम्) | accusative | Great. Heard mahāntaṃ (महान्तं). |
| vibhum (विभुम्) | accusative | Pervading. Heard vibhum (विभुम्). |
| ātmānam (आत्मानम्) | accusative | The self. Heard ātmānaṃ (आत्मानं). |
| matvā (मत्वा) | gerund | Having thought. |
| dhīraḥ (धीरः) | nominative | The wise one. Heard dhīro (धीरो). |
| na śocati (न शोचति) | he does not grieve | Present of śuc (शुच्). |
The phrases
Bodiless among bodies, settled among the unsettled. Having thought that great pervading self, the wise one does not grieve.
Sanskrit in this line
Anavastheṣu (अनवस्थेषु) plus avasthitam (अवस्थितम्) is anavastheṣv avasthitam (अनवस्थेष्ववस्थितम्). u (उ) before a vowel becomes v (व्).
Say it back
Say the paradox of where he stands, and what the wise one does not do.