The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.3 You let them go
2.3
स त्वं प्रियान् प्रियरूपांश् च कामानभिध्यायन् नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः ।
नैतां सृङ्कां वित्तमयीमवाप्तो यस्यां मज्जन्ति बहवो मनुष्याः sa tvaṃ priyān priyarūpāṃś ca kāmān abhidhyāyan naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ |
naitāṃ sṛṅkāṃ vittamayīm avāpto yasyāṃ majjanti bahavo manuṣyāḥ
The line
You, thinking on dear things and dear forms and desires, let them go, Naciketas (नचिकेत). You have not taken this chain made of wealth, in which many humans sink.
नेपालीमा
प्रिय वस्तु, प्रिय रूप र इच्छा सोचेर तिमीले तिनीहरू छोड्यौ, नचिकेत। धनले बनेको यो साङ्लो तिमीले लिएनौ, जसमा धेरै मानिस डुब्छन्।
Where it sits
The chain was offered at 1.16. Refusing it is now part of the teaching, not only of the story.
Split: saḥ tvam (सः त्वम्) + priyān (प्रियान्) + priya-rūpān (प्रिय-रूपान्) + ca kāmān (च कामान्) + abhidhyāyan (अभिध्यायन्) + naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) + atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः) + na (न) + etām (एताम्) + sṛṅkām (सृङ्काम्) + vitta-mayīm (वित्त-मयीम्) + avāptaḥ (अवाप्तः) + yasyām (यस्याम्) + majjanti (मज्जन्ति) + bahavaḥ (बहवः) + manuṣyāḥ (मनुष्याः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| saḥ tvam (सः त्वम्) | you, that one | Heard sa tvaṃ (स त्वं). |
| priyān (प्रियान्) | accusative plural, masculine | The dear ones. |
| priya-rūpān (प्रिय-रूपान्) | accusative plural, masculine | The ones dear in form. Heard priyarūpāṃś (प्रियरूपांश्) before ca (च). |
| ca kāmān (च कामान्) | and desires | Desires. |
| abhidhyāyan (अभिध्यायन्) | nominative singular | Thinking them over. |
| naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) | vocative | Naciketas (नचिकेत). Heard naciketo (नचिकेतो). |
| atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः) | aorist, second person singular | You let go. From ati-sṛj (अति-सृज्). Heard 'tyasrākṣīḥ (ऽत्यस्राक्षीः). |
| na (न) | not | Not. |
| etām (एताम्) | accusative singular, feminine | This. Heard etāṃ (एतां). |
| sṛṅkām (सृङ्काम्) | accusative singular, feminine | The chain of 1.16. Heard sṛṅkāṃ (सृङ्कां). |
| vitta-mayīm (वित्त-मयीम्) | accusative singular, feminine | Made of wealth. Heard vittamayīm (वित्तमयीम्). |
| avāptaḥ (अवाप्तः) | nominative singular, masculine | You have obtained. Heard avāpto (अवाप्तो). |
| yasyām (यस्याम्) | locative singular, feminine | In which. Heard yasyāṃ (यस्यां). |
| majjanti (मज्जन्ति) | present, third person plural | They sink. |
| bahavaḥ (बहवः) | nominative plural | Many. Heard bahavo (बहवो). |
| manuṣyāḥ (मनुष्याः) | nominative plural | Humans. |
The phrases
Yama (यम) states the fact. Thinking on them, the boy let them go. He did not take the chain of wealth in which many sink.
Sanskrit in this line
Naciketaḥ (नचिकेतः) plus atyasrākṣīḥ (अत्यस्राक्षीः) is naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ (नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः).
Say it back
Say what he let go, and who sinks in the chain.