The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 2.6 Again and again
2.6
न साम्परायः प्रतिभाति बालं प्रमाद्यन्तं वित्तमोहेन मूढम् ।
अयं लोको नास्ति पर इति मानी पुनः पुनर् वशमापद्यते मे na sāmparāyaḥ pratibhāti bālaṃ pramādyantaṃ vittamohena mūḍham |
ayaṃ loko nāsti para iti mānī punaḥ punar vaśam āpadyate me
The line
The passing-on does not shine for a child, heedless, confused by the delusion of wealth. Thinking, this world is, there is no other, he falls again and again into my power.
नेपालीमा
परलोक लापरवाह, धनको मोहले अलमलिएको बालकका लागि चम्कदैन। यो लोक छ, अर्को छैन भन्ठानेर ऊ बारम्बार मेरो वशमा पर्छ।
Where it sits
Sāmparāya (साम्पराय) is the word of the third boon, 1.29. Death is saying who never sees the thing the boy asked about.
Split: na (न) + sāmparāyaḥ (साम्परायः) + pratibhāti (प्रतिभाति) + bālam (बालम्) + pramādyantam (प्रमाद्यन्तम्) + vitta-mohena (वित्त-मोहेन) + mūḍham (मूढम्) + ayam lokaḥ (अयम् लोकः) + na asti (न अस्ति) + paraḥ (परः) + iti (इति) + mānī (मानी) + punaḥ punaḥ (पुनः पुनः) + vaśam (वशम्) + āpadyate (आपद्यते) + me (मे)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na (न) | not | Not. |
| sāmparāyaḥ (साम्परायः) | nominative singular, masculine | The passing-on. The other side, the boy's third boon. |
| pratibhāti (प्रतिभाति) | present | It appears, it shines toward. |
| bālam (बालम्) | accusative singular, masculine | A child. Heard bālaṃ (बालं). |
| pramādyantam (प्रमाद्यन्तम्) | accusative singular | Heedless. Heard pramādyantaṃ (प्रमाद्यन्तं). |
| vitta-mohena (वित्त-मोहेन) | instrumental singular, masculine | By the delusion of wealth. |
| mūḍham (मूढम्) | accusative singular | Confused. Heard mūḍham (मूढम्). |
| ayam lokaḥ (अयम् लोकः) | this world | Heard ayaṃ loko (अयं लोको). |
| na asti (न अस्ति) | there is not | Heard nāsti (नास्ति). |
| paraḥ (परः) | nominative singular | Another. A further world. Heard para (पर). |
| iti (इति) | quotes | Closes the opinion. |
| mānī (मानी) | nominative singular | One who thinks so. |
| punaḥ punaḥ (पुनः पुनः) | again and again | Heard punaḥ punar (पुनः पुनर्) before vaśam (वशम्). |
| vaśam (वशम्) | accusative singular | Into my power. Heard vaśam (वशम्). |
| āpadyate (आपद्यते) | present | He falls. |
| me (मे) | genitive | Of me. Death's. |
The phrases
The passing-on does not appear to the heedless child. Thinking there is no further world, he falls again and again into Death's power.
Sanskrit in this line
Na asti (न अस्ति) is nāsti (नास्ति). Punaḥ (पुनः) before vaśam (वशम्) is punar (पुनर्). A visarga before v (व्) is heard as r (र्).
Say it back
Say whose power he falls into, and how often.