The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 3.3 The rider
3.3
आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु ।
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva tu |
buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca
The line
Know the self as the rider, and the body as just the chariot. Know the intellect as the driver, and the mind as just the reins.
नेपालीमा
आत्मालाई सवार जान र शरीरलाई रथ मात्र जान। बुद्धिलाई सारथि जान र मनलाई लगाम मात्र जान।
Where it sits
The figure starts here. 3.4 adds horses and roads. Gītā (गीता) 3.42 climbs from the senses through mind and intellect. This vallī (वल्ली) makes that climb at 3.10. Chapters 3 through 6 of the Gītā (गीता) are the talk of action and the senses this figure belongs beside.
Split: ātmānam (आत्मानम्) + rathinam (रथिनम्) + viddhi (विद्धि) + śarīram (शरीरम्) + ratham (रथम्) + eva tu (एव तु) + buddhim (बुद्धिम्) + tu (तु) + sārathim (सारथिम्) + manaḥ (मनः) + pragraham (प्रग्रहम्) + eva ca (एव च)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ātmānam (आत्मानम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The self. |
| rathinam (रथिनम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The chariot's owner, the rider. Heard rathinaṃ (रथिनं). |
| viddhi (विद्धि) | imperative, second person singular | Know. From vid (विद्). Said in each line. |
| śarīram (शरीरम्) | accusative singular, neuter | The body. Heard śarīraṃ (शरीरं). |
| ratham (रथम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The chariot. |
| eva tu (एव तु) | indeclinable | Itself, and. |
| buddhim (बुद्धिम्) | accusative singular, feminine | The intellect. Heard buddhiṃ (बुद्धिं). |
| tu (तु) | indeclinable | And. It marks the next pair. |
| sārathim (सारथिम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The driver. Heard sārathiṃ (सारथिं). |
| manaḥ (मनः) | accusative singular, neuter | The mind. |
| pragraham (प्रग्रहम्) | accusative singular, masculine | The reins. |
| eva ca (एव च) | indeclinable | Itself, and. |
The phrases
Two lines, one imperative each. Self and body. Intellect and mind.
Sanskrit in this line
Each viddhi (विद्धि) takes two accusatives. Buddhi (बुद्धि) is feminine and sārathim (सारथिम्) is masculine. The figure pairs them as the thing known and what it is known as.
Say it back
Point at four: rider, chariot, driver, reins.