The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 3.9 Viṣṇu's step
3.9
विज्ञानसारथिर् यस् तु मनः प्रग्रहवान् नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद् विष्णोः परमं पदम् vijñānasārathir yas tu manaḥ pragrahavān naraḥ |
so 'dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam
The line
The man whose driver is understanding, and who holds the mind as reins, reaches the far shore of the road. That is the highest step of Viṣṇu (विष्णु).
नेपालीमा
जसको सारथि बुझाइ हो र जसले मनलाई लगाम बनाउँछ, त्यो मानिस बाटोको परकिनारामा पुग्छ। त्यो विष्णुको सर्वोच्च पाइला हो।
Where it sits
The figure's promise is this line. 3.10 and 3.11 climb past the horses. The Brahma Sūtra (ब्रह्म सूत्र) will not let that climb be read as a pradhāna (प्रधान) standing outside the figure.
Split: vijñāna-sārathiḥ (विज्ञान-सारथिः) + yaḥ tu (यः तु) + manaḥ-pragrahavān (मनः-प्रग्रहवान्) + naraḥ (नरः) + saḥ (सः) + adhvanaḥ (अध्वनः) + pāram (पारम्) + āpnoti (आप्नोति) + tat (तत्) + viṣṇoḥ (विष्णोः) + paramam padam (परमम् पदम्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| vijñāna-sārathiḥ (विज्ञान-सारथिः) | nominative singular, masculine | Whose driver is understanding. Heard vijñānasārathir (विज्ञानसारथिर्). |
| yaḥ tu (यः तु) | nominative singular, masculine | Who. Heard yas tu (यस् तु). |
| manaḥ-pragrahavān (मनः-प्रग्रहवान्) | nominative singular, masculine | Who holds the mind as reins. |
| naraḥ (नरः) | nominative singular, masculine | A man. |
| saḥ (सः) | nominative singular, masculine | He. Heard so (सो) before adhvanaḥ (अध्वनः). |
| adhvanaḥ (अध्वनः) | genitive singular, masculine | Of the road. |
| pāram (पारम्) | accusative singular, neuter | The far shore. Heard pāram (पारम्). |
| āpnoti (आप्नोति) | present, third person singular | He reaches. |
| tat (तत्) | nominative singular, neuter | That. Heard tad (तद्). |
| viṣṇoḥ (विष्णोः) | genitive singular, masculine | Of Viṣṇu (विष्णु). |
| paramam padam (परमम् पदम्) | nominative singular, neuter | The highest step. Heard paramaṃ padam (परमं पदम्). |
The phrases
Understanding as driver, mind as reins. He reaches the road's far shore. That is Viṣṇu (विष्णु)'s highest step.
Sanskrit in this line
Saḥ adhvanaḥ (सः अध्वनः) is so 'dhvanaḥ (सोऽध्वनः). Tat (तत्) before viṣṇoḥ (विष्णोः) is tad (तद्).
Say it back
Name the driver, the reins, and the step.