The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 4.1 Turned outward
4.1
पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयंभूस् तस्मात् पराङ् पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् ।
कश्चिद् धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन् parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayaṃbhūs tasmāt parāṅ paśyati nāntarātman |
kaścid dhīraḥ pratyag ātmānam aikṣad āvṛttacakṣur amṛtatvam icchan
The line
The self-born pierced the openings so they face outward. Therefore one looks outward, not to the inner self. Some wise one, his eye turned around, longing for deathlessness, saw the self turned inward.
नेपालीमा
स्वयम्भूले प्वालहरू बाहिर फर्काएर छेडे, त्यसैले मानिस भित्री आत्मातिर होइन बाहिर हेर्छ। कुनै ज्ञानीले आँखा फर्काएर, अमरत्व चाहेर, भित्र फर्केको आत्मा देख्यो।
Where it sits
The fourth vallī (वल्ली) opens by explaining why the senses run out, which is why the chariot's horses need a driver. The refrain etad vai tat (एतद् वै तत्) begins at 4.3.
Split: parāñci (पराञ्चि) + khāni (खानि) + vyatṛṇat (व्यतृणत्) + svayambhūḥ (स्वयम्भूः) + tasmāt (तस्मात्) + parāṅ (पराङ्) + paśyati (पश्यति) + na antarātman (न अन्तरात्मन्) + kaścit dhīraḥ (कश्चित् धीरः) + pratyak ātmānam (प्रत्यकात्मानम्) + aikṣat (ऐक्षत्) + āvṛtta-cakṣuḥ (आवृत्त-चक्षुः) + amṛtatvam icchan (अमृतत्वमिच्छन्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| parāñci (पराञ्चि) | accusative plural, neuter | Turned outward. |
| khāni (खानि) | accusative plural, neuter | The openings. The senses. |
| vyatṛṇat (व्यतृणत्) | imperfect, third person singular | He pierced. |
| svayambhūḥ (स्वयम्भूः) | nominative singular, masculine | The self-born. Heard svayaṃbhūs (स्वयंभूस्). |
| tasmāt (तस्मात्) | ablative | Therefore. Heard tasmāt (तस्मात्). |
| parāṅ (पराङ्) | indeclinable, or nominative | Outward. |
| paśyati (पश्यति) | present | One sees. |
| na antarātman (न अन्तरात्मन्) | not the inner self | Heard nāntarātman (नान्तरात्मन्). |
| kaścit dhīraḥ (कश्चित् धीरः) | some wise one | Heard kaścid dhīraḥ (कश्चिद् धीरः). |
| pratyak ātmānam (प्रत्यकात्मानम्) | the self turned back | Heard pratyag ātmānam (प्रत्यगात्मानम्). |
| aikṣat (ऐक्षत्) | imperfect | He saw. Heard aikṣad (ऐक्षद्). |
| āvṛtta-cakṣuḥ (आवृत्त-चक्षुः) | nominative | His eye turned back. Heard āvṛttacakṣur (आवृत्तचक्षुर्). |
| amṛtatvam icchan (अमृतत्वमिच्छन्) | desiring deathlessness | Heard amṛtatvam icchan (अमृतत्वमिच्छन्). |
The phrases
The self-born pierced the openings outward, so a person looks out, not at the inner self. A rare wise one, eye turned back, saw the inward self, wanting deathlessness.
Sanskrit in this line
Na antarātman (न अन्तरात्मन्) is nāntarātman (नान्तरात्मन्). Pratyak (प्रत्यक्) before ātmānam (आत्मानम्) is pratyag (प्रत्यग्).
Say it back
Say which way the openings were pierced, and who looks the other way.