The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 4.11 By mind alone
4.11
मनसैवेदमाप्तव्यं नेह नानास्ति किंचन ।
मृत्योः स मृत्युं गच्छति य इह नानेव पश्यति manasaivedam āptavyaṃ neha nānāsti kiṃcana |
mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati
The line
By the mind alone is this to be obtained. There is no plurality here at all. He goes from death to death who sees here as if it were many.
नेपालीमा
यो मनले मात्र पाउनुपर्छ, यहाँ अनेकता अलिकति पनि छैन। जसले यहाँलाई अनेकझैँ देख्छ ऊ मृत्युबाट मृत्युमा जान्छ।
Where it sits
The repeated close is anuvṛtti (अनुवृत्ति) of the penalty. The new sentence is neha nānāsti kiṃcana (नेह नानास्ति किंचन).
Split: manasā eva (मनसा एव) + idam āptavyam (इदमाप्तव्यम्) + na iha nānā asti kiṃcana (न इह नाना अस्ति किंचन) + mṛtyoḥ saḥ mṛtyum gacchati (मृत्योः सः मृत्युम् गच्छति) + yaḥ iha nānā iva paśyati (यः इह नाना इव पश्यति)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| manasā eva (मनसा एव) | by mind alone | Heard manasaiva (मनसैव). |
| idam āptavyam (इदमाप्तव्यम्) | this is to be obtained | Heard idam āptavyaṃ (इदमाप्तव्यं). |
| na iha nānā asti kiṃcana (न इह नाना अस्ति किंचन) | there is no plurality here at all | Heard neha nānāsti kiṃcana (नेह नानास्ति किंचन). |
| mṛtyoḥ saḥ mṛtyum gacchati (मृत्योः सः मृत्युम् गच्छति) | he goes from death to death | Heard mṛtyuṃ (मृत्युं). |
| yaḥ iha nānā iva paśyati (यः इह नाना इव पश्यति) | who sees as if many | The close of 4.10, repeated. |
The phrases
This is to be reached by the mind alone. There is no many here. The seer of many goes from death to death.
Sanskrit in this line
Manasā eva idam (मनसा एव इदम्) is manasaivedam (मनसैवेदम्). Na iha (न इह) is neha (नेह). Nānā asti (नाना अस्ति) is nānāsti (नानास्ति).
Say it back
Say how it is to be obtained, and what is not here.