The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 4.13 A smokeless light
4.13
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ज्योतिरिव अधूमकः ।
ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य स एवाद्य स उ श्वः ।
एतद् वै तत् aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo jyotir iva adhūmakaḥ |
īśāno bhūtabhavyasya sa evādya sa u śvaḥ |
etad vai tat
The line
The person the size of a thumb, like a smokeless light, lord of past and future: he is today, and he is tomorrow. This, indeed, is that.
नेपालीमा
अङ्गुष्ठ जत्रो पुरुष धुवाँरहित ज्योतिझैँ भूत र भविष्यको स्वामी हो, ऊ आज हो र ऊ भोलि हो। यही नै त्यो हो।
Where it sits
The size is repeated so the light can be added. He is not only the inner measure. He is the one who is now and the one who is next.
Split: aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ puruṣaḥ (अङ्गुष्ठ-मात्रः पुरुषः) + jyotiḥ iva (ज्योतिः इव) + adhūmakaḥ (अधूमकः) + īśānaḥ bhūta-bhavyasya (ईशानः भूत-भव्यस्य) + saḥ eva adya (सः एव अद्य) + saḥ u śvaḥ (सः उ श्वः) + etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ puruṣaḥ (अङ्गुष्ठ-मात्रः पुरुषः) | the thumb-sized person | As in 4.12. |
| jyotiḥ iva (ज्योतिः इव) | like a light | Heard jyotir iva (ज्योतिरिव). |
| adhūmakaḥ (अधूमकः) | nominative | Smokeless. |
| īśānaḥ bhūta-bhavyasya (ईशानः भूत-भव्यस्य) | lord of past and future | Carried from 4.12. |
| saḥ eva adya (सः एव अद्य) | he, today | Heard sa evādya (स एवाद्य). |
| saḥ u śvaḥ (सः उ श्वः) | and he, tomorrow | Heard sa u śvaḥ (स उ श्वः). |
| etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्) | the refrain | This is that. |
The phrases
The same person, like a light without smoke. He is today and he is tomorrow.
Sanskrit in this line
Saḥ eva adya (सः एव अद्य) is sa evādya (स एवाद्य). Jyotiḥ iva (ज्योतिः इव) is jyotir iva (ज्योतिरिव).
Say it back
Say what the light is without.