The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 4.3 By what one knows
4.3
येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान् स्पर्शांश् च मैथुनान् ।
एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते ।
एतद् वै तत् yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdān sparśāṃś ca maithunān |
etenaiva vijānāti kim atra pariśiṣyate |
etad vai tat
The line
That by which one knows form, taste, scent, sounds, touches, and sexual union: by that very thing one knows. What is left over here? This, indeed, is that.
नेपालीमा
जसद्वारा रूप, स्वाद, गन्ध, शब्द, स्पर्श र मैथुन जानिन्छ, त्यसैद्वारा जानिन्छ, र यहाँ बाँकी के रहन्छ? यही नै त्यो हो।
Where it sits
Etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्) is the refrain. It answers the boy's yat tat paśyasi tad vada (यत् तत् पश्यसि तद् वद) at 2.14. Each following picture is 'that.'
Split: yena (येन) + rūpam rasaṃ gandham (रूपम् रसं गन्धम्) + śabdān sparśān (शब्दान् स्पर्शान्) + ca maithunān (च मैथुनान्) + etena eva (एतेन एव) + vijānāti (विजानाति) + kim atra pariśiṣyate (किमत्र परिशिष्यते) + etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yena (येन) | instrumental singular | By which. |
| rūpam rasaṃ gandham (रूपम् रसं गन्धम्) | accusative | Form, taste, scent. |
| śabdān sparśān (शब्दान् स्पर्शान्) | accusative plural | Sounds and touches. Heard śabdān sparśāṃś (शब्दान् स्पर्शांश्). |
| ca maithunān (च मैथुनान्) | and couplings | Accusative plural. |
| etena eva (एतेन एव) | by this very | Heard etenaiva (एतेनैव). |
| vijānāti (विजानाति) | present | One knows. |
| kim atra pariśiṣyate (किमत्र परिशिष्यते) | what remains here | The question. |
| etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्) | this, indeed, is that | The refrain. It will return through this vallī (वल्ली) and the next. |
The phrases
By what one knows form, taste, scent, sound, touch, and coupling: what remains here besides that? This, indeed, is that.
Sanskrit in this line
Sparśān ca (स्पर्शान् च) is sparśāṃś ca (स्पर्शांश् च). Etena eva (एतेन एव) is etenaiva (एतेनैव).
Say it back
Say the refrain.