The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 4.6 Born of heat
4.6
यः पूर्वं तपसो जातमद्भ्यः पूर्वमजायत ।
गुहां प्रविश्य तिष्ठन्तं यो भूतेभिर् व्यपश्यत ।
एतद् वै तत् yaḥ pūrvaṃ tapaso jātam adbhyaḥ pūrvam ajāyata |
guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantaṃ yo bhūtebhir vyapaśyata |
etad vai tat
The line
Who was born of old from heat, who was born before the waters, who, having entered the cave, stands there, whom one saw by means of the beings: this, indeed, is that.
नेपालीमा
जो पहिले तापबाट जन्मेको थियो, जो जलभन्दा अघि जन्मेको थियो, जो गुफामा पसेर त्यहाँ उभिन्छ, जसलाई प्राणीहरूमार्फत देखियो, यही नै त्यो हो।
Where it sits
Another picture under the same refrain. The cave is the guhā (गुहा) of the fire and of the self.
Split: yaḥ pūrvam (यः पूर्वम्) + tapasaḥ jātam (तपसः जातम्) + adbhyaḥ pūrvam (अद्भ्यः पूर्वम्) + ajāyata (अजायत) + guhām praviśya (गुहाम् प्रविश्य) + tiṣṭhantam (तिष्ठन्तम्) + yaḥ bhūtaiḥ vyapaśyata (यः भूतैः व्यपश्यत) + etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yaḥ pūrvam (यः पूर्वम्) | who, before | The one who was before. |
| tapasaḥ jātam (तपसः जातम्) | born of heat | Accusative. Heard tapaso jātam (तपसो जातम्). |
| adbhyaḥ pūrvam (अद्भ्यः पूर्वम्) | before the waters | Ablative adbhyaḥ (अद्भ्यः). |
| ajāyata (अजायत) | aorist, or imperfect | He was born. |
| guhām praviśya (गुहाम् प्रविश्य) | having entered the cave | Gerund. |
| tiṣṭhantam (तिष्ठन्तम्) | accusative | Standing. Heard tiṣṭhantam (तिष्ठन्तम्). |
| yaḥ bhūtaiḥ vyapaśyata (यः भूतैः व्यपश्यत) | who saw with the beings | Heard yo bhūtebhir vyapaśyata (यो भूतेभिर् व्यपश्यत). |
| etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्) | the refrain | This is that. |
The phrases
The one born of heat before the waters, standing in the cave, seen along with the beings: this is that.
Sanskrit in this line
Adbhyaḥ (अद्भ्यः) is the ablative plural of ap (अप्), water.
Say it back
Say what he was born before.