The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 5.3 Upward breath
5.3
ऊर्ध्वं प्राणमुन्नयति अपानं प्रत्यगस्यति ।
मध्ये वामनमासीनं विश्वे देवा उपासते ūrdhvaṃ prāṇam unnayati apānaṃ pratyag asyati |
madhye vāmanam āsīnaṃ viśve devā upāsate
The line
He leads the breath upward. He casts the downward breath inward. All the gods attend the dwarf seated in the middle.
नेपालीमा
ऊ श्वासलाई माथि लैजान्छ र तलको श्वासलाई भित्र फाल्छ। सबै देवता बीचमा बसेको वामनको उपासना गर्छन्।
Where it sits
The thumb-sized person of 4.12 is kin to this vāmana (वामन) in the middle. The gods are the attenders, not the object.
Split: ūrdhvam prāṇam (ऊर्ध्वम् प्राणम्) + unnayati (उन्नयति) + apānam (अपानम्) + pratyak asyati (प्रत्यकस्यति) + madhye (मध्ये) + vāmanam āsīnam (वामनमासीनम्) + viśve devāḥ (विश्वे देवाः) + upāsate (उपासते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| ūrdhvam prāṇam (ऊर्ध्वम् प्राणम्) | the breath upward | Accusative. Heard ūrdhvaṃ prāṇam (ऊर्ध्वं प्राणम्). |
| unnayati (उन्नयति) | present | He leads up. |
| apānam (अपानम्) | accusative | The downward breath. Heard apānaṃ (अपानं). |
| pratyak asyati (प्रत्यकस्यति) | he throws back | Heard pratyag asyati (प्रत्यगस्यति). |
| madhye (मध्ये) | locative | In the middle. |
| vāmanam āsīnam (वामनमासीनम्) | the dwarf, seated | Accusative. Heard vāmanam āsīnam (वामनमासीनम्). |
| viśve devāḥ (विश्वे देवाः) | all the gods | Heard viśve devā (विश्वे देवा). |
| upāsate (उपासते) | present, plural | They attend, they worship. |
The phrases
He leads the upward breath up and throws the downward breath back. In the middle sits the small one, and all the gods attend him.
Sanskrit in this line
Pratyak asyati (प्रत्यकस्यति) is pratyag asyati (प्रत्यगस्यति).
Say it back
Say who sits in the middle.