The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 5.5 Not by the breaths
5.5
न प्राणेन नापानेन मर्त्यो जीवति कश्चन ।
इतरेण तु जीवन्ति यस्मिन्नेतावुपाश्रितौ na prāṇena nāpānena martyo jīvati kaścana |
itareṇa tu jīvanti yasminn etāv upāśritau
The line
Not by the upward breath, not by the downward breath, does any mortal live. They live by another, in whom these two are set.
नेपालीमा
माथिको श्वासले पनि र तलको श्वासले पनि कुनै मर्त्य बाँच्दैन। उनीहरू अर्कोले बाँच्छन्, जसमा यी दुई अडेका छन्।
Where it sits
The breaths of 5.3 are not the life. The next mantra promises to tell what the self becomes at death.
Split: na prāṇena (न प्राणेन) + na apānena (न अपानेन) + martyaḥ kaścana jīvati (मर्त्यः कश्चन जीवति) + itareṇa tu (इतरेण तु) + jīvanti (जीवन्ति) + yasmin (यस्मिन्) + etau upāśritau (एतौ उपाश्रितौ)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na prāṇena (न प्राणेन) | not by the upward breath | Instrumental. |
| na apānena (न अपानेन) | nor by the downward breath | Heard nāpānena (नापानेन). |
| martyaḥ kaścana jīvati (मर्त्यः कश्चन जीवति) | no mortal lives | Heard martyo jīvati kaścana (मर्त्यो जीवति कश्चन). |
| itareṇa tu (इतरेण तु) | but by another | Instrumental. |
| jīvanti (जीवन्ति) | present, plural | They live. |
| yasmin (यस्मिन्) | locative | In whom. Heard yasminn (यस्मिन्न्). |
| etau upāśritau (एतौ उपाश्रितौ) | these two are supported | Nominative dual. The two breaths. |
The phrases
No mortal lives by the up-breath or the down-breath. They live by another, on whom those two rest.
Sanskrit in this line
Na apānena (न अपानेन) is nāpānena (नापानेन). Yasmin etau (यस्मिनेतौ) is yasminn etau (यस्मिन्नेतौ).
Say it back
Say what a mortal does not live by.