The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 5.8 Awake in the sleeping
5.8
य एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कामं कामं पुरुषो निर्मिमाणः ।
तदेव शुक्रं तद् ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते ।
तस्मिंल् लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन ।
एतद् वै तत् ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāmaṃ kāmaṃ puruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ |
tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate |
tasmiṃl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana |
etad vai tat
The line
This person who stays awake among the sleeping, fashioning each desire: that very thing is the bright, that is brahman (ब्रह्मन्), that is called the deathless. All worlds are set on it, and no one passes beyond. This, indeed, is that.
नेपालीमा
सुतिरहेकामा जागै रहने, प्रत्येक इच्छा बनाउने यो पुरुष नै उज्यालो हो, त्यो ब्रह्मन् हो, त्यसलाई अमर भनिन्छ। सबै लोक त्यसमा राखिएका छन्, कसैले नाघ्दैन, र यही नै त्यो हो।
Where it sits
Waking inside sleep is not the dream-foot of the Māṇḍūkya (माण्डूक्य) by itself. The mantra's claim is that the one awake there is what is called brahman (ब्रह्मन्).
Split: yaḥ eṣaḥ (यः एषः) + supteṣu jāgarti (सुप्तेषु जागर्ति) + kāmam kāmam (कामम् कामम्) + puruṣaḥ nirmimāṇaḥ (पुरुषः निर्मिमाणः) + tat eva śukram (ततेव शुक्रम्) + tat brahma (तत् ब्रह्म) + tat eva amṛtam ucyate (ततेव अमृतमुच्यते) + tasmin lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve (तस्मिन् लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे) + tat u na atyeti kaścana (ततु न अत्येति कश्चन) + etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| yaḥ eṣaḥ (यः एषः) | who, this | Heard ya eṣa (य एष). |
| supteṣu jāgarti (सुप्तेषु जागर्ति) | he wakes in those who sleep | Locative plural, and the verb. |
| kāmam kāmam (कामम् कामम्) | desire after desire | Accusative, repeated. |
| puruṣaḥ nirmimāṇaḥ (पुरुषः निर्मिमाणः) | the person, fashioning | Nominative. |
| tat eva śukram (ततेव शुक्रम्) | that very bright | Heard tad eva śukram (तदेव शुक्रम्). |
| tat brahma (तत् ब्रह्म) | that is brahman (ब्रह्मन्) | Heard tad brahma (तद् ब्रह्म). |
| tat eva amṛtam ucyate (ततेव अमृतमुच्यते) | that is called the deathless | Heard tad evāmṛtam (तदेवामृतम्). |
| tasmin lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve (तस्मिन् लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे) | all worlds rest in him | Heard tasmiṃl lokāḥ (तस्मिंल् लोकाः). |
| tat u na atyeti kaścana (ततु न अत्येति कश्चन) | no one goes beyond | As at 4.9. |
| etat vai tat (एतत् वै तत्) | the refrain | This is that. |
The phrases
The person who wakes in the sleeping, making desire after desire: that is the bright, that is brahman (ब्रह्मन्), that is called deathless. All worlds rest there.
Sanskrit in this line
Tat eva amṛtam (ततेव अमृतम्) is tad evāmṛtam (तदेवामृतम्). Tasmin lokāḥ (तस्मिन् लोकाः) is tasmiṃl lokāḥ (तस्मिंल् लोकाः).
Say it back
Say where he is awake, and what that is called.