The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 6.12 Not by speech or mind
6.12
नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्षुषा ।
अस्तीति ब्रुवतोऽन्यत्र कथं तदुपलभ्यते naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā |
astīti bruvato 'nyatra kathaṃ tad upalabhyate
The line
It cannot be reached by speech, nor by the mind, nor by the eye. Aside from one who says 'it is,' how is that obtained?
नेपालीमा
यो वचनले, मनले र आँखाले पुग्दैन। यो छ भन्नेबाहेक त्यो कसरी पाइन्छ?
Where it sits
The next mantra answers: it is to be taken as 'it is.' The saying is not a description of a visible thing. It is the way in.
Split: na eva vācā (न एव वाचा) + na manasā (न मनसा) + prāptum śakyaḥ (प्राप्तुम् शक्यः) + na cakṣuṣā (न चक्षुषा) + asti iti bruvataḥ (अस्ति इति ब्रुवतः) + anyatra (अन्यत्र) + katham tat upalabhyate (कथम् ततुपलभ्यते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| na eva vācā (न एव वाचा) | not by speech | Heard naiva vācā (नैव वाचा). |
| na manasā (न मनसा) | not by mind | Instrumental. |
| prāptum śakyaḥ (प्राप्तुम् शक्यः) | able to be reached | Heard prāptuṃ śakyo (प्राप्तुं शक्यो). |
| na cakṣuṣā (न चक्षुषा) | not by the eye | Instrumental. |
| asti iti bruvataḥ (अस्ति इति ब्रुवतः) | of one who says 'it is' | Heard astīti bruvato (अस्तीति ब्रुवतो). |
| anyatra (अन्यत्र) | aside from | Other than that saying. |
| katham tat upalabhyate (कथम् ततुपलभ्यते) | how is that found | Present, passive. |
The phrases
Not by speech, mind, or eye. Other than one who says 'it is,' how is it found?
Sanskrit in this line
Asti iti (अस्ति इति) is astīti (अस्तीति). Na eva (न एव) is naiva (नैव).
Say it back
Say the three instruments that cannot reach it.