The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 6.18 Deathless
6.18
मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतोऽथ लब्ध्वा विद्यामेतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् ।
ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजोऽभूद् विमृत्युरन्योऽप्येवं यो विदध्यात्ममेव mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo 'tha labdhvā vidyām etāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam |
brahmaprāpto virajo 'bhūd vimṛtyur anyo 'py evaṃ yo vid adhyātmam eva
The line
Naciketas (नचिकेत), having obtained this knowledge proclaimed by Death, and the whole rule of yoga (योग), reached brahman (ब्रह्मन्) and became free of stain, free of death. Another, too, who knows thus what concerns the self.
नेपालीमा
नचिकेतले मृत्युले भनेको यो ज्ञान र योगको पूरै नियम पाएर ब्रह्मन्मा पुग्यो र दागरहित, मृत्युरहित भयो। आत्मालाई यसरी जान्ने अर्को पनि त्यस्तै हुन्छ।
Where it sits
The sixth vallī (वल्ली) ends, and the book ends. The rule of yoga (योग) is the holding named at 6.11. The boy of 1.1 is the one who received it. The last clause leaves the same knowing open to another.
Split: mṛtyu-proktām (मृत्यु-प्रोक्ताम्) + naciketāḥ atha labdhvā (नचिकेताः अथ लब्ध्वा) + vidyām etām (विद्यामेताम्) + yoga-vidhim ca kṛtsnam (योग-विधिम् च कृत्स्नम्) + brahma-prāptaḥ (ब्रह्म-प्राप्तः) + virajaḥ abhūt (विरजः अभूत्) + vimṛtyuḥ (विमृत्युः) + anyaḥ api evam (अन्यः अपि एवम्) + yaḥ vid (यः विद्) + adhyātmam eva (अध्यात्ममेव)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| mṛtyu-proktām (मृत्यु-प्रोक्ताम्) | accusative, feminine | Proclaimed by Death. Heard mṛtyuproktām (मृत्युप्रोक्ताम्). |
| naciketāḥ atha labdhvā (नचिकेताः अथ लब्ध्वा) | Naciketas (नचिकेत), then, having obtained | Heard naciketo 'tha labdhvā (नचिकेतोऽथ लब्ध्वा). |
| vidyām etām (विद्यामेताम्) | this knowledge | Accusative. Heard vidyām etām (विद्यामेताम्). |
| yoga-vidhim ca kṛtsnam (योग-विधिम् च कृत्स्नम्) | and the whole rule of yoga (योग) | Accusative. Heard yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam (योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम्). |
| brahma-prāptaḥ (ब्रह्म-प्राप्तः) | nominative | Having reached brahman (ब्रह्मन्). Heard brahmaprāpto (ब्रह्मप्राप्तो). |
| virajaḥ abhūt (विरजः अभूत्) | he became free of passion | Heard virajo 'bhūt (विरजोऽभूत्). |
| vimṛtyuḥ (विमृत्युः) | nominative | Free of death. Heard vimṛtyur (विमृत्युर्). |
| anyaḥ api evam (अन्यः अपि एवम्) | another, too, thus | Heard anyo 'py evam (अन्योऽप्येवम्). |
| yaḥ vid (यः विद्) | who knows | This pāṭha (पाठ) has yo vid (यो विद्). Heard yo vid (यो विद्). |
| adhyātmam eva (अध्यात्ममेव) | just the self, within | Accusative. Heard adhyātmam eva (अध्यात्ममेव). |
The phrases
The narrator closes. Naciketas (नचिकेत), having received the knowledge and the whole rule of yoga (योग) from Death, reached brahman (ब्रह्मन्) and became free of passion and of death. So does another who knows the inner self.
Sanskrit in this line
Naciketāḥ atha (नचिकेताः अथ) is naciketo 'tha (नचिकेतोऽथ). Virajaḥ abhūt (विरजः अभूत्) is virajo 'bhūt (विरजोऽभूत्). Anyaḥ api (अन्यः अपि) is anyo 'pi (अन्योऽपि).
Say it back
Say what he obtained, and what he became.