The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 6.3 From fear of it
6.3
भयादस्याग्निस् तपति भयात् तपति सूर्यः ।
भयादिन्द्रश् च वायुश् च मृत्युर् धावति पञ्चमः bhayād asyāgnis tapati bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ |
bhayād indraś ca vāyuś ca mṛtyur dhāvati pañcamaḥ
The line
From fear of him fire burns. From fear the sun burns. From fear Indra (इन्द्र) and the wind, and death runs as the fifth.
नेपालीमा
उसको डरले आगो बल्छ, डरले सूर्य बल्छ। डरले इन्द्र र वायु, र पाँचौँ भएर मृत्यु दगुर्छ।
Where it sits
Death, the teacher of this book, is here one of the five who run. The fear is not his. It belongs to the one of 6.2.
Split: bhayāt asya (भयातस्य) + agniḥ tapati (अग्निः तपति) + bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ (भयात् तपति सूर्यः) + bhayāt indraḥ ca vāyuḥ ca (भयातिन्द्रः च वायुः च) + mṛtyuḥ dhāvati (मृत्युः धावति) + pañcamaḥ (पञ्चमः)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| bhayāt asya (भयातस्य) | from fear of this | Heard bhayād asya (भयादस्य). The genitive is of the one in 6.2. |
| agniḥ tapati (अग्निः तपति) | fire burns | Heard agnis tapati (अग्निस् तपति). |
| bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ (भयात् तपति सूर्यः) | from fear the sun burns | The ablative repeated. |
| bhayāt indraḥ ca vāyuḥ ca (भयातिन्द्रः च वायुः च) | from fear Indra (इन्द्र) and the wind | Heard indraś ca vāyuś ca (इन्द्रश् च वायुश् च). |
| mṛtyuḥ dhāvati (मृत्युः धावति) | death runs | Heard mṛtyur dhāvati (मृत्युर् धावति). |
| pañcamaḥ (पञ्चमः) | nominative | As the fifth. |
The phrases
Fire burns, the sun burns, Indra (इन्द्र) and the wind, and death runs as the fifth, from fear of it.
Sanskrit in this line
Bhayāt asya (भयातस्य) is bhayād asya (भयादस्य). Indraḥ ca (इन्द्रः च) is indraś ca (इन्द्रश् च).
Say it back
Count the five.