The Upaniṣads / Kaṭha / 6.4 Before the body falls
6.4
इह चेदशकद् बोद्धुं प्राक् शरीरस्य विस्रसः ।
ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते iha ced aśakad boddhuṃ prāk śarīrasya visrasaḥ |
tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate
The line
If one has been able to know it here, before the body's falling apart, then so. Otherwise, in the worlds of creation, one is fit for taking a body.
नेपालीमा
यदि शरीर छरिनुअघि यहाँ यसलाई जान्न सकियो भने त्यसो हुन्छ। नत्र सृष्टिका लोकमा मानिस शरीर लिन योग्य हुन्छ।
Where it sits
The knowing is placed before death, which is where Naciketas (नचिकेत) is standing. The next mantra says how clear the seeing is in each world.
Split: iha cet (इह चेत्) + aśakat (अशकत्) + boddhum (बोद्धुम्) + prāk (प्राक्) + śarīrasya visrasaḥ (शरीरस्य विस्रसः) + tataḥ (ततः) + sargeṣu lokeṣu (सर्गेषु लोकेषु) + śarīratvāya kalpate (शरीरत्वाय कल्पते)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| iha cet (इह चेत्) | if here | Heard iha ced (इह चेद्). |
| aśakat (अशकत्) | aorist | One was able. Heard aśakad (अशकद्). |
| boddhum (बोद्धुम्) | infinitive | To wake, to know. Heard boddhuṃ (बोद्धुं). |
| prāk (प्राक्) | indeclinable | Before. |
| śarīrasya visrasaḥ (शरीरस्य विस्रसः) | the falling apart of the body | Genitive. Heard visrasaḥ (विस्रसः). |
| tataḥ (ततः) | else | Heard tataḥ (ततः). |
| sargeṣu lokeṣu (सर्गेषु लोकेषु) | in the created worlds | Locative plural. |
| śarīratvāya kalpate (शरीरत्वाय कल्पते) | he is fit for embodiment | Dative. |
The phrases
If one can know it here, before the body falls apart, well. Otherwise one is headed for a body in the created worlds.
Sanskrit in this line
Iha cet aśakat (इह चेतशकत्) is iha ced aśakad (इह चेदशकद्). Prāk (प्राक्) governs the ablative-like genitive of the falling.
Say it back
Say the deadline: before what.