Katha:2.2.9

Mantra 2.2.9

Original Text:

अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव ।
	एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च ॥ ९ ॥

agniryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva |
	ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca || 9 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
अग्निः	agniḥ	अग्नि – वह जो जलता है, प्रकाश और उष्मा का स्रोत	fire – the principle of heat and light
यथा	yathā	जैसे – तुलना का सूचक	just as – denotes comparison
एकः	ekaḥ	एक – अद्वितीय, केवल एक	one – singular, unique
एव	eva	ही – विशेष रूप से, केवल	indeed – emphasis, only
इमं	imaṃ	इस – इस (संसार) में	this – referring to the world
भुवनम्	bhuvanam	संसार – जगत, समस्त प्राणी और पदार्थ	world – universe, all beings and things
प्रविष्टः	praviṣṭaḥ	प्रवेश किया – भीतर गया	entered – having entered
रूपम् रूपम्	rūpam rūpam	प्रत्येक रूप – हर रूप, हर आकार	each form – every form, every shape
प्रति-रूपः	prati-rūpaḥ	प्रत्येक रूप के अनुसार – अनुरूप	corresponding to each form – matching each form
बभूव	babhūva	बन गया – हो गया, प्रकट हुआ	became – assumed, manifested
एकः	ekaḥ	एक – अद्वितीय, केवल एक	one – singular, unique
तथा	tathā	वैसे ही – उसी प्रकार	so – in the same way
सर्व-भूत-अन्तरात्मा	sarva-bhūta-antarātmā	सभी प्राणियों का अंतरात्मा – समस्त जीवों के भीतर स्थित आत्मा	inner self of all beings – the innermost self of all living entities
रूपम् रूपम्	rūpam rūpam	प्रत्येक रूप – हर रूप, हर आकार	each form – every form, every shape
प्रति-रूपः	prati-rūpaḥ	प्रत्येक रूप के अनुसार – अनुरूप	corresponding to each form – matching each form
बहिः च	bahiḥ ca	बाहर भी – समस्त रूपों के बाहर भी	and outside – also beyond all forms

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जैसे अग्नि, एक होते हुए भी, संसार में प्रवेश कर प्रत्येक रूप के अनुसार अलग-अलग रूप धारण करता है, वैसे ही समस्त प्राणियों का अंतरात्मा, एक होते हुए, हर रूप के अनुसार रूप धारण करता है और सभी रूपों के बाहर भी स्थित है।

English: Just as agni, though eka, having entered the bhuvanam, assumes a prati-rūpa corresponding to each rūpa, so does the sarva-bhūta-antarātmā, being eka, take on a prati-rūpa for every rūpa and is also bahiḥ, outside all forms.

Commentary

As the knowledge of the oneness of the ātman, though supported by authority and often reiterated, is not firmly grasped by the intellect of those whose minds are unsettled by the arguments of various logicians, the śruti, being anxious to inculcate it, repeats: just as agni, though eka and luminous by nature, having entered the bhuvanam (the world, so called because all things come into being there), assumes distinct shapes in relation to every object to be burned; so, being eka, the sarva-bhūta-antarātmā, having entered all bodies, just as agni enters firewood, being extremely subtle, assumes forms corresponding to each and is also bahiḥ, outside them all, like ākāśa, in its own unmodified nature.

Concept List

agni
eka
bhuvanam
praviṣṭaḥ
rūpa
prati-rūpa
sarva-bhūta-antarātmā
bahiḥ
ātman
ākāśa