Katha:1.3.15

Mantra 1.3.15

Original Text:

अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथाऽरसन्नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत् ।
	अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १५ ॥

aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ tathā’rasannityamagandhavacca yat |
	anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate || 15 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
अशब्दम्	aśabdam	ध्वनि का अभाव – जिसमें कोई ध्वनि नहीं है	Soundless – that which is devoid of sound		अस्पर्शम्	asparśam	स्पर्श का अभाव – जिसमें कोई स्पर्श नहीं है	Touchless – that which is devoid of touch		अरूपम्	arūpam	रूप का अभाव – जिसमें कोई आकार या रूप नहीं है	Formless – that which is devoid of form		अव्ययम्	avyayam	नाशरहित – जो नष्ट नहीं होता	Undecaying – that which does not perish		तथा	tathā	उसी प्रकार – इसी तरह	So – in this manner		अरसं	arasam	रस का अभाव – जिसमें कोई स्वाद नहीं है	Tasteless – that which is devoid of taste		नित्यम्	nityam	शाश्वत – जो सदा रहता है	Eternal – that which is everlasting		अगन्धवत्	agandhavat	गंध का अभाव – जिसमें कोई गंध नहीं है	Scentless – that which is devoid of smell		यत्	yat	वह – जो	Which – that which		अनादि	anādi	आदि रहित – जिसका कोई प्रारंभ नहीं है	Beginningless – that which has no origin		अनन्तम्	anantam	अंत रहित – जिसका कोई अंत नहीं है	Endless – that which has no end		महतः	mahataḥ	महत् तत्त्व से – महत् (बुद्धि) से	Beyond the Mahat – transcending the principle of Mahat (cosmic intellect)		परम्	param	परे – उससे परे	Beyond – transcending		ध्रुवम्	dhruvam	स्थिर – जो अपरिवर्तनीय है	Constant – changeless, stable		निचाय्य	nicāyya	जानकर – समझकर	Knowing – having realized		तत्	tat	उसे – उस ब्रह्म को	That – that (Brahman)		मृत्यु-मुखात्	mṛtyu-mukhāt	मृत्यु के मुख से – मृत्यु के चंगुल से	From the mouth of Death – from the grasp of death		प्रमुच्यते	pramucyate	मुक्त हो जाता है – छूट जाता है	Escapes – is released

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जो न ध्वनि है, न स्पर्श, न रूप, न नाशवान, न स्वाद, न गंध, शाश्वत, आदि रहित, अंत रहित, महत् तत्त्व से परे और स्थिर है, उस ब्रह्म को जानकर मनुष्य मृत्यु के मुख से छूट जाता है।

English: That which is aśabda (soundless), asparśa (touchless), arūpa (formless), avyaya (undecaying), arasa (tasteless), nitya (eternal), agandha (scentless), anādi (beginningless), ananta (endless), param (beyond) the Mahat, and dhruva (constant)—having realized that (tat), a person escapes from the mouth of mṛtyu (death).

Commentary

How the object to be known is very subtle is explained. This earth, produced by sound, touch, form, taste, and scent, and the object of all the senses, is gross; so is the body. Here, by the elimination one by one of these guṇa-s (attributes) from earth and the rest, difference in respect of subtlety, greatness, purity, and durability has been found in the elements, from water upwards to ākāśa. Therefore, the śruti shows that little need be said of the unsurpassable subtlety, etc., of that in which smell and the rest up to sound inclusive, mere modifications being gross, do not exist; which is aśabda (soundless), asparśa (touchless), arūpa (formless), avyaya (undecaying), arasa (tasteless), nitya (eternal), and agandha (scentless). Brahman thus explained is undecaying; for, what has sound, etc., decays.

But this, having no sound, etc., does not decay or suffer diminution; therefore also, it is eternal; for what decays is ephemeral; but this does not decay. Therefore, it is eternal; and being eternal, it is anādi (beginningless); i.e., has no cause; what has a beginning, that being an effect, is not eternal and is absorbed into its cause as earth, etc. But this, being the cause of all, is not an effect and not being an effect, it is eternal. It has no cause into which it could be absorbed; similarly, ananta (endless), i.e., that which has no end or anything to be done by it. As the ephemeral nature of plantains, etc., is seen, by the fact of their yielding fruit and other results; not even thus, is it seen that Brahman has an end; therefore also eternal. Beyond the Mahat, distinct in nature from the principle known as Mahat called intelligence, for it is the witness of all, eternal knowledge being its nature, and Brahman being the ātman of all things. For, it has been already said ‘This ātman concealed in all living beings, etc.’ Dhruva (constant), i.e., changeless and eternal. Its eternal nature is not relative like that of the earth, etc. Having realized Brahman thus described as the ātman, one releases the ātman from the mouth of mṛtyu (death), i.e., from what is incidental to death, i.e., from ignorance, desire, and karma.

Concept List

aśabda
asparśa
arūpa
avyaya
arasa
nitya
agandha
anādi
ananta
mahat
param
dhruva
Brahman
mṛtyu
ātman