Katha:2.1.2
Mantra 2.1.2
Original Text:
पराचः कामाननुयन्ति बालास्ते मृत्योर्यन्ति विततस्य पाशं । अथ धीरा अमृतत्वं विदित्वा ध्रुवमध्रुवेष्विह न प्रार्थयन्ते ॥ २ ॥
parācaḥ kāmānanuyanti bālāste mṛtyoryanti vitatasya pāśaṃ | atha dhīrā amṛtatvaṃ viditvā dhruvamadhruveṣviha na prārthayante || 2 ||
| Sanskrit Term | Transliteration | Hindi Meaning | English Word or Meaning | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| पराचः | parācaḥ | बाहर की ओर – इन्द्रियों का बाह्य विषयों की ओर प्रवृत्त होना | turned outward – tendency of senses to go towards external objects | |
| कामान् | kāmān | इच्छाओं को – वासनाओं या भौतिक सुखों की वस्तुएँ | objects of desire – sensual or material enjoyments | |
| अनुव्यन्ति | anuyanti | पीछे चलते हैं – उनका अनुसरण करते हैं | pursue – follow after | |
| बालाः | bālāḥ | अज्ञानी लोग – अनुभवहीन या अपरिपक्व व्यक्ति | ignorant ones – immature or unwise people | |
| ते | te | वे – वे लोग | they – those people | |
| मृत्योर् | mṛtyoḥ | मृत्यु के – मृत्यु के अधीन | of death – under the power of death | |
| यन्ति | yanti | जाते हैं – पहुँचते हैं | go – reach | |
| विततस्य | vitatasya | फैले हुए – सर्वत्र व्याप्त | widespread – all-pervading | |
| पाशम् | pāśam | बंधन – जाल, बंधन | mesh – bondage, net | |
| अथ | atha | परंतु – इसके बाद, लेकिन | but – however | |
| धीरा | dhīrāḥ | विवेकी – बुद्धिमान, विवेकशील | intelligent ones – wise, discriminating people | |
| अमृतत्वम् | amṛtatvam | अमरत्व – मृत्यु रहित अवस्था | immortality – state of deathlessness | |
| विदित्वा | viditvā | जानकर – समझकर | having known – after realizing | |
| ध्रुवम् | dhruvam | स्थिर – अटल, निश्चित | certain – stable, unchanging | |
| अध्रुवेषु | adhruveṣu | अनिश्चितों में – अस्थायी वस्तुओं में | among the uncertain – in impermanent things | |
| इह | iha | यहाँ – इस संसार में | here – in this world | |
| न | na | नहीं – नहीं | not – do not | |
| प्रार्थयन्ते | prārthayante | इच्छा करते – कामना करते हैं | covet – desire, seek |
Translation/Explanation
Hindi: अज्ञानी लोग बाह्य विषयों की इच्छाओं का अनुसरण करते हैं; वे सर्वत्र व्याप्त मृत्यु के बंधन में फँस जाते हैं। लेकिन विवेकी जन, अमरत्व को जानकर, यहाँ अस्थायी वस्तुओं की इच्छा नहीं करते।
English: The bālāḥ pursue external kāmān; they fall into the pāśa of widespread mṛtyu. But the dhīrāḥ, having realized the certain amṛtatva, do not covet the adhruva things here.
Commentary
The natural tendency of the senses to turn outward towards external objects, which are not the ātman, is the root cause of the obstacle—namely, ignorance—in the realization of the ātman. Along with this, the desire for enjoyments related to this world and the next, which are external to the self and sustained by ignorance, forms another obstacle. Because realization of the ātman is hindered by ignorance and desire, those of little understanding pursue only external objects of desire. As a result, they become ensnared in the pāśa of widespread mṛtyu—that is, the binding chain of ignorance, desire, and karma. The pāśa refers to that which binds, consisting in the possession and loss of the body, senses, and so forth. The meaning is that they fall into a continuous stream of manifold suffering, such as birth, death, old age, sickness, and so on. In contrast, the dhīrāḥ, knowing the certain amṛtatva of concentration upon the pratyagātman (the immortality of the devas and others is uncertain, but this—consisting in concentration upon the pratyagātman—is certain, as it is not increased or diminished by karma), do not covet any of the ephemeral objects here, in this world of saṃsāra full of misery, because these objects are opposed to the realization of the pratyagātman. Thus, they rise above desires for sons, wealth, and worlds.
Concept List
parācaḥ
kāmān
bālāḥ
mṛtyu
pāśa
dhīraḥ
amṛtatva
pratyagātman
adhruva
saṃsāra
karma
ātman