Katha:2.2.15

Mantra 2.2.15

Original Text:

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः ।
	तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥ १५ ॥

na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto’yamagniḥ |
	tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti || 15 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
न	na	नहीं – अभाव का बोध कराने वाला	not; negation
तत्र	tatra	वहाँ – उस स्थान में	there; in that realm
सूर्यो	sūryaḥ	सूर्य – प्रकाश का स्रोत, सूर्य देवता	sun; the luminary sun
भाति	bhāti	प्रकाशित होता है – चमकता है, दीप्त होता है	shines; illumines
न	na	नहीं – अभाव का बोध कराने वाला	not; negation
चन्द्रतारकं	candra-tārakam	चन्द्र और तारे – चन्द्रमा तथा तारागण	moon and stars; moon and the stars
न	na	नहीं – अभाव का बोध कराने वाला	not; negation
इमा	imāḥ	ये – ये (स्त्रीलिंग बहुवचन), यहाँ विद्युतें	these; these (feminine plural)
विद्युतः	vidyutaḥ	विद्युतें – बिजली, चमक	lightnings; flashes of lightning
भान्ति	bhānti	प्रकाशित होती हैं – चमकती हैं	shine; illumine
कुतः	kutaḥ	कहाँ से – किस प्रकार, कैसे	how; whence
अयम्	ayam	यह – यह (अग्नि)	this; this (fire)
अग्निः	agniḥ	अग्नि – अग्नि देवता, अग्नि तत्व	fire; the element of fire
तम्	tam	उसे – उस (ब्रह्मन्) को	him; that (Brahman)
एव	eva	ही – केवल, निश्चयपूर्वक	alone; verily
भान्तम्	bhāntam	प्रकाशित – जो स्वयं प्रकाशित है	shining; self-luminous
अनु	anu	पीछे – पश्चात्, बाद में	after; following
भाति	bhāti	प्रकाशित होते हैं – चमकते हैं	shine; illumine
सर्वम्	sarvam	सब – सम्पूर्ण, समस्त	all; everything
तस्य	tasya	उसके – उस (ब्रह्मन्) के	his; of him (Brahman)
भासा	bhāsā	प्रकाश से – ज्योति से	by light; by illumination
सर्वम्	sarvam	सब – सम्पूर्ण, समस्त	all; everything
इदम्	idam	यह – यह जगत्	this; this (world)
विभाति	vibhāti	प्रकाशित होता है – प्रकट होता है	shines; appears illumined

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: उस स्थान में सूर्य प्रकाशित नहीं होता, न ही चन्द्रमा और तारे, न ही ये विद्युतें प्रकाशित होती हैं, तो यह अग्नि कैसे प्रकाशित हो सकती है? केवल उसी (Brahman) के प्रकाशित होने से सब प्रकाशित होते हैं। उसी की ज्योति से यह सम्पूर्ण जगत् प्रकाशित होता है।

English: In that realm, the sūryaḥ does not shine, nor do the candra-tārakam, nor do these vidyutaḥ shine; how then could this agniḥ? It is only by the shining of that (Brahman) that all shines after; by his bhāsā, all this (idam) is illumined.

Commentary

The reply here is that it (Brahman) shines and is perceived as shining. The sūryaḥ, though the illuminator of all, does not shine in the Brahman, being his ātman; that is, the sūryaḥ does not illumine the Brahman. Similarly, the candra-tārakam do not; nor do these vidyutaḥ illumine. How could this agniḥ, perceivable by us? Why say more? All these—the sūryaḥ and the rest—shine only after him, the lord of all; just as water, a firebrand, etc., from their contact with fire, burn after the burning fire and not by their own inherent virtue. It is by his bhāsā alone that all this—the sūryaḥ and the rest—shine. Thus, it is only Brahman that truly shines and shines variously. From the various kinds of light possessed by its effects, the self-luminosity of Brahman is inferred. It is not possible for one to impart to another luminosity which one does not possess, for pots, etc., are incapable of illumining other objects, while the sūryaḥ and the rest, luminous in their nature, are capable of that.

Concept List

sūryaḥ
candra-tārakam
vidyutaḥ
agniḥ
bhāsā
Brahman
ātman
self-luminosity
illumination