Katha:2.3.16

Mantra 2.3.16

Original Text:

शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाड्यस्तासां मूर्धानमभिनिःसृतैका ।
	तयोर्ध्वमायन्नमृतत्वमेति विष्वङ्ङन्या उत्क्रमणे भवन्ति ॥ १६ ॥

śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍyastāsāṃ mūrdhānamabhiniḥsṛtaikā |
	tayordhvamāyannamṛtatvameti viṣvaṅṅanyā utkramaṇe bhavanti || 16 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
शतम्	śatam	सौ – संख्या एक सौ	hundred (100)		च	ca	और – संयोजक	and (conjunction)		एका	ekā	एक – संख्या एक	one (1)		च	ca	और – संयोजक	and (conjunction)		हृदयस्य	hṛdayasya	हृदय का – हृदय का संबंध	of the heart		नाड्यः	nāḍyaḥ	नाड़ियों – सूक्ष्म मार्ग	nerves (subtle channels)		तासाम्	tāsām	उनमें – उन सब में	of them		मूर्धानम्	mūrdhānam	सिर का – सिर का शीर्ष भाग	the head (crown of the head)		अभिनिःसृतः	abhinisṛtaḥ	बाहर निकली – भेदन करके निकली	gone out piercing		एका	ekā	एक – वही एक	one (the same one)		तया	tayā	उसी से – उसी मार्ग से	through it (by that)		ऊर्ध्वम्	ūrdhvam	ऊपर – ऊपर की ओर	upwards		आयन्	āyan	जाता हुआ – गमन करता हुआ	going (moving)		अमृतत्वम्	amṛtatvam	अमरत्व – मृत्यु का अभाव	immortality (state of deathlessness)		एति	eti	प्राप्त करता है – पहुँचता है	attains (reaches)		विष्वङ्	viṣvaṅ	इधर-उधर – सर्वत्र	in various directions		अन्याः	anyāḥ	अन्य – शेष	others (other nerves)		उत्क्रमणे	utkramaṇe	प्रस्थान के समय – निकलते समय	at the time of departure (at death)		भवन्ति	bhavanti	होती हैं – बनती हैं	become (lead, result in)

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: हृदय की सौ और एक नाड़ियाँ हैं। उनमें से एक, सिर को भेदकर बाहर जाती है; उसी मार्ग से ऊपर जाता हुआ, अमरत्व को प्राप्त होता है। शेष नाड़ियाँ मृत्यु के समय विभिन्न मार्गों में जाती हैं।

English: There are one hundred and one nāḍīs of the hṛdaya. Of them, one, having pierced the mūrdhāna, goes out; going upwards through it, one attains amṛtatva. The others, at the time of utkramaṇa, lead in various directions.

Commentary

It has been stated that there is no going for the knower who has realized that the ātman is the all-pervading Brahman, devoid of all attributes, and who has untied all the knots caused by ignorance, having become Brahman even while alive. As the śruti says, “he attains Brahman here,” and another śruti states, “his prāṇas do not go out.” Being Brahman, he attains Brahman. However, for those who attain Brahmaloka by the knowledge of the lower Brahman and by other kinds of worship, and for those who continue to revolve in saṃsāra, this special way is pointed out to eulogize the fruits of the knowledge of the higher Brahman now being discussed. Moreover, the knowledge of agni has been the subject of question and answer, and this mantra also begins to state the process by which the fruit of that knowledge is attained. Here, nāḍīs, one hundred in number, and one other named suṣumṇā, branch out from the heart of man. Among them, the one named suṣumṇā has gone out piercing the head. At the moment of death, one should control the ātman in the heart and make it join that nāḍī; going up by that nāḍī, one passes through the orb of the sun and attains relative immortality. According to the smṛti, permanence until the absorption of the elements is spoken of as immortality; or, one attains absolute immortality along with Brahmā, in due course of time, having enjoyed incomparable pleasures in Brahmaloka. At the time of death, the other nāḍīs lead to diverse ways, i.e., they become the cause of being born again in saṃsāra alone.

Concept List

hṛdaya-nāḍī
suṣumṇā
amṛtatva
utkramaṇa
brahmaloka
ātman
brahman
saṃsāra
prāṇa