Katha:2.3.17

Mantra 2.3.17

Original Text:

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषोऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः ।
	तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण ।
	तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति ॥ १७ ॥

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo’ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ |
	taṃ svāccharīrātpravṛhenmuñjādiveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa |
	taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtaṃ taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtamiti || 17 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः	aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ	अंगुष्ठ के समान आकार वाला – आकार में अंगूठे जितना	of the size of a thumb
पुरुषः	puruṣaḥ	चेतन सत्ता – परमात्मा, आत्मा	conscious principle; Puruṣa
अन्तरात्मा	antar-ātmā	भीतरी आत्मा – शरीर के भीतर स्थित आत्मा	inner ātman; indwelling Self
सदा	sadā	सदा – हमेशा	always
जनानाम्	janānām	प्राणियों के – सभी जीवों के	of beings; of people
हृदये	hṛdaye	हृदय में – हृदय के भीतर	in the heart
संनिविष्टः	saṁniviṣṭaḥ	स्थित – निवास करने वाला	seated; established
तम्	tam	उसे – उस आत्मा को	him; that (Self)
स्व	sva	अपने – स्वयं के	one's own
शरीरात्	śarīrāt	शरीर से – देह से	from the body
प्रवृहेत्	pravṛhet	निकालना चाहिए – बाहर निकालना	should draw out; should extract
मुञ्जात्	muñjāt	मुंज घास से – मुंज घास से	from muñja grass
इव	iva	जैसे – के समान	like; as
एषीकाम्	eṣīkām	तंतु को – डंठल या तंतु	the stalk (within the grass)
धैर्येण	dhairyeṇa	धैर्य के साथ – साहसपूर्वक	with courage; boldly
तम्	tam	उसे – उस आत्मा को	him; that (Self)
विद्यात्	vidyāt	जानना चाहिए – समझना चाहिए	should know; should realize
शुक्रम्	śukram	शुद्ध – निर्मल, पवित्र	pure; radiant
अमृतम्	amṛtam	अमर – अविनाशी, अमृत	immortal; deathless
तम्	tam	उसे – उस आत्मा को	him; that (Self)
विद्यात्	vidyāt	जानना चाहिए – समझना चाहिए	should know; should realize
शुक्रम्	śukram	शुद्ध – निर्मल, पवित्र	pure; radiant
अमृतम्	amṛtam	अमर – अविनाशी, अमृत	immortal; deathless
इति	iti	इस प्रकार – उपसंहार सूचक	thus; so

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: अंगुष्ठ के समान आकार वाला जो पुरुष, अर्थात् अंतरात्मा, वह सदा सभी प्राणियों के हृदय में स्थित है। उसे अपने ही शरीर से, जैसे मुंज घास से तंतु को धैर्यपूर्वक निकाला जाता है, वैसे ही साहसपूर्वक निकालना चाहिए। उसे शुद्ध और अमर जानना चाहिए; उसे शुद्ध और अमर जानना चाहिए।

English: The puruṣa, of the size of a thumb, the inner ātman, is always seated in the heart of all beings. One should draw him out from one’s own body boldly, as the stalk is drawn from muñja grass. One should know him as śukra (pure) and amṛta (immortal); one should know him as śukra and amṛta.

Commentary

Now the śruti says this, for the purpose of concluding the drift of all the vallis. The puruṣa, of the size of a thumb, the inner ātman as previously explained, is seated in the heart of all beings. One should draw him out, i.e., separate him from one’s own body; ‘like what’ is explained. As the stalk within the muñja grass is drawn out from the grass, so too, with courage and composure, one should extract the Self. Him, so drawn out from the body, one should know as brahman previously described—pure (śukra), immortal (amṛta), and of the nature of pure intelligence. The repetition and the use of the particle ‘iti’ are to show that the Upaniṣad ends here.

Concept List

aṅguṣṭha-mātra-puruṣa
antar-ātmā
hṛdaya
śukra
amṛta
brahman
muñja-grass