Katha:1.1.3

Mantra 1.1.3

Original Text:

पीतोदका जग्धतृणा दुग्धदोहा निरिन्द्रियाः ।
	अनन्दा नाम ते लोकास्तान्स गच्छति ता ददत् ॥ ३ ॥

pītodakā jagdhatṛṇā dugdhadohā nirindriyāḥ |
	anandā nāma te lokāstānsa gacchati tā dadat || 3 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
पीतोदका	pītodakāḥ	जिनका जल पी लिया गया है – जिनका सारा जल पी लिया गया है	those whose water has been drunk (drained)
जग्धतृणा	jagdhatr̥ṇāḥ	जिनकी घास खा ली गई है – जिनकी सारी घास खा ली गई है	those whose grass has been eaten
दुग्धदोहा	dugdhadohāḥ	जिनका दूध दुह लिया गया है – जिनका सारा दूध दुहा जा चुका है	those whose milk has been milked
निरिन्द्रियाः	nirindriyāḥ	जिनमें शक्ति नहीं है – जिनमें कोई शक्ति या जीवनशक्ति शेष नहीं है	those devoid of vigour (incapable, powerless)
अनन्दा	anandāḥ	जिनमें आनन्द नहीं है – जिनमें कोई सुख या प्रसन्नता नहीं है	joyless (devoid of happiness)
नाम	nāma	नाम से – नाम के रूप में, कहलाने वाले	by name (so-called)
ते	te	वे – वे (लोक)	those (worlds)
लोकाः	lokāḥ	लोक – संसार, प्राप्त होने वाले क्षेत्र	worlds (realms attained)
तान्	tān	उन (लोकों) को – उन (लोकों) को	those (worlds)
सः	saḥ	वह – वह (व्यक्ति)	he (the person)
गच्छति	gacchati	प्राप्त होता है – पहुँचता है	attains (goes to)
ता	tā	वे (गायें) – वे (गायें)	those (cows)
ददत्	dadat	देने वाला – जो देता है	gives (the one who gives)

Translation/Explanation

Hindi

जिन गायों का सारा जल पी लिया गया है, जिनकी सारी घास खा ली गई है, जिनका सारा दूध दुहा जा चुका है और जिनमें कोई शक्ति शेष नहीं है—ऐसी गायें, जिनमें कोई सुख या आनन्द नहीं बचा है, उन्हें देने वाला व्यक्ति उन्हीं निरानन्द लोकों को प्राप्त होता है। अर्थात्, जो यज्ञ में ऐसी निष्प्राण, निर्बल और अनुपयोगी गायें दान करता है, उसे भी ऐसे ही दुःखमय और निरानन्द लोक मिलते हैं।

English

Those cows whose water has been completely drunk, whose grass has been entirely eaten, whose milk has been fully milked, and who are devoid of any vigour—such cows, which are joyless and bereft of happiness, when given as a gift, lead the giver to those worlds which are similarly joyless. That is, one who offers such lifeless, powerless, and useless cows in sacrifice attains realms that are devoid of ānanda (happiness).

Commentary

How he thought is explained; the epithet pītodakāḥ and those which follow describe the cows to be given as rewards. pītodakāḥ, by which all water has been drunk; jagdhatr̥ṇāḥ, by which all grass has been eaten. dugdhadohāḥ, from which all milk has been milked. nirindriyāḥ, not capable of breeding. The meaning is—cows old and useless; giving such cows to the ritvik-s for their rewards, the person performing the yāga attains those lokāḥ which are anandāḥ, i.e., devoid of ānanda (happiness).