Katha:1.1.5
Mantra 1.1.5
Original Text:
बहूनामेमि प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः । किँ स्विद्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाद्य करिष्यति ॥ ५ ॥
bahūnāmemi prathamo bahūnāmemi madhyamaḥ | kim̐ svidyamasya kartavyaṃ yanmayādya kariṣyati || 5 ||
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| Sanskrit Term | Transliteration | Hindi Meaning | English Word or Meaning | Comments | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| बहूनाम् | bahūnām | अनेक लोगों के | of many (people) | एषः | eṣaḥ | यह (मैं) | I (this one) | इमि | imi | जाता हूँ | I go | प्रथमः | prathamaḥ | प्रथम (सर्वोत्तम) | the first (foremost) | बहूनाम् | bahūnām | अनेक लोगों के | of many (people) | एषः | eṣaḥ | यह (मैं) | I (this one) | इमि | imi | जाता हूँ | I go | मध्यमः | madhyamaḥ | मध्य (मध्यम स्तर का) | the midmost (of middle quality) | किम् स्वित् | kim svit | क्या सचमुच | what indeed | यमस्य | yamasya | यम (मृत्यु) के | of Yama (Death) | कर्तव्यम् | kartavyam | कर्तव्य (करने योग्य कार्य) | duty (to be done) | यत् | yat | जो | which | मया | mayā | मेरे द्वारा | by me | अद्य | adya | आज | now (today) | करिष्यति | kariṣyati | करेगा | he will do |
Concept List
katha:bahūnām katha:prathama katha:madhyama katha:yama katha:kartavya katha:naciketā katha:śiṣya-dharma katha:pitṛ-vākya katha:anger (krodha)
Translation/Explanation
Hindi
(नचिकेतस ने सोचा) – अनेक लोगों में मैं प्रथम हूँ; अनेक लोगों में मैं मध्यस्थ हूँ; अब यम के लिए ऐसा क्या कार्य शेष है, जिसे वह मेरे द्वारा आज करवा सकता है? नचिकेतस अपने भीतर चिंतन करता है कि वह सद्गुणों से युक्त है, फिर भी पिता ने उसे यम को देने का वचन दे दिया है। वह सोचता है कि पिता के वचन को झूठा नहीं करना चाहिए, चाहे वह क्रोध में ही क्यों न कहा गया हो।
English
(Naciketā thought) – Among many, I am the foremost; among many, I am the middling; what is there for Yama to do, which he can now accomplish through me? Naciketā reflects within himself that, despite being endowed with good qualities, his father has given him to Yama. He considers that his father's word should not be falsified, even if it was spoken in anger.
Commentary
Thus addressed, the son alone in himself, anxiously reflected; how will be explained: among many, that is, of śiṣyas or sons, I go the prathama, that is, in the matter of performing service as a śiṣya; of many a madhyama śiṣya, I behave like a madhyama śiṣya and never as the worst; still, my pitṛ has said that he will give me unto Yama, though his son is of such good qualities. What is there to be done for Yama which can now be done by me thus given? It is plain that my pitṛ has spoken under the influence of krodha without any end in view; still my pitṛ’s words should not be falsified. Thus thinking, and after anxious reflection, he told his pitṛ who was full of grief ‘what have I said.’