Katha:1.1.6

Mantra 1.1.6

Original Text:

अनुपश्य यथा पूर्वे प्रतिपश्य तथापरे ।
	सस्यमिव मर्त्यः पच्यते सस्यमिवाजायते पुनः ॥ ६ ॥

anupaśya yathā pūrve pratipaśya tathāpare ।
	sasyamiva martyaḥ pacyate sasyamivājāyate punaḥ ॥ 6 ॥

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
अनुपश्य	anupaśya	देखो – पूर्वजों के आचरण का अवलोकन करो	Observe – reflect upon
यथा	yathā	जैसे – जिस प्रकार	As – in the manner
पूर्वे	pūrve	पूर्वज – पहले के लोग	Ancestors – those who came before
प्रतिपश्य	pratipaśya	फिर देखो – अब के लोगों के आचरण पर ध्यान दो	Also observe – notice as well
तथा	tathā	वैसे ही – उसी प्रकार	Likewise – in the same way
अपरे	apare	अन्य – वर्तमान लोग	Others – those living now
सस्यम्	sasyam	अन्न – खेत में उगने वाला पौधा	Corn – crop, grain
इव	iva	जैसे – के समान	Like – as if
मर्त्यः	martyaḥ	नश्वर जीव – मृत्यु को प्राप्त होने वाला	Mortal – perishable being
पच्यते	pacyate	पकता है – नष्ट होता है, समाप्त होता है	Decays – is cooked, perishes
सस्यम्	sasyam	अन्न – खेत में उगने वाला पौधा	Corn – crop, grain
इव	iva	जैसे – के समान	Like – as if
अजायते	ajāyate	जन्म लेता है – फिर से उत्पन्न होता है	Is born – comes into existence again
पुनः	punaḥ	फिर – दोबारा	Again – anew

Translation/Explanation

Hindi

अपने पूर्वजों ने जैसे आचरण किया, वैसे ही अब के लोग भी करते हैं – इस पर विचार करो। मनुष्य नश्वर है, वह खेत के अन्न की तरह पकता है और फिर उसी तरह से बार-बार जन्म लेता है। इस संसार में सत्य का पालन करना चाहिए, क्योंकि झूठ बोलने से कोई अमर नहीं बन सकता; मनुष्य का जीवन नाशवान है और वह बार-बार जन्म-मरण के चक्र में पड़ता है।

English

Reflect upon how your pūrva (ancestors) conducted themselves, and also observe how the apara (others, those living now) behave. The martya (mortal) perishes like sasya (corn) and is born again like sasya. In this world of saṃsāra, one should uphold satya (truth), for breaking one’s word does not lead to amṛtatva (immortality); the human being is perishable and is subject to the cycle of punarjanma (rebirth).

Commentary

Remember and reflect how your deceased pūrva (ancestor’s father, grandfather and the rest) conducted themselves; seeing them, it behoves you to travel in their path; see also how apara (others, good men, now) behave. There never was or is any falsehood in them; falsifying one’s word is the manner of bad men and none who has broken his satya (word) can ever become ajara-amṛta (undecaying and immortal). What is there gained by breaking one’s satya, seeing that martya (man) decays and dies like sasya (corn) and is again born like sasya in this, transitory world of the jīva-s? The meaning is ‘protect your satya and send me to Mṛtyu (Death).’