Katha:1.1.20
Mantra 1.1.20
Original Text:
येयं प्रेते विचिकित्सा मनुष्येऽस्तीत्येके नायमस्तीति चैके । एतद्विद्यामनुशिष्टस्त्वयाऽहं वराणामेष वरस्तृतीयः ॥ २० ॥
yeyaṃ prete vicikitsā manuṣye’stītyeke nāyamastīti caike | etadvidyāmanuśiṣṭastvayā’haṃ varāṇāmeṣa varastṛtīyaḥ || 20 ||
| Sanskrit Term | Transliteration | Hindi Meaning | English Word or Meaning | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ये | ye | जो लोग | those people | |
| यं | yam | इस (संदेह) को | this (doubt) | |
| प्रेते | prete | मृत्यु के बाद | after death | |
| विचिकित्सा | vicikitsā | संदेह | doubt | |
| मनुष्ये | manuṣye | मनुष्य के विषय में | concerning a human being | |
| अस्ति | asti | है (अस्तित्व है) | exists (is) | |
| इति | iti | ऐसा (कहते हैं) | thus (say) | |
| एके | eke | कुछ लोग | some (people) | |
| न | na | नहीं | not | |
| अयम् | ayam | यह (आत्मा) | this (ātman) | |
| अस्ति | asti | है (अस्तित्व है) | exists (is) | |
| इति | iti | ऐसा (कहते हैं) | thus (say) | |
| च | ca | और | and | |
| एके | eke | कुछ लोग | some (people) | |
| एतत् | etat | यह (ज्ञान) | this (knowledge) | |
| विद्याम् | vidyām | जानना चाहता हूँ | I wish to know | |
| अनुशिष्टः | anuśiṣṭaḥ | उपदेश द्वारा सिखाया गया | taught (by instruction) | |
| त्वया | tvayā | आपके द्वारा | by you | |
| अहम् | aham | मैं | I | |
| वराणाम् | varāṇām | वरों में | among boons | |
| एषः | eṣaḥ | यह | this | |
| वरः | varaḥ | वर (वरदान) | boon | |
| तृतीयः | tṛtīyaḥ | तीसरा | third |
Translation/Explanation
Hindi
नचिकेता ने कहा: मृत्यु के बाद मनुष्य के विषय में यह प्रसिद्ध संदेह है—कुछ लोग कहते हैं कि अस्तित्व रहता है, और कुछ कहते हैं कि नहीं रहता। मैं इस विषय को आपसे उपदेश द्वारा जानना चाहता हूँ। यह तीसरा वरदान है, जो मैं माँगता हूँ।
English
Nachiketas said: This well-known vicikitsā (doubt) regarding a manuṣya (human being) after prete (death)—some say there is asti (existence), and some say there is not. I wish to know this, being taught by you. Among the varāḥ (boons), this is the tṛtīya (third) vara (boon) that I request.
Commentary
Thus much, which has been indicated by the two boons, is alone to be understood from the preceding Mantras and Brāhmaṇas, which are mandatory or prohibitory in their import but not the knowledge of the true nature of the entity of the ātman. Therefore, for the dispelling of natural ignorance (avidyā), which deals with matters the subject of positive and prohibitory injunctions, which consists in superposing on the ātman, activity, agency and enjoyment, and which is the seed of saṃsāra, it is necessary to explain the knowledge of the identity of the brahman and the ātman, which is contrary to that previously explained which is free from the fault of superposition of activity, agency, and enjoyment on the ātman, and whose result is the attainment of absolute emancipation; with this end, the subsequent portion of this work is commenced. The anecdote explains how without this well-known knowledge of the ātman, the subject of the third boon, all that is desirable is not achieved even by the obtaining of the second boon. Because, it is only those, who are disgusted with the result previously named in the nature of means and ends, transitory, and produced by karma, that are entitled to acquire the knowledge of the ātman; therefore, to denounce karma, it is sought to tempt Nachiketas away from his object, by promise of sons and the rest. Nachiketas being asked by Mṛtyu to name his third boon, said: ‘This doubt regarding manuṣya when dead,—some say that there is an ātman distinct from body, senses, mind and intellect and entering into another body; some say that there is no such ātman; and this doubt cannot be resolved by us, either by direct perception or logical inference; and because the attainment of the highest consummation depends upon a clear knowledge of this. I would acquire this knowledge, being instructed by you. This, the third, i.e., the last of the boons.
Concept List
vicikitsā
ātman
preta
brahman
avidyā
saṃsāra
karma
varāḥ
mṛtyu