Katha:1.2.4
Mantra 1.2.4
Original Text:
दूरमेते विपरीते विषूची अविद्या या च विद्येति ज्ञाता । विद्याभीप्सिनं नचिकेतसं मन्ये न त्वा कामा बहवोऽलोलुपन्त ॥ ४ ॥
dūramete viparīte viṣūcī avidyā yā ca vidyeti jñātā | vidyābhīpsinaṃ naciketasaṃ manye na tvā kāmā bahavo’lolupanta || 4 ||
| Sanskrit Term | Transliteration | Hindi Meaning | English Word or Meaning | Comments | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| दूरम् | dūram | बहुत दूर – अत्यधिक दूरी पर | very far, at a great distance | एते | ete | ये दोनों – ये दो वस्तुएँ | these two | विपरीते | viparīte | विपरीत – एक-दूसरे के विरोधी | opposite, mutually exclusive | विषूची | viṣūcī | भिन्न मार्ग – अलग-अलग दिशाओं में जाने वाले | diverging, leading to different ways | अविद्या | avidyā | अज्ञान – वास्तविकता का न जानना | ignorance, absence of true knowledge | या | yā | जो – जो है | which | च | ca | और – तथा | and | विद्या | vidyā | ज्ञान – सत्य का बोध | knowledge, realization of truth | इति | iti | ऐसा – इस प्रकार | thus, so | ज्ञाता | jñātā | जानने वाले – समझने वाले व्यक्ति | knower, one who understands | विद्याभीप्सिनम् | vidyābhīpsinam | ज्ञान की इच्छा रखने वाला – जो विद्या चाहता है | desiring knowledge, seeker of vidyā | नचिकेतसम् | naciketasam | नचिकेतस – नचिकेतस नामक व्यक्ति | Nachiketas (proper noun) | मन्ये | manye | मैं मानता हूँ – मैं समझता हूँ | I regard, I consider | न | na | नहीं – नकारार्थक शब्द | not, no | त्वा | tvā | तुम्हें – तुझे | you, thee | कामाः | kāmāḥ | इच्छाएँ – भोग की वस्तुएँ | desires, objects of enjoyment | बहवः | bahavaḥ | अनेक – बहुत सारे | many, numerous | अलोलुपन्त | alolupanta | विचलित नहीं कर सके – आकर्षित नहीं कर सके | have not shaken, have not tempted |
Translation/Explanation
Hindi: ये दोनों (ज्ञान और अज्ञान) अत्यंत दूर हैं, एक-दूसरे के विरोधी हैं, और अलग-अलग दिशाओं में ले जाने वाले हैं। इन्हें 'अविद्या' (अज्ञान) और 'विद्या' (ज्ञान) के नाम से जाना जाता है। मैं नचिकेतस को ज्ञान की इच्छा रखने वाला मानता हूँ; अनेक इच्छाएँ भी तुम्हें विचलित नहीं कर सकीं।
English: These two—vidyā (knowledge) and avidyā (ignorance)—are far apart, mutually exclusive, and lead in divergent directions. They are recognized as avidyā and vidyā by those who discern. I regard Nachiketas as a seeker of vidyā; even though desires are many, they have not shaken you.
Commentary
It has been stated that he who, of these, pursues the śreyas (the good), attains the good, and he that pursues the preyas (the pleasant) forfeits consummation; why is that so? Because, these two travel at a great distance from each other, being mutually exclusive as they are of the nature of vidyā (knowledge) and avidyā (ignorance), like light and darkness going different ways, i.e., leading to different results, being the cause of bandha (bondage) and mokṣa (emancipation). What are these two is explained. Avidyā, which deals with ‘the pleasant’, and vidyā, which deals with ‘the good’, both well understood by the intelligent; here, I regard you, Nachiketas, as longing after vidyā, because objects of desire—the nymphs and the rest—which tempt the intellect of the ignorant, have not, though numerous, shaken you, i.e., diverted you from the path of ‘the good’ by creating in you a desire for worldly enjoyment. Therefore, I regard you as longing after vidyā and worthy of attaining ‘the good’. This is the drift.