Katha:1.2.18

Mantra 1.2.18

Original Text:

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् ।
	अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ १८ ॥

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścinnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit |
	ajo nityaḥ śāśvato’yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre || 18 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
न	na	नहीं – निषेध, अस्वीकृति	not, negation		जायते	jāyate	उत्पन्न होता – जन्म लेना	is born, comes into existence		म्रियते	mriyate	मरता – मृत्यु को प्राप्त होता	dies, undergoes death		वा	vā	अथवा – या	or, alternatively		विपश्चित्	vipaścit	बुद्धिमान – ज्ञानस्वरूप, विवेकी	intelligent, possessing discriminative knowledge		नायम्	na ayam	यह नहीं – यह आत्मा नहीं	this (Ātman) not		कुतश्चित्	kutaścit	किसी से – किसी कारण से	from anywhere, from any cause		न	na	नहीं – निषेध	not		बभूव	babhūva	उत्पन्न हुआ – अस्तित्व में आया	came into being, became		कश्चित्	kaścit	कोई – कोई वस्तु	any, anything		अजो	ajaḥ	अजन्मा – जन्मरहित	unborn, not subject to birth		नित्यः	nityaḥ	शाश्वत – सदा रहने वाला	eternal, always existing		शाश्वतः	śāśvataḥ	अविनाशी – नित्य, स्थायी	everlasting, perpetual		अयम्	ayam	यह – यह आत्मा	this (Ātman)		पुराणः	purāṇaḥ	प्राचीन – आदि से विद्यमान	ancient, primeval		न	na	नहीं – निषेध	not		हन्यते	hanyate	मारा जाता – नष्ट किया जाता	is slain, is killed		हन्यमाने	hanyamāne	मारे जाने पर – नष्ट होने पर	when (the body) is slain		शरीरे	śarīre	शरीर में – शरीर के संदर्भ में	in the body, with respect to the body

Translation/Explanation

Hindi

यह आत्मा न तो उत्पन्न होती है, न ही मरती है; न ही यह कहीं से आई है और न ही कभी कुछ और थी। यह अजन्मा, शाश्वत, अविनाशी, आदि काल से विद्यमान है; शरीर के नष्ट होने पर भी इसका नाश नहीं होता।

English

This Ātman is neither born nor does it die; it has not originated from anywhere, nor was it ever anything else. It is ajaḥ (unborn), nityaḥ (eternal), śāśvataḥ (everlasting), and purāṇaḥ (ancient); it is not slain even when the śarīra (body) is slain.

Commentary

The particle ‘Om’ has been pointed out as a prop of and as a substitute for the Ātman, asked about in the text beginning with ‘Anyaira dharmat,’ etc., and devoid of all attributes, for the benefit of the ignorant and the middling class of men who wish to attain the Brahman, manifested and unmanifested. Now, this text is introduced for the purpose of directly ascertaining the real nature of the Ātman, to attain whom the word ‘Om’ was mentioned as a prop; he is not born, i.e., produced; nor does he die; various modifications are incidental to a thing which is produced and not eternal. Of those, the first and the last modifications namely birth and death are at the outset denied of the Ātman, with the object of denying all modifications by the expressions ‘he is not born nor does he die.’ Vipaścit, intelligent; for, he is by nature of indestructible intelligence. Again, this Ātman came not from anything, i.e., from any other cause; nor did any other real thing proceed from this Ātman; therefore, this Ātman is unborn, eternal, everlasting, undecaying (for, whoso is not everlasting decays; but he is everlasting); therefore, ancient, i.e., new, even formerly; (for, that which undergoes a development of its parts, is then said to be new); for instance a pot, etc.; but the Ātman who is of a contrary nature is ancient, i.e., incapable of development; this being so, he is not slain or affected, even though the body is slain by swords, etc. Though in it, he is in it like the ākāśa.

Concept List

Ātman
ajaḥ
nityaḥ
śāśvataḥ
purāṇaḥ
vipaścit
śarīra
Om
Brahman
ākāśa