Katha:1.3.2

Mantra 1.3.2

Original Text:

यः सेतुरीजानानामक्शरं ब्रह्म यत्परम् ।
	अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं नाचिकेतँ शकेमहि ॥ २ ॥

yaḥ seturījānānāmakśaraṃ brahma yatparam |
	abhayaṃ titīrṣatāṃ pāraṃ nāciketam̐ śakemahi || 2 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
यः	yaḥ	जो – कोई व्यक्ति या तत्व	who (that which)
सेतु:	setuḥ	पुल – जो जोड़ता है	bridge (means of crossing)
ईजानानाम्	ījānānām	यज्ञ करने वालों का – जो यज्ञ करते हैं	of those who perform sacrifices
अक्षरम्	akṣaram	अविनाशी – जो नष्ट नहीं होता	imperishable (immortal, undecaying)
ब्रह्म	brahma	ब्रह्म – परम सत्य, सर्वोच्च तत्त्व	brahman (the Absolute, Supreme Reality)
यत्	yat	जो – वह	which (that)
परम्	param	परम – सर्वोच्च, अंतिम	highest (supreme, transcendental)
अभयम्	abhayam	निर्भयता – जिसमें भय नहीं	fearless (state of fearlessness)
तितीर्षताम्	titīrṣatām	पार करना चाहने वालों का – जो पार जाना चाहते हैं	of those desiring to cross
पारम्	pāram	पार – किनारा, अंतिम लक्ष्य	other shore (goal, far bank)
नाचिकेतम्	nāciketam	नाचिकेत – नचिकेता से संबंधित अग्नि	nāciketa (relating to Naciketa, the sacrificial fire)
शकेमहि	śakemahi	हम कर सकते हैं – सक्षम होना	we are able (we can accomplish)

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: हम उस अग्नि को जान सकते हैं, जो यज्ञ करने वालों के लिए एक सेतु (पुल) है, और साथ ही उस परम अक्षर ब्रह्म को भी, जो निर्भय है और संसार-सागर को पार करने की इच्छा रखने वालों के लिए पार (अंतिम लक्ष्य) है। हे नचिकेता, हम इस ज्ञान को प्राप्त करने में समर्थ हैं।

English: We are able to know that Agni, which is the setuḥ (bridge) for those who perform sacrifices, and also the highest akṣara (imperishable) brahman, which is abhayam (fearless) and the pāram (other shore) for those titīrṣatām (desiring to cross) the ocean of saṃsāra. O Naciketa, we are capable of attaining this knowledge.

Commentary

The Naciketa agni, which is, as it were, a setuḥ (bridge) for persons performing sacrifices for the purpose of crossing grief, we can light up. Moreover, what is abhayam (fearless), and what is the main support of the knowers of brahman, who wish to go to the pāram (other shore) of saṃsāra, the immortal brahman known as ātman, we can know. The meaning of the text is that both the unmanifested and the manifested brahman, the goal of the knowers of brahman, and those who perform karma are worthy to be known.

It is a description of these that has been given in the previous text.

Concept List

setuḥ
ījānā
akṣara
brahman
abhaya
pāra
nāciketa
karma
ātman
saṃsāra