Katha:1.1.3

Mantra 1.1.3

Original Text:

पीतोदका जग्धतृणा दुग्धदोहा निरिन्द्रियाः ।
	अनन्दा नाम ते लोकास्तान्स गच्छति ता ददत् ॥ ३ ॥

pītodakā jagdhatṛṇā dugdhadohā nirindriyāḥ |
	anandā nāma te lokāstānsa gacchati tā dadat || 3 ||

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
पीतः + उदकाः	pīta-udakāḥ	जिनका सारा जल पी लिया गया है	those from whom all water has been drunk
जग्ध + तृणाः	jagdha-tṛṇāḥ	जिनका सारा घास खा लिया गया है	those whose grass has all been eaten
दुग्ध + दोहाः	dugdha-dohāḥ	जिनका सारा दूध दुहा जा चुका है	those from whom all milk has been milked
निर् + इन्द्रियाः	nir-indriyāḥ	जिनमें कोई शक्ति या बल शेष नहीं है	those devoid of strength or faculties
अनन्दा	anandā	जिनमें कोई सुख या आनंद नहीं है	those without joy or bliss
लोकाः	lokāḥ	संसार या लोक, जिनमें प्राणी वास करते हैं	worlds or realms of existence
तान्	tān	उन (लोकों) को	those (worlds)
सः	saḥ	वह (व्यक्ति)	that (person)
गच्छति	gacchati	प्राप्त करता है, पहुँचता है	attains, reaches
ता	tā	वे (गायें)	those (cows)
ददत्	dadat	दान करने वाला, देने वाला	giver, one who gives

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: यहाँ यमराज नचिकेता को समझाते हैं कि जो व्यक्ति ऐसी गायें दान करता है, जिन्होंने सारा जल पी लिया है, सारा घास खा लिया है, जिनका सारा दूध दुहा जा चुका है, और जिनमें कोई शक्ति शेष नहीं है, वह उन लोकों को प्राप्त करता है जो आनंद से रहित हैं। अर्थात्, जो दान अनुपयुक्त है, उसका फल भी तुच्छ और दुःखदायी होता है।

English: Here, Yama explains to Nachiketa that the person who gives cows as gifts which have drunk all their water (pīta-udakāḥ), eaten all their grass (jagdha-tṛṇāḥ), have been milked of all their milk (dugdha-dohāḥ), and are devoid of strength (nir-indriyāḥ), attains those worlds (lokāḥ) which are without joy (anandā). That is, giving inappropriate gifts results in attaining realms that are joyless and lacking in bliss.

Commentary

How he thought is explained; the epithet pīta-udakāḥ and those which follow describe the cows to be given as rewards. Pīta-udakāḥ, by which all water has been drunk; jagdha-tṛṇāḥ, by which all grass has been eaten. Dugdha-dohāḥ, from which all milk has been milked. Nir-indriyāḥ, not capable of breeding. The meaning is—cows old and useless; giving such cows to the ṛtvij for their rewards, the person performing the sacrifice attains those worlds which are joyless, i.e., devoid of happiness.

Concept List

pīta-udakāḥ
jagdha-tṛṇāḥ
dugdha-dohāḥ
nir-indriyāḥ
anandā lokāḥ
dāna
ṛtvij
sacrifice