Katha:1.1.5

Mantra 1.1.5

Original Text:

बहूनामेमि प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः ।
	किँ स्विद्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाद्य करिष्यति ॥ ५ ॥

bahūnāmemi prathamo bahūnāmemi madhyamaḥ |
	kim̐ svidyamasya kartavyaṃ yanmayādya kariṣyati || 5 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
बहूनाम्	bahūnām	अनेक लोगों के – बहुत से व्यक्तियों का	of many (people)
एषः	eṣaḥ	यह – यह (मैं)	this (I)
इमि	imi	जाता हूँ – मैं जाता हूँ	I go
प्रथमः	prathamaḥ	प्रथम – सबसे आगे, पहला	first
बहूनाम्	bahūnām	अनेक लोगों के – बहुत से व्यक्तियों का	of many (people)
एषः	eṣaḥ	यह – यह (मैं)	this (I)
इमि	imi	जाता हूँ – मैं जाता हूँ	I go
मध्यमः	madhyamaḥ	मध्यवर्ती – बीच का, न श्रेष्ठ न निकृष्ट	midmost, of middle rank
किम् स्वित्	kim svit	क्या – कौन सी बात	what indeed
यमस्य	yamasya	यम का – मृत्यु के देवता का	of Yama (Death)
कर्तव्यम्	kartavyam	कर्तव्य – जो किया जाना चाहिए	to be done, duty
यत्	yat	जो – जो	which
मया	mayā	मेरे द्वारा – मुझसे	by me
अद्य	adya	आज – अभी	today, now
करिष्यति	kariṣyati	करेगा – किया जाएगा	will do

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: (नचिकेतस ने सोचा) – अनेक लोगों में मैं आगे रहता हूँ; अनेक लोगों में मैं मध्य में रहता हूँ; अब मृत्यु (यम) के लिए कौन सा ऐसा कार्य शेष है, जो वह मुझसे करवा सकता है?

English: (Naciketā thought) – Among many, I am the foremost; among many, I am in the middle; what is there that Yama (Death) has to accomplish, which he can now do through me?

Commentary

Thus addressed, the son alone in himself, anxiously reflected; how will be explained; among many, i.e., of disciples or sons, I go the first, i.e., in the matter of doing service as a disciple; of many a middling disciple, I behave like a middling disciple and never as the worst; still, my father has said that he will give me unto Yama, though his son is of such good qualities. What is there to be done for Yama which can now be done by me thus given? It is plain that my father has spoken under the influence of anger without any end in view; still my father’s words should not be falsified. Thus thinking, and after anxious reflection, he told his father who was full of grief ‘what have I said.’

Concept List

Naciketas
Yama
Kartavya
Service as a disciple
Father-son relationship
Truthfulness
Anger
Reflection