Katha:1.2.1
Mantra 1.2.1
Original Text:
अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेयस्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँ सिनीतः । तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधुर्भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते ॥ १ ॥
anyacchreyo’nyadutaiva preyaste ubhe nānārthe puruṣam̐ sinītaḥ | tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhurbhavati hīyate’rthādya u preyo vṛṇīte || 1 ||
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| अन्यत् | anyat | भिन्न, अलग – जो भिन्न हो | different, distinct | श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | श्रेष्ठ, कल्याणकारी – जो परम कल्याण का कारण हो | the good (śreyas), leading to ultimate welfare | अन्यत् | anyat | अन्य, दूसरा – जो भिन्न हो | another, other | उत | uta | और, भी – जोड़ने वाला शब्द | and, also | एव | eva | निश्चय ही, केवल – विशेष जोर देने के लिए | indeed, only | प्रेयः | preyaḥ | प्रिय, सुखदायक – जो तात्कालिक सुख देता है | the pleasant (preyas), that which gives immediate pleasure | ते | te | वे – वे दोनों | these two | उभे | ubhe | दोनों – दोनों वस्तुएँ | both | नानार्थे | nānārthe | भिन्न उद्देश्य वाले – जिनके उद्देश्य अलग-अलग हैं | having different purposes | पुरुषम् | puruṣam | मनुष्य को – व्यक्ति, आत्मा | man (puruṣa), the individual | सिनीतः | sinītaḥ | बाँधते हैं – बाँधना, नियंत्रित करना | bind, restrain | तयोः | tayoḥ | उन दोनों में से – दोनों के बीच | of these two | श्रेयः | śreyaḥ | श्रेष्ठ, कल्याणकारी – परम कल्याण | the good (śreyas) | आददानस्य | ādadānasya | ग्रहण करने वाले – जो चुनता है | of the one who chooses | साधुः | sādhuḥ | श्रेष्ठ, उत्तम – उत्तम व्यक्ति | virtuous, wise | भवति | bhavati | होता है – प्राप्त करता है | becomes, attains | हीयते | hīyate | वंचित होता है – छूट जाता है | is deprived, forfeits | अर्थात् | arthāt | उद्देश्य से – लक्ष्य से | from the true end, from the purpose | यः | yaḥ | जो – जो व्यक्ति | who | उ | u | तो – भी, फिर भी | indeed, also | प्रेयः | preyaḥ | प्रिय, सुखदायक – तात्कालिक सुख | the pleasant (preyas) | वृणीते | vṛṇīte | चुनता है – चयन करता है | chooses |
Translation/Explanation
Hindi: (यमराज ने कहा) श्रेष्ठ (śreyas) और प्रिय (preyas) – ये दोनों अलग-अलग हैं। ये दोनों, जिनके उद्देश्य भिन्न हैं, मनुष्य (puruṣa) को बाँधते हैं। इन दोनों में से जो व्यक्ति श्रेष्ठ (śreyas) को चुनता है, वह उत्तम (sādhuḥ) बनता है; लेकिन जो प्रिय (preyas) को चुनता है, वह अपने वास्तविक उद्देश्य (arthāt) से वंचित हो जाता है।
English: (Death said) The śreyas (the good) is one thing, and the preyas (the pleasant) is another. These two, having different purposes, bind the puruṣa (individual); among these, the one who chooses śreyas becomes sādhuḥ (wise/virtuous), while he who chooses preyas is deprived of the true end (arthāt).
Commentary
Having thus tested the disciple and found him worthy of the knowledge, Death said ‘the good (śreyas) is one thing and the pleasant (preyas) is another.’ Both these, the good (śreyas) and the pleasant (preyas), serving different ends, bind the puruṣa (man) competent for both, subject to the varying conditions of caste, orders of life, etc., i.e., all men are propelled in their mind by these two actions; for, according as one wishes for prosperity or immortality, he attempts at what is good (śreyas) and what is pleasant (preyas). Therefore as men have to perform acts to obtain what is good (śreyas) and what is pleasant (preyas), all men are said to be bound by these. These two, though connected with the realisation of one or other of the covetables of man, are opposed to each other, one being in the nature of knowledge and the other of ignorance. Thus, as both these are impossible to be pursued by the same individual without abandoning either, happiness falls to him who, of these two, rejects what is merely pleasant (preyas), being in the nature of ignorance, and pursues only the good (śreyas). But he, who is not far-sighted, who is ignorant and who pursues only the pleasant (preyas), is separated from, i.e., misses the true and eternal end of man.