Katha:1.2.10

Mantra 1.2.10

Original Text:

जानाम्यहँ शेवधिरित्यनित्यं न ह्यध्रुवैः प्राप्यते हि ध्रुवं तत् ।
	ततो मया नाचिकेतश्चितो’ग्निरनित्यैर्द्रव्यैः प्राप्तवानस्मि नित्यम् ॥ १० ॥

jānāmyaham̐ śevadhirityanityaṃ na hyadhruvaiḥ prāpyate hi dhruvaṃ tat ।
	tato mayā nāciketaścito’gniranityairdravyaiḥ prāptavānasmi nityam ॥ 10 ॥

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
जानामि	jānāmi	मैं जानता हूँ – ज्ञान का अनुभव	I know – act of knowing or realization
अहम्	aham	मैं – स्वयं का बोध	I – the self, the subject
शेवधि	śevadhiḥ	खजाना – संग्रहित मूल्य या धन	treasure – something valuable, often a reward
इति	iti	ऐसा – कथन का चिह्न	thus – marker of quotation or conclusion
अनित्यम्	anityam	नश्वर – जो स्थायी नहीं है	impermanent – not eternal, subject to change
न	na	नहीं – निषेध	not – negation
हि	hi	निश्चयपूर्वक – निश्चय का सूचक	indeed – for emphasis
अध्रुवैः	adhruvaiḥ	अनिश्चित वस्तुओं से – जो स्थिर नहीं हैं	by impermanent things – by things that are not constant
प्राप्यते	prāpyate	प्राप्त किया जाता है – उपलब्धि का भाव	is attained – is reached or obtained
ध्रुवं	dhruvam	शाश्वत – जो स्थिर है, अपरिवर्तनीय	the eternal – the unchanging, permanent
तत्	tat	वह – संकेत	that – referring to the previously mentioned
ततः	tataḥ	इसलिए – कारण का बोध	therefore – for that reason
मया	mayā	मेरे द्वारा – कर्ता का सूचक	by me – agent of action
नाचिकेतः	nāciketaḥ	नचिकेत – एक विशिष्ट अग्नि का नाम	Naciketa – the specific fire ritual or its deity
चितः	citaḥ	प्रज्वलित किया – अग्नि को स्थापित करना	propitiated – kindled, worshipped, established
अग्निः	agniḥ	अग्नि – यज्ञ की अग्नि	fire – the ritual fire, here specifically Naciketa fire
अनित्यैः	anityaiḥ	नश्वर वस्तुओं से – अस्थायी साधनों द्वारा	by impermanent things – by perishable means
द्रव्यैः	dravyaiḥ	वस्तुओं से – सामग्री से	with objects – with materials, offerings
प्राप्तवान्	prāptavān	प्राप्त किया है – उपलब्धि का बोध	have attained – have reached or obtained
अस्मि	asmi	हूँ – अस्तित्व का बोध	am – verb of being
नित्यम्	nityam	शाश्वत – स्थायी, अपरिवर्तनीय	the eternal – the permanent, changeless

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: मैं जानता हूँ कि यह खजाना नश्वर है; क्योंकि जो शाश्वत है, वह नश्वर वस्तुओं से प्राप्त नहीं किया जा सकता। इसलिए, मैंने नचिकेत अग्नि को नश्वर द्रव्यों से प्रज्वलित किया है और मैंने उस शाश्वत को प्राप्त किया है। यहाँ यम यह स्वीकार करते हैं कि कर्म से प्राप्त होने वाला फल, जो खजाने के समान है, वास्तव में स्थायी नहीं है। केवल नश्वर साधनों से नश्वर सुख ही प्राप्त हो सकता है, शाश्वत नहीं। फिर भी, मैंने नचिकेत अग्नि के यज्ञ को नश्वर द्रव्यों से संपन्न किया और उसके द्वारा स्वर्ग जैसे पद को प्राप्त किया, जो अपेक्षिक रूप से शाश्वत है।

English: I know that this śevadhiḥ (treasure) is impermanent; for that which is nityam (eternal) cannot be attained by adhruvaiḥ (impermanent) things. Therefore, I have propitiated the Naciketa agni (fire) with perishable dravyaiḥ (materials), and by that, I have attained the nityam (eternal). Here, Yama acknowledges that the fruit of karma, which is likened to a treasure, is not truly eternal. Only impermanent happiness can be obtained by impermanent means, not the eternal. Nevertheless, I have performed the Naciketa agni ritual with perishable materials and thereby attained a position such as svarga (heaven), which is relatively eternal.

Commentary

Delighted, Death says again: I know that the treasure, i.e., the reward of karma, because it is sought after like a treasure, is not eternal; for, that which is constant, i.e., the treasure named paramātman cannot be reached by things not constant. That treasure alone, which is in the nature of uncertain happiness, can be obtained by uncertain things. Therefore, by me, though I know that the eternal cannot be attained by ephemeral aids, has been propitiated, the fire Naciketa leading to the attainment of heavenly joys with ephemeral things. By virtue of that, I have attained the position of authority, this office of Death known as svarga eternal, but only relatively.

Concept List

śevadhiḥ
anityam
nityam
adhruva
dhruvam
Naciketa agni
karma
paramātman
svarga