Katha:2.1.3

Mantra 2.1.3

Original Text:

येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान्स्पर्शाँश्च मैथुनान् ।
	एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ३ ॥

yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdānsparśām̐śca maithunān |
	etenaiva vijānāti kimatra pariśiṣyate | etadvaitat || 3 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
येन	yena	जिसके द्वारा – वह कारण जिससे	by which – the instrument or means by which something is known
रूपम्	rūpam	दृश्य – दृश्य वस्तु, आकार	form – visible object, shape
रसम्	rasam	स्वाद – स्वाद या रस	taste – flavor, sap
गन्धम्	gandham	गंध – सुगंध या दुर्गंध	smell – odor, fragrance
शब्दान्	śabdān	ध्वनि – शब्द या आवाज़	sounds – audible phenomena
स्पर्शान्	sparśān	स्पर्श – छूने का अनुभव	touch – tactile sensations
च	ca	और – संयोजन सूचक	and – conjunction
मैथुनान्	maithunān	संयोगजन्य सुख – कामेन्द्रिय का सुख	pleasures of the sexes – sensual pleasures, especially sexual union
एतेनैव	etena eva	इसी से – केवल इसी के द्वारा	by this alone – solely by this means
विजानाति	vijānāti	जानता है – ज्ञान प्राप्त करता है	knows – perceives, cognizes
किम्	kim	क्या – प्रश्नवाचक	what – interrogative pronoun
अत्र	atra	यहाँ – इस स्थान में	here – in this context or place
परिशिष्यते	pariśiṣyate	शेष रहता है – बचा हुआ है	remains – is left, is unperceived
एतत्	etat	यह – यह वस्तु	this – this entity
वै	vai	निश्चयपूर्वक – निःसंदेह	verily – indeed, certainly
तत्	tat	वही – वही वस्तु	that – that very thing

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जिसके द्वारा ही, कोई रूप, स्वाद, गंध, ध्वनि, स्पर्श और मैथुनजन्य सुखों को जानता है; यहाँ उस (आत्मा) से अज्ञात क्या रह जाता है? यही वह (परमात्मा) है।

English: By which alone (yena), one knows rūpa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), śabda (sounds), sparśa (touch), and maithuna (pleasures of the senses); what remains here unknown to that (ātman)? This verily is that (etad vai tat).

Commentary

How is that (tat) to be known, apart from the knowledge of which Brāhmaṇas do not desire anything else? This is explained here. By which, that is, by the ātman whose nature is intelligence, all beings distinctly know rūpa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), śabda (sounds), sparśa (touch), and the pleasurable experiences arising from maithuna (the union of the senses). It may be objected that worldly experience is not in the form "I know by the ātman distinct from the body, etc.," but rather, "I, the combination of body, etc., know." Not so; even the combination of body, etc., being indistinguishable in its nature from rūpa and the rest and being itself an object of knowledge, it is not reasonable to attribute the status of knower to it. For if the combination of body, etc., being nothing but form, etc., could perceive other forms, etc., then even external forms, etc., could perceive themselves and others, which is not the case.

Concept List

ātman
rūpa
rasa
gandha
śabda
sparśa
maithuna
etad-vai-tat
brāhmaṇa