Katha:2.2.11

Mantra 2.2.11

Original Text:

सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्शुर्न लिप्यते चाक्शुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः ।
	एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः ॥ ११ ॥

sūryo yathā sarvalokasya cakśurna lipyate cākśuṣairbāhyadoṣaiḥ |
	ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā na lipyate lokaduḥkhena bāhyaḥ || 11 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
सूर्यः	sūryaḥ	सूर्य – प्रकाश देने वाला तारा	sun – the luminary that illuminates		यथा	yathā	जैसे – तुलना के लिए प्रयुक्त	as – used for comparison		सर्वलोकस्य	sarvalokasya	सभी लोकों का – समस्त संसार का	of all worlds – of the entire universe		चक्षुः	cakṣuḥ	नेत्र – देखने का साधन	eye – organ of sight		न	na	नहीं – निषेध सूचक	not – negation		लिप्यते	lipyate	लिप्त होता – प्रभावित या स्पर्शित होता	is tainted – becomes affected		चाक्षुषैः	cākṣuṣaiḥ	नेत्र सम्बन्धी – आँखों से संबंधित	by what is seen by the eyes – related to the eyes		बाह्यदोषैः	bāhyadoṣaiḥ	बाह्य दोषों से – बाहर के दोषों से	by external blemishes – by faults outside		एकः	ekaḥ	एक – अद्वितीय	one – unique, singular		तथा	tathā	उसी प्रकार – उसी तरह	so – in the same way		सर्वभूत	sarvabhūta	सभी प्राणियों का – समस्त जीव	of all beings – of all living entities		अन्तरात्मा	antarātmā	आन्तरिक आत्मा – भीतर स्थित आत्मा	inner ātman – indwelling Self		न	na	नहीं – निषेध सूचक	not – negation		लिप्यते	lipyate	लिप्त होता – प्रभावित या स्पर्शित होता	is tainted – becomes affected		लोकदुःखेन	lokaduḥkhena	संसार के दुःख से – जगत के दुःखों से	by the world’s grief – by the sorrows of the world		बाह्यः	bāhyaḥ	बाह्य – बाहर स्थित	external – outside, transcendent

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: जैसे सूर्य, जो समस्त संसार की आँख है, बाहरी वस्तुओं की आँखों द्वारा देखी गई अशुद्धियों से लिप्त नहीं होता, वैसे ही सभी प्राणियों के भीतर स्थित एकमात्र अन्तरात्मा भी संसार के दुःख से लिप्त नहीं होता, क्योंकि वह उससे बाहर है।

English: Just as the sūryaḥ, the eye of all the worlds, is not tainted by the external blemishes seen by the cakṣuḥ, so too, the one inner antarātmā of all sarvabhūta is not tainted by the lokaduḥkha, being bāhyaḥ (external) to it.

Commentary

To address the doubt that if there is one antarātmā for all, it might be subject to the grief of saṃsāra, this mantra is stated. The sūryaḥ, which enables the cakṣuḥ to see and reveals even impure things, is not tainted by the faults or impurities seen by the eyes, nor by contact with external blemishes. Similarly, the singular antarātmā within all sarvabhūta is not tainted by the lokaduḥkha, because it is bāhyaḥ—transcendent and external to that suffering. The world, due to avidyā (ignorance) superimposed on the antarātmā, experiences misery arising from desire and karma, but these do not truly belong to the Self. Just as the appearance of a serpent on a rope or silver on nacre is a superimposition and does not affect the substratum, so too, the antarātmā remains untouched by the apparent sorrows of the world. The Self is ever pure, unaffected, and external to all false notions and their resultant sufferings.

Concept List

sūryaḥ
antarātmā
sarvaloka
cakṣuḥ
bāhyaḥ
lokaduḥkha
sarvabhūta
avidyā
karma
saṃsāra