Katha:2.3.12

Mantra 2.3.12

Original Text:

नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्शुषा ।
	अस्तीति ब्रुवतोऽन्यत्र कथं तदुपलभ्यते ॥ १२ ॥

naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakśuṣā |
	astīti bruvato’nyatra kathaṃ tadupalabhyate || 12 ||

Word-by-Word Breakdown

Sanskrit Term	Transliteration	Hindi Meaning	English Word or Meaning	Comments
नैव	na eva	न – नहीं, एव – निश्चित रूप से	not at all, certainly not		वाचा	vācā	वाणी से – बोलने की शक्ति के द्वारा	by speech, through speech		न	na	नहीं – अभाव का बोध	not, negation		मनसा	manasā	मन से – चित्त या मन के द्वारा	by mind, through mind		प्राप्तुं	prāptum	प्राप्त करना – उपलब्ध करना	to attain, to reach		शक्यः	śakyaḥ	संभव है – किया जा सकता है	possible, can be done		न	na	नहीं – अभाव का बोध	not, negation		चक्षुषा	cakṣuṣā	नेत्र से – आँखों के द्वारा	by the eye, through the eye		अस्ति	asti	है – अस्तित्व रखता है	is, exists		इति	iti	ऐसा – इस प्रकार	thus, so		ब्रुवतः	bruvataḥ	कहने वाले के अतिरिक्त – जो कहता है	of one who says, of the one declaring		अन्यत्र	anyatra	अन्य में – उसके अलावा	in another, except		कथम्	katham	कैसे – किस प्रकार	how		तत्	tat	वह – वह ब्रह्म	that, referring to Brahman		उपलभ्यते	upalabhyate	जाना जाता है – प्राप्त किया जाता है	is known, is attained

Translation/Explanation

Hindi: न वाणी, न मन, न नेत्र के द्वारा उस ब्रह्म को प्राप्त किया जा सकता है; केवल वही जान सकता है जो कहता है ‘वह है’। उसके अलावा, उसे कैसे जाना जा सकता है?

English: Not by vācā, not by manas, not by cakṣus can that be attained; except in the case of one who says ‘asti’ (He is), how can that tat (Brahman) be known?

Commentary

If Brahman could be perceived by the operation of the intellect and other faculties, it could be specifically apprehended as this or that. When the intellect and senses cease to act, Brahman, which is not cognized due to the absence of the means of cognition, would seem not to exist; for, in the world, only that which is perceived by the instruments of cognition is reputed to exist, and the contrary is said to be non-existing. Therefore, yoga would be useless, or Brahman, not being known, should be considered as non-existing. If this is argued, it is replied: truly, not by vācā, not by manas, not by cakṣus, nor by other senses, can He be known; still, though devoid of any attributes, being known as the origin of the universe, He certainly exists; for, that into which effects are absorbed must certainly exist. In the ultimate analysis of all objects of perception, the intellect is still pregnant with a belief in the existence of something; for, the intellect is our authority in comprehending the real nature of existence and non-existence. If the universe had no existing cause, then the effect (the world), being inseparably connected with non-existence, would be apprehended as non-existing. But this is not so; it is perceived as existing, just as a pot made of earth is perceived in combination with earth. Therefore, the cause of the world, the ātman, must be known as existing. Why? In any other than him who believes in existence, follows the drift of the āgamas, and is possessed of faith—that is, one who argues that there is no ātman, the source of the universe, and that all this effect, not connected with any cause, is absorbed into nonexistence and thus sees perversely—how can that Brahman be truly known? The meaning is: it cannot at all be known.

Concept List

vācā
manas
cakṣus
asti
tat
upālabdhi
ātman
brahman
kāraṇa-kārya
āgama