Katha:2.3.17
Mantra 2.3.17
Original Text:
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषोऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः । तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण । तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति ॥ १७ ॥
aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo’ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ | taṃ svāccharīrātpravṛhenmuñjādiveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa | taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtaṃ taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtamiti || 17 ||
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| Sanskrit Term | Transliteration | Hindi Meaning | English Word or Meaning | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः | aṅguṣṭha-mātraḥ | अंगुष्ठ के समान आकार वाला – आकार में अंगूठे जितना | of the size of a thumb | |
| पुरुषः | puruṣaḥ | चेतन सत्ता – परमात्मा, आत्मा | conscious principle; Puruṣa | |
| अन्तरात्मा | antar-ātmā | भीतरी आत्मा – शरीर के भीतर स्थित आत्मा | inner ātman; indwelling Self | |
| सदा | sadā | सदा – हमेशा | always | |
| जनानाम् | janānām | प्राणियों के – सभी जीवों के | of beings; of people | |
| हृदये | hṛdaye | हृदय में – हृदय के भीतर | in the heart | |
| संनिविष्टः | saṁniviṣṭaḥ | स्थित – निवास करने वाला | seated; established | |
| तम् | tam | उसे – उस आत्मा को | him; that (Self) | |
| स्व | sva | अपने – स्वयं के | one's own | |
| शरीरात् | śarīrāt | शरीर से – देह से | from the body | |
| प्रवृहेत् | pravṛhet | निकालना चाहिए – बाहर निकालना | should draw out; should extract | |
| मुञ्जात् | muñjāt | मुंज घास से – मुंज घास से | from muñja grass | |
| इव | iva | जैसे – के समान | like; as | |
| एषीकाम् | eṣīkām | तंतु को – डंठल या तंतु | the stalk (within the grass) | |
| धैर्येण | dhairyeṇa | धैर्य के साथ – साहसपूर्वक | with courage; boldly | |
| तम् | tam | उसे – उस आत्मा को | him; that (Self) | |
| विद्यात् | vidyāt | जानना चाहिए – समझना चाहिए | should know; should realize | |
| शुक्रम् | śukram | शुद्ध – निर्मल, पवित्र | pure; radiant | |
| अमृतम् | amṛtam | अमर – अविनाशी, अमृत | immortal; deathless | |
| तम् | tam | उसे – उस आत्मा को | him; that (Self) | |
| विद्यात् | vidyāt | जानना चाहिए – समझना चाहिए | should know; should realize | |
| शुक्रम् | śukram | शुद्ध – निर्मल, पवित्र | pure; radiant | |
| अमृतम् | amṛtam | अमर – अविनाशी, अमृत | immortal; deathless | |
| इति | iti | इस प्रकार – उपसंहार सूचक | thus; so |
Translation/Explanation
Hindi: अंगुष्ठ के समान आकार वाला जो पुरुष, अर्थात् अंतरात्मा, वह सदा सभी प्राणियों के हृदय में स्थित है। उसे अपने ही शरीर से, जैसे मुंज घास से तंतु को धैर्यपूर्वक निकाला जाता है, वैसे ही साहसपूर्वक निकालना चाहिए। उसे शुद्ध और अमर जानना चाहिए; उसे शुद्ध और अमर जानना चाहिए।
English: The puruṣa, of the size of a thumb, the inner ātman, is always seated in the heart of all beings. One should draw him out from one’s own body boldly, as the stalk is drawn from muñja grass. One should know him as śukra (pure) and amṛta (immortal); one should know him as śukra and amṛta.
Commentary
Now the śruti says this, for the purpose of concluding the drift of all the vallis. The puruṣa, of the size of a thumb, the inner ātman as previously explained, is seated in the heart of all beings. One should draw him out, i.e., separate him from one’s own body; ‘like what’ is explained. As the stalk within the muñja grass is drawn out from the grass, so too, with courage and composure, one should extract the Self. Him, so drawn out from the body, one should know as brahman previously described—pure (śukra), immortal (amṛta), and of the nature of pure intelligence. The repetition and the use of the particle ‘iti’ are to show that the Upaniṣad ends here.
Concept List
aṅguṣṭha-mātra-puruṣa
antar-ātmā
hṛdaya
śukra
amṛta
brahman
muñja-grass