Upanishads · Kaṭha 2.3
॥
Devanāgarī
स त्वं प्रियान् प्रियरूपांश् च कामान् अभिध्यायन् नचिकेतो ऽत्यस्राक्षीः ।
नैतां सृङ्कां वित्तमयीम् अवाप्तो यस्यां मज्जन्ति बहवो मनुष्याः
Transliteration (IAST)
sa tvaṃ priyān priyarūpāṃś ca kāmān abhidhyāyan naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ /
naitāṃ sṛṅkāṃ vittamayīm avāpto yasyāṃ majjanti bahavo manuṣyāḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥyou; you, being such
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
प्रियान्priyānthe pleasant [things]; the beloved [things]
प्रियरूपान्priyarūpānpleasant in appearance (priya-rūpa); desirable to look upon; wearing the form of the dear
चcaand; as well as
कामान्kāmāndesires; pleasures
अभिध्यायन्abhidhyāyanhaving thought them through (abhi-√dhyai); having examined; having weighed
नचिकेतःnaciketaḥO Naciketas; Naciketas
अत्यस्राक्षीःatyasrākṣīḥyou have let go (ati-√sṛj — 'to release away'); you rejected; you sent away
नnanot; no
एताम्etāmthis; such
सृङ्काम्sṛṅkāmthe chain (sṛṅkā — the same word as 'necklace' in 1.16); the necklace that is a fetter; the golden chain
वित्तमयीम्vittamayīmwoven of wealth (vitta-maya); consisting of possessions; made of money
अवाप्तःavāptaḥyou have taken; you have attained
यस्याम्yasyāmin which; in it
मज्जन्तिmajjantithey sink (from √majj — 'to be submerged'); they are mired; they go under
बहवःbahavaḥmany; numerous
मनुष्याःmanuṣyāḥpeople; mortals
Translation
"But you, Naciketas, having pondered the desirable and the pleasant-seeming desires, have let them go. You have not taken that chain made of wealth in which many men sink."
Version
2e855f85c2ff · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Yama applies the formula to his pupil: you have done this. priyān priya-rūpāṁś ca kāmān — "the desirable and the pleasant-seeming desires": a fine doubling — there are things desirable in their essence and things that merely wear the look of the desirable (priya-rūpa), lures with a painted sweetness; Naciketas, abhidhyāyan — "having thought them through" (the same word as in his own verse 28) — atyasrākṣīḥ — "let go" of both.
naitāṁ sṛṅkāṁ vittamayīm avāptaḥ — "you have not taken this chain made of wealth". The word sṛṅkā returns from verse 16: there Yama himself handed the pupil a "many-hued chain". Now it is clear that this was an examination inside the reward: the chain that is a necklace and the chain that is a fetter are one word and one thing; wealth adorns exactly as long as you do not notice that it is clasped about your throat. yasyāṁ majjanti bahavo manuṣyāḥ — "in which many men sink": √majj — "to sink, to be submerged": a chain of gold drags one down more surely than one of iron, because men hold on to it themselves.
The teacher's praise here is no courtesy but a handing over of authority: having acknowledged the pupil's discrimination as accomplished, Yama gains the right to speak with him of what discrimination opens. The verses that follow will unfold the map of the two roads.