Upanishads · Kaṭha 2.11
॥
Devanāgarī
कामस्य आप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां क्रतोर् अनन्त्यम् अभयस्य पारम् ।
स्तोममहद् उरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा धृत्या धीरो नचिकेतो ऽत्यस्राक्षीः
Transliteration (IAST)
kāmasya āptiṃ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ krator anantyam abhayasya pāram /
stomamahad urugāyaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dṛṣṭvā dhṛtyā dhīro naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
कामस्यkāmasyadesires; pleasures
आप्तिम्āptimthe attainment, the fulfilment (from √āp — 'to reach'); the gaining; the fullness
जगतःjagataḥworld; of the universe
प्रतिष्ठाम्pratiṣṭhāmthe support; a support
क्रतोःkratoḥof the sacrificial will (kratu); of the sacrificial design; of the force of intent
अनन्त्यम्anantyaminfinity (ānantya); endlessness; the boundless fruit
अभयस्यabhayasyaof fearlessness (a-bhaya); of safety; of freedom from fear
पारम्pāramthe far shore; the limit; that farther side
स्तोममहत्stomamahatthe great praise; the greatness of the hymn
उरुगायम्urugāyamwidely sung (uru-gāya); praised everywhere; spacious
प्रतिष्ठाम्pratiṣṭhāmthe support; the stability
दृष्ट्वाdṛṣṭvāhaving seen; having discerned
धृत्याdhṛtyāby steadfastness (dhṛti — 'firmness'); by firmness; by endurance
धीरःdhīraḥwise; the steadfast one
नचिकेतःnaciketaḥO Naciketas; Naciketas
अत्यस्राक्षीःatyasrākṣīḥyou have cast away; you have left behind
Translation
"The fulfilment of desires, the foundation of the world, the endlessness of the sacrificial will, the far shore of fearlessness, the great praise, the wide abode, the support — all this you have seen and, being wise, have steadfastly let go."
Version
febaef69fbe8 · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
An inventory of what has been renounced — this time not earthly but cosmic: kāmasyāptim — the fulfilment of [all] desires; jagataḥ pratiṣṭhām — the foundation of the world; krator ānantyam — the endlessness of [the fruit of] the sacrificial will; abhayasya pāram — the far shore of fearlessness; stomamahad urugāyam — the great praise and the wide expanse [of the heavenly abodes]. These are no longer the "sons and herds" of the first vallī — these are the summits of the religious cosmos, the thrones of Hiraṇyagarbha, everything that can be attained by action at all.
dṛṣṭvā dhṛtyā… atyasrākṣīḥ — "having seen, you let go with steadfastness": the word order matters. He did not reject the unknown (it is cheap to reject what one has not seen) — it was shown to him, he examined it and let it go, and dhṛti was needed — that very firmness (verse 38) — for what had to be let go was truly great.
So the introductory part of the vallī is completed: the two paths are distinguished, the rarity of knowledge is stated, the limits of rite are drawn, the tests are exhausted to their cosmic limit. Every "no" has been said; the Upaniṣad has gathered a full silence for the "yes". The next verse will utter for the first time that for whose sake all this was: taṁ durdarśaṁ gūḍham anupraviṣṭam — "Him, hard to see, who has entered into the hidden…"