Upaniṣads · Kaṭha 1.16
॥
Devanāgarī
तम् अब्रवीत् प्रीयमाणो महात्मा वरं तवेहाद्य ददामि भूयः ।
तवैव नाम्ना भवितायम् अग्निः सृङ्कां चेमाम् अनेकरूपां गृहाण
Transliteración (IAST)
tam abravīt prīyamāṇo mahātmā varaṃ tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ /
tavaiva nāmnā bhavitāyam agniḥ sṛṅkāṃ cemām anekarūpāṃ gṛhāṇa
Palabra por palabra
SánscritoIASTSignificado
तम्tamto him; it
अब्रवीत्abravīthe said; He spoke
प्रीयमाणःprīyamāṇaḥrejoicing (from √prī — 'to gladden, to love'); content; with love
महात्माmahātmāthe magnanimous (mahā-ātman — 'great soul'); the great soul; the exalted one
वरम्varama gift; a blessing
तवtavato you; your
इहihahere; then
अद्यadyatoday; now
ददामिdadāmiI give; I grant
भूयःbhūyaḥbesides; in addition
तव एवtava evayours indeed; yours alone
नाम्नाnāmnāby name; by name
भविताbhavitāwill be; shall become
अयम्ayamthis; the present
अग्निःagniḥfire; the sacrificial fire
सृङ्काम्sṛṅkāmthe chain, the necklace (sṛṅkā); the glittering chain; the precious garland
चcaand; as well as
इमाम्imāmthis; the present
अनेकरूपाम्anekarūpāmmany-hued (aneka-rūpa — 'of many forms'); shimmering with forms; manifold
गृहाणgṛhāṇatake; take
Traducción
Pleased with him, the great-souled one said: "Today I give you one boon more: this fire shall henceforth be called by your name. And take this many-hued chain."
Versión
e297b4dbd215 · publicado 26 jul 2026, 21:13:03 UTC
Disponible enRUENPasa de verso en verso con
mahātmā — "the great soul": so the Upaniṣad calls Death in the moment of his generosity. Over and above the three promised boons Yama gives a fourth, unasked: tavaiva nāmnā bhavitāyam agniḥ — "by your name shall this fire be called". Knowledge received to perfection grows together with the receiver: henceforth and for ever this is "the Naciketas fire" — the science is named not after him who revealed it but after him who received it faultlessly. So tradition honours not only the sources but the clear channels.
sṛṅkāṁ cemām anekarūpāṁ gṛhāṇa — "and take this many-hued chain". The gift is enigmatic: sṛṅkā is a glittering necklace, shimmering with many forms (aneka-rūpā). But mark the word: in the second vallī (verse 2.3) Yama will praise Naciketas for not taking "the chain made of wealth" (sṛṅkāṁ vittamayīm) in which so many are mired. The necklace is a quiet continuation of the testing inside the reward: a glitter offered together with the truth tests what the hand will reach for.
Generosity and a test in one gesture — the signature of a true teacher: he adorns his pupil and watches whether the pupil will admire the ornament more than the knowledge.