उपनिषद् · Kaṭha 2.16
॥
देवनागरी
एतद् ध्य् एवाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतद् ध्य् एवाक्षरं परम् ।
एतद् ध्य् एवाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा यो यद् इच्छति तस्य तत्
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
etad dhy evākṣaraṃ brahma etad dhy evākṣaraṃ param /
etad dhy evākṣaraṃ jñātvā yo yad icchati tasya tat
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
एतत्etatthis; this
हिhiindeed; for
एवevaindeed; truly
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the imperishable (akṣara — 'what does not perish'); the indestructible syllable; the imperishable
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the Absolute
एतत्etatthis; this
हिhiindeed; for
एवevaindeed; truly
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the imperishable (akṣara — 'what does not perish'); the indestructible syllable; the imperishable
परम्paramthe highest; the transcendent; the sovereign
एतत्etatthis; this
हिhiindeed; for
एवevaindeed; truly
अक्षरम्akṣaramthe syllable; the imperishable (akṣara — 'what does not perish'); the indestructible syllable; the imperishable
ज्ञात्वाjñātvāhaving known (from √jñā — 'to know'); having comprehended; having understood
यःyaḥwho; the one who
यत्yatwhat; which
इच्छतिicchatidesires; longs for
तस्यtasyathat one; for him
तत्tatthat; this
अनुवाद
"This syllable is truly Brahman; this syllable is truly the highest. He who has known this syllable — whatever he desires, that is his."
संस्करण
458bb574f00c · प्रकाशित 26 जुल॰ 2026, 9:13:03 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
etad dhy evākṣaraṁ brahma — "this syllable is indeed Brahman". The word akṣara carries a double sense, and the Upaniṣad plays upon it in earnest: "syllable" — and "the imperishable" (a-kṣara — "that which does not perish"). The uttered sound and the everlasting Reality are called by one word, for in the sacred name they really do meet: the name is that shore of sound which the ocean of the Imperishable touches.
etad dhy evākṣaraṁ param — "this syllable is the highest": the doubling of lines is liturgical; so one repeats what must be cut into memory. And the fruit: yo yad icchati tasya tat — "whoever desires whatever [knowing the syllable] — that is his". The promise is not magical but exact: one who has realized the imperishable in the name no longer desires past the Imperishable; his desires have straightened toward the source of all fulfilments, and therefore they are fulfilled — as a river "attains" the sea toward which it flows.
The tradition of devotion keeps this equality of name and Named as the most precious of gifts: in a sound uttered by the lips the Highest is present entire — accessible to a child and to a sage alike. What the Kaṭha says of Oṁ, the whole path of bhakti recognizes in every true name of the Lord: nāma cintāmaṇiḥ… pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-muktaḥ — "the Name is a wish-fulfilling gem, full, pure, eternally free" (Padma Purāṇa): a name is not a pointer to someone absent but a form of presence.