उपनिषद् · Mahā 5.66
॥
देवनागरी
कातकं फलमासाद्य यथा वारि प्रसीदति तथा विज्ञानवशतः स्वभावः सम्प्रसीदति
लिप्यंतरण (IAST)
kātakaṃ phalamāsādya yathā vāri prasīdati tathā vijñānavaśataḥ svabhāvaḥ samprasīdati
शब्दशः अर्थ
संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
कातकम् फलम् आसाद्यkātakam phalam āsādyahaving received the kataka fruit; upon obtaining the nut of the kataka
यथा वारि प्रसीदतिyathā vāri prasīdatias water grows clear; in what manner the water becomes limpid
तथा विज्ञान-वशतःtathā vijñāna-vaśataḥso by the power of knowledge; thus by the sway of understanding
स्वभावः सम्प्रसीदतिsvabhāvaḥ samprasīdatione's own nature grows serene; the proper essence brightens
अनुवाद
“As water grows clear on receiving the kataka fruit, so by the power of knowledge one's own nature grows serene.”
संस्करण
01d0b4f6d9ec · प्रकाशित 29 जुल॰ 2026, 6:29:20 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
At last the main clause: after the long list, a simple comparison.
The kataka is a tree whose nuts have from ancient times been thrown into turbid water in India to make it settle. A household remedy, known to everyone.
What does this nut do? It adds nothing. It makes the silt settle, and the water proves to be what it was.
Here is the image of knowledge's working.
Note the word svabhāva — “one's own nature”. It is neither created nor improved; it prasīdati — “grows clear, becomes gracious”.
The verb prasad means both “to clear” and “to be propitiated”. From it comes prasāda — “grace” and “consecrated food”.
In this double sense there is depth: to grow clear and to become gracious are one and the same word. A turbid man is never kind.