奥义书 · Kaṭha 1.21
॥
天城文
देवैर् अत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा न हि सुज्ञेयम् अणुर् एष धर्मः ।
अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व मा मोपरोत्सीर् अति मा सृजैनम्
转写 (IAST)
devair atrāpi vicikitsitaṃ purā na hi sujñeyam aṇur eṣa dharmaḥ /
anyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva mā moparotsīr ati mā sṛjainam
逐字释义
梵语IAST释义
देवैःdevaiḥby the gods; even by the gods
अत्रatrahere; in this
अपिapieven; also
विचिकित्सितम्vicikitsitamthere was doubt; they doubted; they wavered
पुराpurābefore; of old
नnanot; no
हिhiindeed; for
सुज्ञेयम्sujñeyameasy to know (su-jñeya); readily comprehensible; simple to understand
अणुःaṇuḥit is subtle (aṇu — 'minute as an atom'); most subtle; elusive
एषःeṣaḥthis; such
धर्मःdharmaḥthe law; truth
अन्यम्anyamother; another
वरम्varama gift; the choice
नचिकेतःnaciketaḥO Naciketas; Naciketas
वृणीष्वvṛṇīṣvachoose; ask
माmānot; may you not
माmāme; to me
उपरोत्सीःuparotsīḥpress me (upa-√rudh — 'to besiege'); constrain; push
अतिatiexcessively; too much
माmāme; from me
सृजsṛjarelease; set [me] free
एनम्enamit; this question
译文
"Even the gods of old were in doubt about this: it is not easy to know this subtle truth. Choose another boon, Naciketas; do not press me — release me from this [question]."
版本
d4b497367950 · 发布于 2026年7月26日 21:13:03 UTC
可用语言RUEN用方向键翻颂
Death retreats. devair atrāpi vicikitsitaṁ purā — "even the gods doubted about this of old"; aṇur eṣa dharmaḥ — "subtle is this truth" (aṇu — "minute as an atom", elusive to a coarse gaze). And then, almost a plea: mā moparotsīḥ — "do not besiege me" (upa-√rudh — "to lay siege"); ati mā sṛjainam — "release me from this [question]".
What is this — a reluctance to share? No: a test, the third in order. The first was at the threshold (three nights of hunger), the second in the boons (he asked for nothing empty); now the very resolve to know is tested. A teacher is bound to check whether the asker can bear the weight of the answer: knowledge given into a weak grip perishes with it. Dissuasion is an ancient instrument of initiation: the truth must not fall to one who will settle for a substitute.
There is a plain truth in these words as well: Naciketas's question is genuinely hard even for the gods — those whose life is long but not eternal stand before the same veil themselves. A boy at Death's threshold has asked what the heavens guess at. The dearer, then, his persistence will be — and the weightier the praise Yama will speak when the test is over.