Bhikshuka Upanishad: Verse 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

कुटीचका नाम गौतमभरद्वाजयाज्ञवल्क्यवसिष्ठप्रभृतयोऽष्टौ ग्रासान् श्वरन्तो योगमार्गे मोक्षमेव प्रार्थयन्ते॥२॥

Padapatha (Word Split)

कुटीचकाः । नाम । गौतम-भरद्वाज-याज्ञवल्क्य-वसिष्ठ-प्रभृतयः । अष्टौ । ग्रासान् । श्वरन्तः । योग-मार्गे । मोक्षम् । एव । प्रार्थयन्ते ॥२॥

Recitation with translationBhikshuka Upanishad 2

IAST Transliteration

kuṭīcakā nāma gautama-bharadvāja-yājñavalkya-vasiṣṭha-prabhṛtayo 'ṣṭau grāsān śvaranto yoga-mārge mokṣam eva prārthayante ||2||

Translation

കുടീചകർ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നവർ—ഗൗതമൻ, ഭരദ്വാജൻ, യാജ്ഞവൽക്ക്യൻ, വസിഷ്ഠൻ മുതലായവർ—എട്ട് ഗ്രാസം മാത്രം സ്വീകരിച്ച് യോഗമാർഗത്തിൽ മോക്ഷം മാത്രമേ പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കൂ.

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Academic Translation

Those called Kuṭīcakas—such as Gautama, Bharadvāja, Yājñavalkya, Vasiṣṭha, and others—taking (only) eight mouthfuls of food, seek liberation alone on the path of yoga.

Word by Word

• kuṭīcakāḥ: the kuṭīcakas
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭīcaka (prātipadika)
• Form: masculine; nominative plural

• nāma: by name/so called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (avyaya)
• Form: avyaya; designation marker

• gautama-bharadvāja-yājñavalkya-vasiṣṭha-prabhṛtayaḥ: Gautama, Bharadvāja, Yājñavalkya, Vasiṣṭha and others
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama/bharadvāja/yājñavalkya/vasiṣṭha/prabhṛti (prātipadika)
• Form: masculine; nominative plural; prabhṛtayaḥ = 'and others beginning with'

• aṣṭau: eight
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (saṅkhyā)
• Form: masculine; nominative plural; numeral (agreeing with implied persons)

• grāsān: mouthfuls
• Type: Noun
• Root: grāsa (prātipadika)
• Form: masculine; accusative plural

• śvarantaḥ: taking (food)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śvar (dhātu) + śatṛ
• Form: present active participle; masculine nominative plural

• yoga-mārge: on the path of yoga
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga-mārga (prātipadika)
• Form: masculine; locative singular

• mokṣam: liberation
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (prātipadika)
• Form: masculine; accusative singular

• eva: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (avyaya)
• Form: avyaya; avadhāraṇa

• prārthayante: they seek/pray for
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√arth (dhātu)
• Form: present; 3rd person plural; ātmanepada

Sandhi Notes

• prabhṛtayo 'ṣṭau → prabhṛtayaḥ aṣṭau
• mokṣam eva → mokṣam eva (no change)

Verse Context

• Vairāgya (dispassion) and disciplined living as support for Mokṣa
• Mahavakya: Indirect: ascetic restraint is presented as preparatory to the knowledge implied by mahāvākyas (Self=Brahman).
• Atharva
• Chandas: Prose