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Kena Upanishad: Verse 3.4

तदभ्यद्रवत्। तमभ्यवदत्—कोऽसीति। अग्निर्वा अहमस्मीति अब्रवीत्। जातवेदाः वा अहमस्मीति॥४॥

तत् । अभ्यद्रवत् । तम् । अभ्यवदत् । कः । असि । इति । अग्निः । वै । अहम् । अस्मि । इति । अब्रवीत् । जातवेदाः । वै । अहम् । अस्मि । इति ॥४॥

Recitation with translationKena Upanishad 3.4

tad abhyadravat. tam abhyavadat—ko ’sīti. agnir vā aham asmīti abravīt. jātavedā vā aham asmīti. ||4||

स तदभ्यद्रवत्। तं यक्षं प्रत्युवाच—कोऽसीति। अग्निरहं वै अस्मीति अब्रवीत्; जातवेदाः अहं वै अस्मीति॥४॥

He ran toward it. It said to him: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am Agni indeed; I am Jātavedas indeed.”

tatthen/that
tat:
TypeNoun
Roottad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formnapuṃsaka; prathamā/ dvitīyā; ekavacana; refers to Agni (sent one) or the matter at hand (‘then’)
abhyadravatran up/approached
abhyadravat:
TypeVerb
Root√dru (dhātu)
Formlaṅ (imperfect); parasmaipada; prathamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana; with abhi- (‘ran up/approached’)
tamhim/that one
tam:
TypeNoun
Roottad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formpuṃ/napuṃ; dvitīyā; ekavacana; ‘him/that (yakṣa)’
abhyavadataddressed
abhyavadat:
TypeVerb
Root√vad (dhātu)
Formlaṅ (imperfect); parasmaipada; prathamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana; with abhi- (‘addressed’)
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
TypeNoun
Rootkim (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formpuṃliṅga; prathamā; ekavacana; interrogative (‘who’)
asiare (you)
asi:
TypeVerb
Root√as (dhātu)
Formlaṭ (present); parasmaipada; madhyamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana
itithus
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (avyaya)
Formquotative particle
agniḥAgni
agniḥ:
TypeNoun
Rootagni (prātipadika)
Formpuṃliṅga; prathamā; ekavacana
vāindeed
vā:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (avyaya)
Formparticle (‘indeed/forsooth’ here; sometimes ‘or’)
ahamI
aham:
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formprathamā; ekavacana; 1st person pronoun
asmiam
asmi:
TypeVerb
Root√as (dhātu)
Formlaṭ (present); parasmaipada; uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana
itithus
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (avyaya)
Formquotative particle
abravītsaid
abravīt:
TypeVerb
Root√brū (dhātu)
Formlaṅ (imperfect); parasmaipada; prathamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana
jātavedāḥJātavedas
jātavedāḥ:
TypeNoun
Rootjātavedas (prātipadika)
Formpuṃliṅga; prathamā; ekavacana; Vedic nominative with -āḥ (for -ā)
vāindeed
vā:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (avyaya)
Formparticle (‘indeed’)
ahamI
aham:
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (sarvanāma-prātipadika)
Formprathamā; ekavacana
asmiam
asmi:
TypeVerb
Root√as (dhātu)
Formlaṭ (present); parasmaipada; uttamaḥ puruṣaḥ; ekavacana
itithus
iti:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiti (avyaya)
Formquotative particle
  • ko ’sīti → kaḥ + asi + iti (visarga before vowel; then iti)
  • ahamasmīti → aham + asmi + iti
  • asmīti abravīt → asmi + iti + abravīt
  • jātavedāḥ vā → jātavedāḥ + vā (no further sandhi)
Avidyā/ahaṅkāra (self-assertion of limited power) contrasted with Brahman’s transcendenceMahavakya: Indirect—highlights the gap between empirical ‘I am’ (deity/ego identity) and the Upaniṣadic ‘I’ that is Brahman (as in the purport of “अहं ब्रह्मास्मि,” though not stated here).SamaTalavakara (Jaiminiya) ShakhaChandas: Prose

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