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Katha Upanishad

Chapter 6

द्वितीयाध्याये तृतीया वल्ली

Adhyaya 2 · Valli 3

Verses

  1. Verse 1

    ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ | tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate | tasmiṃllokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat || 1||

    Meaning

    'This is that eternal ashvattha tree with its root above and branches below. That (root) is the Pure, that is Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. On it all the worlds rest, and none ever transcends it. This, verily, is That.'

  2. Verse 2

    yadidaṃ kiṃ ca jagat sarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam | mahadbhayaṃ vajramudyataṃ ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti || 2||

    Meaning

    'All this universe, whatever exists, having come forth (from Brahman), trembles in (His) life-breath. It is a great terror, an uplifted thunderbolt. Those who know It become immortal.'

  3. Verse 3

    bhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāttapati sūryaḥ | bhayādindraśca vāyuśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamaḥ || 3||

    Meaning

    'Out of fear of Him fire burns; out of fear the sun gives heat; out of fear Indra and Vayu, and Death as the fifth, run (to their duties).'

  4. Verse 4

    iha cedaśakadboddhuṃ prākṣarīrasya visrasaḥ | tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate || 4||

    Meaning

    'If one is able to realize (Him) here, before the falling away of the body, (well and good); if not, he becomes fit for embodiment in the created worlds (is reborn).'

  5. Verse 5

    yathā''darśe tathā''tmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke | yathā'psu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke chāyātapayoriva brahmaloke || 5||

    Meaning

    'As in a mirror, so (is the Self seen) in oneself (the intellect); as in a dream, so in the world of the ancestors; as (a thing) is seen in water, so in the world of the Gandharvas; as shade and light, so in the world of Brahman.'

  6. Verse 6

    indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvamudayāstamayau ca yat | pṛthagutpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati || 6||

    Meaning

    'Knowing the separate nature of the senses, which arise apart (from the Self), and their rising and setting, the wise man does not grieve.'

  7. Verse 7

    indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvamuttamam | sattvādadhi mahānātmā mahato'vyaktamuttamam || 7||

    Meaning

    'Beyond the senses is the mind; beyond the mind is the pure intellect (sattva); beyond the intellect is the Great Self; beyond the Great is the Unmanifest.'

  8. Verse 8

    avyaktāttu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako'liṅga eva ca | yaṃ jñātvā mucyate janturamṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati || 8||

    Meaning

    'But beyond the Unmanifest is the all-pervading Purusha, who is without distinguishing mark. Knowing Him, the creature is liberated and attains immortality.'

  9. Verse 9

    na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam | hṛdā manīṣā manasā'bhiklṛpto ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti || 9||

    Meaning

    'His form does not stand within the field of vision; no one sees Him with the eye. He is grasped by the heart, by the intellect, by the mind. Those who know this become immortal.'

  10. Verse 10

    yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha | buddhiśca na viceṣṭate tāmāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim || 10||

    Meaning

    'When the five (senses of) knowledge come to rest together with the mind, and the intellect stirs not — that, they say, is the highest state (yoga).'

  11. Verse 11

    tāṃ yogamiti manyante sthirāmindriyadhāraṇām | apramattastadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau || 11||

    Meaning

    'That firm holding back of the senses, they consider to be yoga. Then one becomes vigilant (free from distraction), for yoga is (subject to) coming and going (must be carefully maintained).'

  12. Verse 12

    naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā | astīti bruvato'nyatra kathaṃ tadupalabhyate || 12||

    Meaning

    'Not by speech, not by the mind, not by the eye can He be attained. How can He be realized except by one who says "He is"?'

  13. Verse 13

    astītyevopalabdhavyastattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ | astītyevopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati || 13||

    Meaning

    'He is to be realized first as "He is," and then in His essential nature. To one who has realized Him as "He is," His true nature becomes favourably revealed.'

  14. Verse 14

    yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye'sya hṛdi śritāḥ | atha martyo'mṛto bhavatyatra brahma samaśnute || 14||

    Meaning

    'When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal becomes immortal and here (in this very life) attains Brahman.'

  15. Verse 15

    yadā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ | atha martyo'mṛto bhavatyetāvaddhyanuśāsanam || 15||

    Meaning

    'When all the knots of the heart are cut here (in this life), then the mortal becomes immortal — thus far is the teaching.'

  16. Verse 16

    śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍyastāsāṃ mūrdhānamabhiniḥsṛtaikā | tayordhvamāyannamṛtatvameti viṣvaṅṅanyā utkramaṇe bhavanti || 16||

    Meaning

    'A hundred and one are the nerves (nadis) of the heart; of these one (the sushumna) goes out through the crown of the head. Going up by it, one attains immortality; the others, at the time of departing, lead in various (other) directions.'

  17. Verse 17

    aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo'ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ | taṃ svāccharīrātpravṛhenmuñjādiveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa | taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtaṃ taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtamiti || 17||

    Meaning

    'The Purusha, the inner Self, of the size of a thumb, ever dwells seated in the hearts of men. One should draw Him out from one's own body with firmness, as one draws the stalk from a reed. One should know Him as the Pure, the Immortal — one should know Him as the Pure, the Immortal.'

  18. Verse 18

    mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo'tha labdhvā vidyāmetāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam | brahmaprāpto virajo'bhūdvimṛtyuranyo'pyevaṃ yo vidadhyātmameva || 18||

    Meaning

    'Then Nachiketa, having gained this knowledge taught by Death, and the whole method of yoga, attained Brahman and became free from passion and free from death. So too does any other who thus knows the indwelling Self.'

  19. Verse 19

    saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu | saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai | tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai || 19||

    Meaning

    May (Brahman) protect us both together; may He nourish us both together; may we work together with great energy; may our study be vigorous and effective; may we not hate each other. (The closing shanti, recited again at the end.)

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