Kathopanishad Mukti explanation
Katha upanishad belongs to Krsna Yajurveda.
1 The story of Nachiketa
Maharsi Gautama (also known as Vajasravas or Auddalaki, or Aruni) conducted
a mahayajna names Viswajith at his ashrama in Hardwar. He gave away all his
wealth in charities to the assembled Brahmans. Among them was old cows not
capable of producing milk. Naciketa questioned his father about this.
Maharsi says there is nothing left to be given. On repeated prodding by the
young son, father said, ” as you are the only one left I will give you to
Yama. These words are taken to heart by the young lad Naciketa.
On the strength of his prayers Naciketa gets transported to the yamaloka.
Chitragupta receives him and asked to wait for 3 days when Lord Yama is
supposed to return after his current tour. Naciketa sits under a tree and
meditate for next 3 days.
When Yama returns he was aghast that a Brahmana lad stayed in his kingdom
for 3 days without food. Yama grants 3 boons to compensate for this
omission.
Boon 1: When he gets back to Bhuloka, his kith and kin should received him
without any bitterness. Granted.
Boon 2: To teach agnividya: Granted. Lord Yama names that vidya in the name
of Naciketa.
Boon 3: Naciketa wants to know what happens to the soul after death. or
teach Brahma vidya. Lord Yama tries to lure the kid with lot of world
attraction like wealth rather than imparting this knowledge. Naciketa
refuses to budge and Lord Yama agrees to impart this knowledge.
Dharmaraja explains the ways open for soul to operate as jiva in bhuloka-
sreyas and preyas. The realization of the atma within the internal cave of
each person is moksa. Atma appears as jivatma and iswara. Jivatma is the
experiencer going through the pleasure and pain of living, Iswara is the
witness.
2 Body is equated to a chariot, jiva is the charioteer, atma
is the master inside the chariot. Five horses tied to the chariot are the
sense organs, mind is the reins. Charioteer and reins control the path of
the chariot. It is essential to drive the sense organs wisely to reach the
exalted parama padam. Once the jiva realize and reach paramatma jiva gets
freedom from samsara or world bondage of cycle of births and deaths.
Naciketa visits hell and sees the terrible scenes. The Yama duta who
guided Naciketa to hell pushes him into the hell. The purity and tejas of
Naciketa purifies all the papa jivas inside. They get released of their
sins and get transported to svarga.
Dharmaraja has asked to have one pointed concentration to get atma svarupa,
but senses are always attracted to things outside.
After satisfied with the 3 boons , Naciketa returns to the asrama at
Hardwar.
Verses ..Part 1
Om asan ha vai Vajasravasah sarvavedasam dadau tasya ha Naciketa nama putra
asa…1
Desirous of the fruits of the Visvajita sacrifice Vajasravas gave away all
his wealth after the sacrifice. He raised his flag of charity by providing
food to thousands of people. His son is Naciketa.
Pitodaka jagdhatrna dugdhadoha nirindriyah ananda nama te lokastan sa
gacchati ta dadat..3
Joyless are the worlds one goes to on giving away as gifts cows that have
stopped drinking water, eating food, yielding milk and lost vitality.
Gautama says that everything in possession has been given in charity and
asks what is there to give away further. Naciketa respons that- Father , I
am here, your most valued possession. To whom are you going to give me in
charity.
sa hovacha pitaram tata kasmai mam dasyasiti: dvitiyam tritiyam hovaca
He asks the same questtion again and again.
Then the father says:
*Mrtyave tva dadamiti...4** b *To death I offer you.
3 Naciketa thinks:
bahunamemi prathamo bahunamemi madhyamah: kim svidyamasya karttavyam
yanmayadya karisyati…5
I am among the top or middle grade students here, not the lowest grade. So
what purpose may be that father will fulfill through me by offering me to
Yama.
Yama apologises for leaving Naciketa in the house for 3 days without food.
He offers 3 boons to make up for the wrong.
Boon 1
Santasamkalpah sumana yatha syat vitamanyurgautamo mabhi mrtyo:
tvatprasrstam ma bhivadet pratitah etattrayanam prathamam varam vrne..10
Let my father gautama and other family receive me happily when I return.
yatha parastad bhavita pratita auddalakirarunirmatprasrstah:
sukham ratri sayita vitamanyuh tvam dadrsivan mrtyumukhatn pramuktam:…11
Your family will receive you with affection and will be happy as in the
past.
Boon 2:
svarge loke na bhayam kincanasti na tatra tvam na jaraya bibheti:
ubhe tirtva sanayapipase sokatigo modate svargaloke ..12
I understand that in svargaloka all are youthful as they have taken nectar.
There is no fear of death, hunger or thirst. They are always in happiness.
sa tvamagnim svargya madhyesi mrtyo prabruhi tam sraddadhanaya mahyam:
svargalokah amrtattvam bhajante etad dvitiyena vrne varena: ..13
Please teach me the agni vidya practice with which one can attain
svargaloka wher people reach a divine state and remain happy .
pra te bravimi tadu me nibodha svargyamagnim naciketah prajanam:
anantalokaptimatho pratistham viddhi tvametan nihitam guhayam…14
I will preach you agnividya, the tool to reach svarga Agni which is virat
rupa (all encompassing) is found in the upasaka ‘s heart cave. You must
realise that and protect it with great care.
lokadimagnim tamuvaca ya istaka yavatirva yatha va:
sa capi tat pratyavadad yathoktam athasya mrtyuh punarevaha tustah...15
Yama raja preaches Naciketa the Agnividya. and its arrangements required.
Naciketa learns with Sradha and repeats it.
Tamabravit priyamano mahatma varam tavehadya dadami bhuyah:
tavaiva namna bhavita yamagnih srnkam cemamanekarupam grhna: ..16
Yama raja declares that this agni vidya will now be known in the name of
Naciketa as Naciketa Agni.
Boon 3:
yeyam vicikitsa manusye astitiyeke manusye astityeke nayamastiti caike:
etad vidya manusistastvaya ‘ham varanamesa varastrtiyah:...20
Kindly preach the secret of the transition of atma upon death of the body.
devairatrapi vicikitsitam pura na hi suvijneyamanuresa dharmah:
anyam varam naciketo vrnisva ma moparotsirati ma srjainam…21
Yamaraja: Leave this and ask for some other boon. It is not easily
understood.
devairatrapi vicikitsitam kila tvam ca mrtyo yam na suvijneyamattah:
vakta casya tvadrganyo na labhyo nanyo varastulaya etasya kascit ..22
Mrthyu deva, I won’t get any one to teach this like you. So kindly be
considerate to me and preach that knowledge.
Naciketa requests Yamaraja to teach the knowledge about life after death
and states that he has no desire for anything else.
Yamaraja is satisfied that Naciketa is most deserving person for imparting
this knowledge. He says that he was testing Naciketa till now. Now that you
have passed, I will preach the knowledge.
PART III BRAHMA VIDYA
Anyacchreyo ‘nyadutaiva preyah te ubhe nanarthe purusam sinitah:
tayoh sreya adadanasya sadhu bhavati hiyate ‘rdthadya u preyo vrnite...1
Sreyas– that which is of highest value. Goodness. Correct path. reaps
goodness.
Preyas- that which is pleasant here and now . Pleasant, slips from path of
truth.
Sreyasca preyasca manusyametah stau samparity vivinakti dhirah:
Sreyo hi dhiro ‘bhi preyaso vrnite preyo mando yogaksemad vrnite…2
The wise distinguishes between Sreyas and Preyas. And prefer Sreyas. Dull
witted chooses Preyas for immediate success.
vidyabhipsinam naciketasam manye na tva kama bahavo ‘lolupanta….4
Vidya and avidya are contradictory bringing different fruits ((moksa for
vidya and samsara for avidya). Naciketa you are desirous of vidya.
allurements did not entice you.
avidyayamantare vartamanah svayam dhirah panditammanyamanah:
dandramyamanah pariyanti mudhah andhenaiva niyamana yatha ‘ndhah..5
With avidya, people think they are wise and learned, while going through
the samsara of birth and death. They are like blind led by another blind.
Lost in direction and they suffer.
Naciketa requests Yamaraja to bless his with the knowledge of Brahman,
which is beyond cause and effect, beyond time, beyond good and bad, beyond
existing and future creations.
sarve veda yat padamamananti tapamsi sarvani ca yadvadanti:
yadiccahnto brahmacaryam caranti tat te padam sangrahena bravimi
omityetat…15
Yamaraja: I will tell you in short about that which all vedas praise, all
penances seek, seeking which men follow brahmacharya penance. That is
called the word Om.
etaddhyevaksaram brahma etadevaksaram param:
etaddhyevaksaram jnatva yo yadicchati tasya tat...16
The word OM is both the syllable and the imperishable reality. Knowing this
if a sadhaka meditates on this, he realizes his own self. Knowing this
imperishable syllable whatever one desires will indeed be his.
etadalambanam sresthametadalambanam param:
etadalambanam jnatva brahma loke mahiyate…17
The Omkara is the best among all means to realize supreme Brahman. Knowing
this secret if one faithfully depends on this, he undoubtedly gains the
glorious position of god realization.
abhayam titirsatam param naciketam sakmahi…...2
O Naciketa, the best way of attaining God is to pray to him.
As jivatma experiences the results Isvara or paramatma stands as a witness.
Paramatma and jivatma are like light and shadow. Light is brightness, the
thing which diminished the light is called shadow. The obstruction to the
light produces shadow. The light (paramatma) has no form, the shadow has a
form- jivatma has a body. As soon as the obstruction gets removed, the
light and shadow become one. This is in brief the concept of the Brahman
and the jiva.
atmanam rathinam viddhi sariram rathameva tu:
buddhim tu sarathim vidhi manah pragrahameva ca…3
The jivatma is the master sitting in the chariot, the body is the chariot,
the intellect is the charioteer, the mind is the rein, and the sense organs
are the horses.
indriyani hayanahurvisayamstesu gocaran:
atmendriyamanoyuktam bhoktetyahurmanisinah..4
The body is the chariot. The sense organs are the 5 horses tied to that.
The path along which the sense organs take us is the way along with the
chariot moves. The mind holds the reins, which controls the sense organs.
The intellect is the charioteer.
yastvavijnanavan bhavatyayuktena manasa sada:
tasyendriyanayavasyani dustasva iva saratheyh…5
When mind is not under control, sense organs go the way they like, like the
wicked horses under a careless charioteer.
yastu vijnanavan bhavati yuktena manasa sada:
tasyendriyani vasyani sadasva iva saratheh...6
With a discriminating intellect, the mind and senses are fully under
control, like disciplines horses under a skilled charioteer.
Lord , the purusa is stronger than the jivatma and stronger than maya.
Beyond purusa nothing is there. That is the final destination. There is no
return from the parama padam, once a person reach that highest state.
Uttishtata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata:
ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya durgam pathastat kavayo vadanti…14
Get up, wake up (from the sleep of moha or desire), be vigilant, get
enlightened guided by best of masters. The sun of knowledge has risen, Sun
is telling suprabhatam to every one.
svapnantam jagaritantam cobhau yenanupasyati:
mahantam vibhumatmanam matva dhire na socati...4
Whatever a person sees in his dreams waking state and sleep is due to the
atma. A person who realizes the truth that it is none but the atma which
sees in svapna, jagratha and susupti states will become a realized person.
He then never gets engulfed in sufferings and sorrow. The atma is only the
master who rules in the three states. A person who realizes this has no
desire or worries about his wellbeing at present.
ya imam madhvadam veda atmanam jivamantikat:
isanam bhutabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate: etad vai tat...5
The jiva which holds the prana, sense organs etc is none but the svaruva of
paramatma. One who knows this gets freed from fear.[DEFINITION OF MUKTI]
END
yah purvam tapaso jatmadbhyah purvamajayata:
guham pravisya tisthantam yo bhutebhirvyapasyata : etad vai tat...6
In the beginning of creation, even before water and the other five elements
came about, the one which came from Brahman initially was hiranyagarbha. He
remains in the heart cave of all jivas and shines as jiva swarupa. The atma
is the one which sees hears and other senses too, function through the
atma.[BIRTH
THE BEGINNING] [LIFE DID NOT EXISTED IN THE MATTER BUT EXISSTED EVEN BEFORE
THE PANCHA BHUTA AND PRAKRITI IN BRAHMA SWARUPAM AS LIFE THAT IS ATMAN
WITHOUT WHICH BIRTH ISS NOT FEASIBLE AND SO SAFELY RETURNING BACK THE ATMAN
IS DEFINED MUKTI]
ya pranena sambhavatyaditirdevatamayi:
guham pravisya tisthantim ya bhutebhirvyajayata: etad vai tat 7
Like the foetus that grows hidden in the mother’s womb, like fire hidden
inside the coal, in all jiva’s mind the atma is staying hidden.
*angusthamatrah puruso* jyotirivadhumakah:
isano bhutabhavyasya sa evadya sa u svah: etad vai tat…13
The Purusa which is the size of a thumb , in the heart shines without
smoke. He is the Lord/ Isvara for the past, present and future. Once you
know this, one need not be scared. The human body changes every minute,
but the change less is purusa.
Mind (thoughts and emotions) is not atma. Body gets destroyed , it is also
not atma. Atma is apart from the body, sense organs, mind etc. It is the
Brahma swarupa.
na pranena napanena martyo jivati kascana:
itarena tu jivanti yasminnetavupasritau…5
Once the atma goes out of the body, the body becomes the corpse. The sense
organs lose strength and ebb away when atma takes leave of the body.
without atma the sense organs get weakened, the prana vayu and apana vayu
also leave a body bereft of atma’s presence.
Human birth: when virtues and vices are in balance
subhuman species- when virtues are less and sins are more
Immobile (trees plants, mountains) when sins are excessive
Good birth for persons doing good deeds, they obtain higher birth in yogis,
rich person houses, scholar houses. They increase their wisdom, do good
deeds and find ways to get mukti.
If before the fall of this human body in this birth, the person can realise
the atma, it is well and good, otherwise again one has to be born in the
different worlds and wombs for many kalpas. Hence one should obtain atma
jnana now itself in this human birth only.
Naciketa, having gained that s*cience* declared by death, and also the
whole rule of concentration, obtained brahman, and hence was without
passion and immortal. thus also any other will obtain brahman who knows in
the same manner the unchangeable soul.
If we consider our body as a charriot, the master who is sitting inside is
the atma. The charioteer is the intellect. the mind is the rein, and the
horses are the five senses. Just as the chariot when driven properly will
reach the destination, we should drive the chariot, which is the body. If
we pull the rein which is equated to the mind, properly, then the five
senses can be controlled. the chariot will be properly driven and we can
reach our destination, which is reaching the paramatma, or else we will be
embroiled in the cycle of samsara. Let us come out of our sleep of
ignorance, let us reach the known souls and hear their preaching. Just like
walking on a sharp knife the yogic path may be difficult . But we proceed
without losing heart then we are sure to get wisdom.
This should be read along with Gita and original Upanishad/ explanation by
Shankaracharya. Katha upanishad is the mother scripture, Bhagavad gita is
the child scripture, The palace called the Gita is built upon the
foundation of this Upanishad only. So the Hindu scriptures say worship thy
atman and walk through in good stead so that, one gets relieved from
rebirth.
K RAJARAM IRS 16825
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