KAṬHA UPANIṢAD
Oṁ. May He protect us both; may He profit us both. May we gain strength together; may what we learned be noble. May there be no enmity between us.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
Part I
Chapter 1
1. Long ago, wishing to be rewarded,Vājaśrasa gave away all his belongings. He had a son named Naciketā.
2. Although he was a child, faith came into him as the gifts were being carried off and he thought,
3. "These are cattle that once drank water, ate grass, and gave milk, but now cannot see. Anyone who gives these cows away goes to joyless worlds."
4. Then he said to his father, “To whom will you give me?” He asked again a second and a third time until his father said, “I will give you to Death.”
5. (Naciketā thought) I am the first among many and in the middle among others, so what is to be accomplished by giving me to Death?
6. Bearing in mind the state of his forefathers and also considering the state of all the rest. Like corn a man ripens and dies, and like corn he is born again.
7. Like a fire in the house, a Brahmin guest should be attended to, so Death, bring him water.
8. Sons and cattle, along with any expectation of reward from charitable work, sacrifice, and association with the pure are lost to the fool who leaves a Brahmin guest in his home without food.
9. (Death said) Dear Brahmin, I salute you. Although a revered guest, you have stayed in my house for three nights without food. In return, choose three wishes so that all will be well between us.
10. (Naciketā said) Do not let my father, Gautama, be angry with me. Pacify his thoughts and ease his mind about me. Let him recognize and talk to me when I am released by you. This is the first of my three wishes.
11. (Death said) When you are freed by me, your father Auddāliki, the son of Aruṇa, will know you as before. Seeing you liberated from the grip of death, he will be free from anger and sleep blissfully at night.
12. (Naciketā said) In the heavenly realm there is no fear whatsoever. You are not there and old age scares no one. Having transcended both hunger and thirst, and overcome sorrow, one rejoices in heaven.
13. Death, you know that fire that leads to heaven. Describe it to me, because I have full faith that such worship leads to everlasting heaven. This is my second wish.
14. (Death said) I will describe it to you so that you will understand completely, Naciketā. Knowing the fire that leads to heaven one attains endless worlds, which it also supports. Know that this knowledge is kept in a secret place (in the hearts of the wise).
15. Then Death described the fire that preceded the world. What type and how many bricks to use (for the altar) and how to light the fire. And he had Naciketā repeat it, exactly as it was taught. Death was satisfied and spoke.
16. Being pleased Death said to Naciketā, I will give you another gift; this fire will now bear your name. You may also have this assorted necklace.
Comment: In his commentary, Śaṅkara states that the necklace is the knowledge of the prescribed rites. It is assorted because it leads to various results.
17. By burning three Naciketā fires, uniting with the three sources of knowledge, and performing the three prescribed duties one overcomes birth and death. Knowing that all is born of Brahman, the All-knowing, Divine, and Praiseworthy, and realizing That, one attains absolute peace.
Comment: The three sources of knowledge are father, mother, and teacher or direct perception, inference, and scripture. The three duties are sacrifice, study, and charity. This verse distinguishes the two paths of the Vedas: action and knowledge (realization). With the first, one transcends birth and death, and with the second one attains infinite peace.
18. Knowing this, one who lights the three Naciketā fires, that wise one accomplishes the goal of the Naciketā sacrifice. He casts off the bond of death, even before dying, crossing over sorrow and rejoicing in heaven.
19. Naciketā, this is your fire that leads to heaven, which you requested with your second wish. When people speak of this fire they will use your name. Now, Naciketā, choose your third gift.
20. (Naciketā said) A doubt arises about This (the Self) in one who is dead. Some say It exists and others say It does not. I would like to know of This from you. That is my third wish.
21. (Death said) Since this Self is subtle in nature and not easily understood, even the gods, long ago, had this doubt. Naciketā, do not press me so much about this, choose another wish and let this one go.
22. (Naciketā said) We have heard that even the gods had doubts about this Self and now you say that It is not easily understood. But there is no one better than Death who can speak of This and there is no gift, whatsoever, equal to this one.
23. (Death said) Ask for children and grandchildren who will live a hundred years. Ask for heads of cattle, elephants, gold, horses, and vast tracks of land. And for yourself, choose to live for as many years as you would like.
24. Or if you think of something equivalent to that, choose it. Wish for wealth and long live, or you may rule over this great earth, Naciketā. I can make you the enjoyer of whatever you desire.
25. Whatever is desired in the world, all those pleasures that are hard to get, just choose them as you please. Heavenly nymphs with chariots and musical instruments not had by mortal men, Naciketā, but I will give them to you and they will serve you. Just stop asking about death.
26. (Naciketā said) Death, those things you offer will be gone tomorrow, they only wear out one’s vigor and organs, and all life is certainly short. So keep the chariots; keep the singing and dancing.
27. Men are not satisfied with wealth. Should we obtain wealth now, having seen you? The favor I chose was the only one worth choosing.
28. Having approached the ageless immortals and knowing that life below, on earth, leads to old age and death, what joy is there in a long life of delighting in music and sex, while contemplating on how fleeting they are?
29. Death, tell us of this Self that many doubt, of the great afterlife, and of that knowledge which enters into a secret place. Naciketā asks for nothing else.
2. Although he was a child, faith came into him as the gifts were being carried off and he thought,
3. "These are cattle that once drank water, ate grass, and gave milk, but now cannot see. Anyone who gives these cows away goes to joyless worlds."
4. Then he said to his father, “To whom will you give me?” He asked again a second and a third time until his father said, “I will give you to Death.”
5. (Naciketā thought) I am the first among many and in the middle among others, so what is to be accomplished by giving me to Death?
6. Bearing in mind the state of his forefathers and also considering the state of all the rest. Like corn a man ripens and dies, and like corn he is born again.
7. Like a fire in the house, a Brahmin guest should be attended to, so Death, bring him water.
8. Sons and cattle, along with any expectation of reward from charitable work, sacrifice, and association with the pure are lost to the fool who leaves a Brahmin guest in his home without food.
9. (Death said) Dear Brahmin, I salute you. Although a revered guest, you have stayed in my house for three nights without food. In return, choose three wishes so that all will be well between us.
10. (Naciketā said) Do not let my father, Gautama, be angry with me. Pacify his thoughts and ease his mind about me. Let him recognize and talk to me when I am released by you. This is the first of my three wishes.
11. (Death said) When you are freed by me, your father Auddāliki, the son of Aruṇa, will know you as before. Seeing you liberated from the grip of death, he will be free from anger and sleep blissfully at night.
12. (Naciketā said) In the heavenly realm there is no fear whatsoever. You are not there and old age scares no one. Having transcended both hunger and thirst, and overcome sorrow, one rejoices in heaven.
13. Death, you know that fire that leads to heaven. Describe it to me, because I have full faith that such worship leads to everlasting heaven. This is my second wish.
14. (Death said) I will describe it to you so that you will understand completely, Naciketā. Knowing the fire that leads to heaven one attains endless worlds, which it also supports. Know that this knowledge is kept in a secret place (in the hearts of the wise).
15. Then Death described the fire that preceded the world. What type and how many bricks to use (for the altar) and how to light the fire. And he had Naciketā repeat it, exactly as it was taught. Death was satisfied and spoke.
16. Being pleased Death said to Naciketā, I will give you another gift; this fire will now bear your name. You may also have this assorted necklace.
Comment: In his commentary, Śaṅkara states that the necklace is the knowledge of the prescribed rites. It is assorted because it leads to various results.
17. By burning three Naciketā fires, uniting with the three sources of knowledge, and performing the three prescribed duties one overcomes birth and death. Knowing that all is born of Brahman, the All-knowing, Divine, and Praiseworthy, and realizing That, one attains absolute peace.
Comment: The three sources of knowledge are father, mother, and teacher or direct perception, inference, and scripture. The three duties are sacrifice, study, and charity. This verse distinguishes the two paths of the Vedas: action and knowledge (realization). With the first, one transcends birth and death, and with the second one attains infinite peace.
18. Knowing this, one who lights the three Naciketā fires, that wise one accomplishes the goal of the Naciketā sacrifice. He casts off the bond of death, even before dying, crossing over sorrow and rejoicing in heaven.
19. Naciketā, this is your fire that leads to heaven, which you requested with your second wish. When people speak of this fire they will use your name. Now, Naciketā, choose your third gift.
20. (Naciketā said) A doubt arises about This (the Self) in one who is dead. Some say It exists and others say It does not. I would like to know of This from you. That is my third wish.
21. (Death said) Since this Self is subtle in nature and not easily understood, even the gods, long ago, had this doubt. Naciketā, do not press me so much about this, choose another wish and let this one go.
22. (Naciketā said) We have heard that even the gods had doubts about this Self and now you say that It is not easily understood. But there is no one better than Death who can speak of This and there is no gift, whatsoever, equal to this one.
23. (Death said) Ask for children and grandchildren who will live a hundred years. Ask for heads of cattle, elephants, gold, horses, and vast tracks of land. And for yourself, choose to live for as many years as you would like.
24. Or if you think of something equivalent to that, choose it. Wish for wealth and long live, or you may rule over this great earth, Naciketā. I can make you the enjoyer of whatever you desire.
25. Whatever is desired in the world, all those pleasures that are hard to get, just choose them as you please. Heavenly nymphs with chariots and musical instruments not had by mortal men, Naciketā, but I will give them to you and they will serve you. Just stop asking about death.
26. (Naciketā said) Death, those things you offer will be gone tomorrow, they only wear out one’s vigor and organs, and all life is certainly short. So keep the chariots; keep the singing and dancing.
27. Men are not satisfied with wealth. Should we obtain wealth now, having seen you? The favor I chose was the only one worth choosing.
28. Having approached the ageless immortals and knowing that life below, on earth, leads to old age and death, what joy is there in a long life of delighting in music and sex, while contemplating on how fleeting they are?
29. Death, tell us of this Self that many doubt, of the great afterlife, and of that knowledge which enters into a secret place. Naciketā asks for nothing else.
Chapter 2
1. (Death said) The good is one thing, the pleasurable is something completely different. The two serve a different purpose, but both bind a man. Of the two, the one who chooses the good attains excellence.
2. The good and the pleasurable come to men. The intelligent investigates, then distinguishes between the two. The wise choose the good over the pleasurable, but fools choose the pleasurable for material gain.
3. Naciketā, after considering the gift of dear sons, beautiful women, and desirable objects you rejected all of that. You have not chosen the path of greed, which has drowned so many men.
4. The paths of knowledge and ignorance are far apart. Naciketā, because you do not crave for all those desirable things, I believe that you desire knowledge.
5. But the greedy live in illusion, thinking themselves intelligent and well read, going around in circles, following different paths, like the blind leading the blind.
6. The afterlife is not revealed to the bewildered child. Deluded by greed, the fool thinks there is nothing beyond this world; again and again he comes under my control.
7. Even hearing of That is unattainable to many and of the those who hear, most do not understand. Wonderful is the proficient teacher and extraordinary is the recipient who understands when skillfully taught.
Comment: Few even have the opportunity to hear of the Supreme Self. And of those, few will realize That Reality. So, praise is given to both the teacher who is adept at teaching the Truth and the student who takes those instructions and realizes their True Nature.
8. This Self, when taught by an inferior person, is not easily understood. The Self is inconceivable, the most subtle of the subtle, and thought of in different ways. After being taught of the Non-dual Reality, there is nothing else here to know.
Comment: The Supreme Reality cannot be perceived by the senses, nor can It be comprehended by the mind. Therefore, one should find a teacher who has realized this Reality first hand. When such a “non-different” teacher instructs one of the unity of the Supreme Brahman and the Self, all confusion comes to an end. And when one realizes this unity for themselves, they have attained the goal of life and there is nothing left in this world that they need to know.
9. My dear Naciketā, this knowledge is not attained by argument. The right understanding, which you have, only comes when taught by another means. You have true resolve; to us, the debater should be like you.
10. I know what is called “treasure” is impermanent. Since the permanent cannot be obtained from the impermanent, I built the Naciketā fire from impermanent things, then achieved the “everlasting.”
Comment: The “treasure” referred to in this verse is the reward from sacrifice and other ritual acts. While this reward, namely heaven, is described in the scriptures as everlasting, the Upaniṣad teaches that the permanent Brahman cannot be achieved by sacrificing impermanent objects. So one must interpret the scriptural description of an everlasting heaven to mean lasting a very long time. That is, “everlasting” relative to life on Earth.
11. Having seen the acquisition of desires from boundless sacrifice; the other shore, free from fear; the often sung about abode, praiseworthy and great; Naciketā, being wise and determined, you have renounced all that.
12. He (Brahman) is hidden and hard to perceive, having entered into a secret place: the cave of the heart. Meditating on that Ancient Deity, the wise attain unity with that Supreme Self and leave pleasure and pain behind.
13. After hearing and fully grasping this teaching, separating and attaining this Subtle Essence (the Self), and obtaining the Delightful (Brahman) that person rejoices. Naciketā, I believe you are fit to discover that abode.
14. Naciketā said: Please tell me of what you see as other than righteousness and sin, as other than cause and effect, and as other than past and future.
15. (Death said) I will tell you that word which all the Vedas and austerities proclaim, that which they say those who follow the life of a spiritual student (brahmacarya) wish for. In essence, that word is Oṁ.
16. Surely this word is Brahman; surely this word is Supreme. Whoever knows this word, gets what he desires.
17. It is the best support. It is the highest support. Whoever knows this support is honored in the world of Brahman.
18. The conscious Self is not born, nor does It die. It is not from anywhere and nothing comes from It. Birthless, deathless, eternal, and ancient; It is not killed when the body dies.
19. If the murderer thinks he kills and if the murdered thinks he has been slain, both do not understand. This Self does not kill, nor is It slain.
20. Seated in the hearts of the living, this Self is smaller than the small and greater than the great. Calming the sense organs, one who is free of desire and sorrow, sees the glories of that Self.
21. While sitting, it goes far; while sleeping, it goes everywhere. Who, besides me, is able to know that deity that is both joyous and dispassionate?
22. Bodiless in bodies and permanent in the impermanent; knowing the great, all-pervasive Self, the wise do not grieve.
23. This Self is not attained through dogmatic doctrine, nor through mental power, nor through a lot of learning. This Self is only attained by whom It chooses; to that one, this Self reveals Its true nature.
24. This Self is attained by realization, but not by the one who continues in sinful actions, nor by the one without control, nor by the one without concentration, and not by the one with an agitated mind.
25. Who knows where that Really is? That to which priests and soldiers become food and to which death is a mere seasoning.
2. The good and the pleasurable come to men. The intelligent investigates, then distinguishes between the two. The wise choose the good over the pleasurable, but fools choose the pleasurable for material gain.
3. Naciketā, after considering the gift of dear sons, beautiful women, and desirable objects you rejected all of that. You have not chosen the path of greed, which has drowned so many men.
4. The paths of knowledge and ignorance are far apart. Naciketā, because you do not crave for all those desirable things, I believe that you desire knowledge.
5. But the greedy live in illusion, thinking themselves intelligent and well read, going around in circles, following different paths, like the blind leading the blind.
6. The afterlife is not revealed to the bewildered child. Deluded by greed, the fool thinks there is nothing beyond this world; again and again he comes under my control.
7. Even hearing of That is unattainable to many and of the those who hear, most do not understand. Wonderful is the proficient teacher and extraordinary is the recipient who understands when skillfully taught.
Comment: Few even have the opportunity to hear of the Supreme Self. And of those, few will realize That Reality. So, praise is given to both the teacher who is adept at teaching the Truth and the student who takes those instructions and realizes their True Nature.
8. This Self, when taught by an inferior person, is not easily understood. The Self is inconceivable, the most subtle of the subtle, and thought of in different ways. After being taught of the Non-dual Reality, there is nothing else here to know.
Comment: The Supreme Reality cannot be perceived by the senses, nor can It be comprehended by the mind. Therefore, one should find a teacher who has realized this Reality first hand. When such a “non-different” teacher instructs one of the unity of the Supreme Brahman and the Self, all confusion comes to an end. And when one realizes this unity for themselves, they have attained the goal of life and there is nothing left in this world that they need to know.
9. My dear Naciketā, this knowledge is not attained by argument. The right understanding, which you have, only comes when taught by another means. You have true resolve; to us, the debater should be like you.
10. I know what is called “treasure” is impermanent. Since the permanent cannot be obtained from the impermanent, I built the Naciketā fire from impermanent things, then achieved the “everlasting.”
Comment: The “treasure” referred to in this verse is the reward from sacrifice and other ritual acts. While this reward, namely heaven, is described in the scriptures as everlasting, the Upaniṣad teaches that the permanent Brahman cannot be achieved by sacrificing impermanent objects. So one must interpret the scriptural description of an everlasting heaven to mean lasting a very long time. That is, “everlasting” relative to life on Earth.
11. Having seen the acquisition of desires from boundless sacrifice; the other shore, free from fear; the often sung about abode, praiseworthy and great; Naciketā, being wise and determined, you have renounced all that.
12. He (Brahman) is hidden and hard to perceive, having entered into a secret place: the cave of the heart. Meditating on that Ancient Deity, the wise attain unity with that Supreme Self and leave pleasure and pain behind.
13. After hearing and fully grasping this teaching, separating and attaining this Subtle Essence (the Self), and obtaining the Delightful (Brahman) that person rejoices. Naciketā, I believe you are fit to discover that abode.
14. Naciketā said: Please tell me of what you see as other than righteousness and sin, as other than cause and effect, and as other than past and future.
15. (Death said) I will tell you that word which all the Vedas and austerities proclaim, that which they say those who follow the life of a spiritual student (brahmacarya) wish for. In essence, that word is Oṁ.
16. Surely this word is Brahman; surely this word is Supreme. Whoever knows this word, gets what he desires.
17. It is the best support. It is the highest support. Whoever knows this support is honored in the world of Brahman.
18. The conscious Self is not born, nor does It die. It is not from anywhere and nothing comes from It. Birthless, deathless, eternal, and ancient; It is not killed when the body dies.
19. If the murderer thinks he kills and if the murdered thinks he has been slain, both do not understand. This Self does not kill, nor is It slain.
20. Seated in the hearts of the living, this Self is smaller than the small and greater than the great. Calming the sense organs, one who is free of desire and sorrow, sees the glories of that Self.
21. While sitting, it goes far; while sleeping, it goes everywhere. Who, besides me, is able to know that deity that is both joyous and dispassionate?
22. Bodiless in bodies and permanent in the impermanent; knowing the great, all-pervasive Self, the wise do not grieve.
23. This Self is not attained through dogmatic doctrine, nor through mental power, nor through a lot of learning. This Self is only attained by whom It chooses; to that one, this Self reveals Its true nature.
24. This Self is attained by realization, but not by the one who continues in sinful actions, nor by the one without control, nor by the one without concentration, and not by the one with an agitated mind.
25. Who knows where that Really is? That to which priests and soldiers become food and to which death is a mere seasoning.
Chapter 3
1. Two drink the just rewards of their good works; both entered into the cave of the heart, the highest abode of the Supreme. Those who know Brahman say they are like shade and sunlight; so too, do those who light the five fires (householders) and the three Naciketā sacrifices.
Comment: The two drinkers are the individual person, the jīva, and the witnessing awareness, the Self. The jīva enjoys and suffers the consequences of his actions, while the Self observes. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad III. 1.1 uses the analogy of two birds in the same tree. One eats the fruit, while the other looks on. This continues until the jīva realizes that he is not really a separate person, but the Self that is one with Brahman.
2. We should be able to light the Naciketā fire, which is a bridge to the performers of sacrifice who want to cross over into the fearless beyond, the Supreme, Imperishable Brahman.
3. Know the Self as the chariot rider and the body as the chariot. The intellect is the driver and the mind is, clearly, the reins.
4. They call the sense organs the horses and the sense objects the roads on which they run. The wise call the Self, united with the senses and the mind, “the enjoyer.”
5. The ignorant, whose mind is always undisciplined, has uncontrolled sense organs, like a chariot driver with vicious horses.
6. But the wise, whose mind is always disciplined, has controlled sense organs, like the chariot driver with dependable horses.
7. The ignorant, who is always unmindful and impure, does not attain that supreme abode, but falls into transmigratory existence (saṁsāra).
8. But the wise, who is always mindful and pure, he attains that abode from which one is never born again.
9. That man who has a discriminating intellect as his chariot driver, who controls the reins of the mind, he reaches the goal of the path, that supreme abode of God.
10. Surely, sense objects are above the senses and the mind is above sense objects. The intellect is above the mind and, above the intellect is the Great Soul (Mahat).
11. The non-manifest is above Mahat and above the non-manifest is Puruṣaḥ (the Self). Nothing is above Puruṣaḥ; That is the supreme destination.
Comment: Verses 10 and 11 refer to the tattvas or fundamental elements that make up the cosmos and the individual. The tattvas explain how the universe and individual devolved from Puruṣaḥ They are listed here in terms of priority, the more subtle tattva is said to be above or superior to the grosser tattva.
Puruṣaḥ is the Self, pure consciousness. From Puruṣaḥ comes non-manifest matter, prakṛti and from prakṛti comes Mahat. (Mahat and Buddhi (intellect) are considered the same tattva, but here a distinction is made between the macro intellect (Mahat) and the micro intellect (Buddhi).) From the intellect comes the ego, from the ego comes the mind, and from mind comes the tanmatras, the subtle essences of the sense objects. From the tanmatras come the senses and from the senses, the gross elements.
12. This Self, hidden in every being, is not apparent, but is seen by seers of the subtle through one-pointed concentration and a fine intellect.
13. The wise should fix his speech in the mind and that mind into the intellect (the understanding mind). Then, he should establish his intellect into Mahat and that (Mahat) into the Peaceful Self.
Comment: This is the Yoga practice of contemplating on the tattvas merging into each other, from gross to subtle, up to the Self. Here, “speech” means the karmendriyas (the powers of speech, handling, locomotion, procreation, and elimination). One can also start with the gross elements of the body (see Vijñāna Bhairava 54).
14. Stand up! Wake up! Approach the great and learn. The path is like a sharpened razor’s edge: difficult and hard to cross. That is what the sages tell us.
15. Realizing That, which is without sound, touch, form, taste, and smell; which is ageless, unchanging, and permanent; which is without beginning or end; and which is above Mahat one is released from the jaws of death.
16. That wise person who hears and relates this everlasting account of Naciketā, as told by Death, is elevated in the world of Brahman.
17. Whoever is self-controlled and who relays this highest, secret teaching to an assembly of Brahmins or at the time of a funeral, becomes fit for immortality.
Comment: The two drinkers are the individual person, the jīva, and the witnessing awareness, the Self. The jīva enjoys and suffers the consequences of his actions, while the Self observes. Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad III. 1.1 uses the analogy of two birds in the same tree. One eats the fruit, while the other looks on. This continues until the jīva realizes that he is not really a separate person, but the Self that is one with Brahman.
2. We should be able to light the Naciketā fire, which is a bridge to the performers of sacrifice who want to cross over into the fearless beyond, the Supreme, Imperishable Brahman.
3. Know the Self as the chariot rider and the body as the chariot. The intellect is the driver and the mind is, clearly, the reins.
4. They call the sense organs the horses and the sense objects the roads on which they run. The wise call the Self, united with the senses and the mind, “the enjoyer.”
5. The ignorant, whose mind is always undisciplined, has uncontrolled sense organs, like a chariot driver with vicious horses.
6. But the wise, whose mind is always disciplined, has controlled sense organs, like the chariot driver with dependable horses.
7. The ignorant, who is always unmindful and impure, does not attain that supreme abode, but falls into transmigratory existence (saṁsāra).
8. But the wise, who is always mindful and pure, he attains that abode from which one is never born again.
9. That man who has a discriminating intellect as his chariot driver, who controls the reins of the mind, he reaches the goal of the path, that supreme abode of God.
10. Surely, sense objects are above the senses and the mind is above sense objects. The intellect is above the mind and, above the intellect is the Great Soul (Mahat).
11. The non-manifest is above Mahat and above the non-manifest is Puruṣaḥ (the Self). Nothing is above Puruṣaḥ; That is the supreme destination.
Comment: Verses 10 and 11 refer to the tattvas or fundamental elements that make up the cosmos and the individual. The tattvas explain how the universe and individual devolved from Puruṣaḥ They are listed here in terms of priority, the more subtle tattva is said to be above or superior to the grosser tattva.
Puruṣaḥ is the Self, pure consciousness. From Puruṣaḥ comes non-manifest matter, prakṛti and from prakṛti comes Mahat. (Mahat and Buddhi (intellect) are considered the same tattva, but here a distinction is made between the macro intellect (Mahat) and the micro intellect (Buddhi).) From the intellect comes the ego, from the ego comes the mind, and from mind comes the tanmatras, the subtle essences of the sense objects. From the tanmatras come the senses and from the senses, the gross elements.
12. This Self, hidden in every being, is not apparent, but is seen by seers of the subtle through one-pointed concentration and a fine intellect.
13. The wise should fix his speech in the mind and that mind into the intellect (the understanding mind). Then, he should establish his intellect into Mahat and that (Mahat) into the Peaceful Self.
Comment: This is the Yoga practice of contemplating on the tattvas merging into each other, from gross to subtle, up to the Self. Here, “speech” means the karmendriyas (the powers of speech, handling, locomotion, procreation, and elimination). One can also start with the gross elements of the body (see Vijñāna Bhairava 54).
14. Stand up! Wake up! Approach the great and learn. The path is like a sharpened razor’s edge: difficult and hard to cross. That is what the sages tell us.
15. Realizing That, which is without sound, touch, form, taste, and smell; which is ageless, unchanging, and permanent; which is without beginning or end; and which is above Mahat one is released from the jaws of death.
16. That wise person who hears and relates this everlasting account of Naciketā, as told by Death, is elevated in the world of Brahman.
17. Whoever is self-controlled and who relays this highest, secret teaching to an assembly of Brahmins or at the time of a funeral, becomes fit for immortality.
Part II
Chapter 1
1. The Self-Existent God wounded the sense organs with an outgoing nature; therefore, one sees external objects and not the Inner Self. Desiring immortality, the wise reverses his vision to see the Self within.
2. The immature follow their craving for external objects and enter the trap of pervasive death. Therefore the wise, knowing the immortal Self, the permanent in the impermanent, want nothing else here.
3. It is only through this Self that one knows form, taste, smell, sound, touch, and pleasure. What is left here to know? This, surely, is That.
4. That by which the contents of both dream and wakefulness are perceived; knowing that Great, All-pervasive Self, the wise do not grieve.
5. One who knows this individual soul, the fruit-eater, is the proximate Self, the Lord of past and future, after that, he does not hide. This, surely, is That.
Comment: The individual soul, the jīva, is called the fruit-eater, because it enjoys (or suffers) the fruits or rewards of its actions. When one realizes that this jīva, the aggregate of body, mind, and life-force is not one’s true identity and that one is really the ever-present Self, then they do not want to hide that True Self, nor do they have anything to fear.
6. He truly sees who knows that first-born, who was born from heat, before water, and who entered the cave of the heart, remaining there with the elements. This, surely, is That.
7. That which arises by life-force, the unlimited, encompassing all the deities, and who entered into the cave of the heart, remaining there with the elements. This, surely, is That.
Comment: According to Śaṅkara, these two verses refer to Hiraṇyagarbha, the first born; born from heat and prāṇa, meaning born from consciousness and life, i.e., Brahman.
8. Like a well-protected embryo in its mother’s womb, fire is lodged in the two fire-sticks. Daily, that fire is glorified with offerings by vigilant people. This, surely, is That.
9. From where the sun rises and where it sets, That is what all the gods are fixed upon. And it is That, which no one transcends. This, surely, is That.
10. Certainly, That which is here is there and That beyond is here as well. Whoever sees difference in This, goes from death to death.
11. This is attained only with the mind and there is no diversity in It whatsoever. Whoever sees difference in This, goes from death to death.
Comment: Verses 10-11 summarize the teaching of this chapter: that the Divine Self, Hiraṇyagarbha, and Brahman are one and whoever fails to realize that Reality (which is realized only with a pure mind) continues in transmigratory existence.
12. Puruṣaḥ, the Self, the size of a thumb, seated in the middle of the body, is the Lord of past and future. Knowing That, one does not hide. This, surely, is That.
13. Puruṣaḥ, the size of a thumb, is like smokeless light. Lord of the past and future, He alone, is now and in the future. This, surely, is That.
14. As water flowing on steep mountains gets dispersed in different directions, so too is the person who sees separate selves and runs after them.
15. Gautama, as pure water poured into pure water is clearly the same, so too is the realized sage the same as the Self.
Comment: The realized person does not become the Self, but awakens to the fact that they are and have always been the Supreme Brahman, which is within and outside of all things.
2. The immature follow their craving for external objects and enter the trap of pervasive death. Therefore the wise, knowing the immortal Self, the permanent in the impermanent, want nothing else here.
3. It is only through this Self that one knows form, taste, smell, sound, touch, and pleasure. What is left here to know? This, surely, is That.
4. That by which the contents of both dream and wakefulness are perceived; knowing that Great, All-pervasive Self, the wise do not grieve.
5. One who knows this individual soul, the fruit-eater, is the proximate Self, the Lord of past and future, after that, he does not hide. This, surely, is That.
Comment: The individual soul, the jīva, is called the fruit-eater, because it enjoys (or suffers) the fruits or rewards of its actions. When one realizes that this jīva, the aggregate of body, mind, and life-force is not one’s true identity and that one is really the ever-present Self, then they do not want to hide that True Self, nor do they have anything to fear.
6. He truly sees who knows that first-born, who was born from heat, before water, and who entered the cave of the heart, remaining there with the elements. This, surely, is That.
7. That which arises by life-force, the unlimited, encompassing all the deities, and who entered into the cave of the heart, remaining there with the elements. This, surely, is That.
Comment: According to Śaṅkara, these two verses refer to Hiraṇyagarbha, the first born; born from heat and prāṇa, meaning born from consciousness and life, i.e., Brahman.
8. Like a well-protected embryo in its mother’s womb, fire is lodged in the two fire-sticks. Daily, that fire is glorified with offerings by vigilant people. This, surely, is That.
9. From where the sun rises and where it sets, That is what all the gods are fixed upon. And it is That, which no one transcends. This, surely, is That.
10. Certainly, That which is here is there and That beyond is here as well. Whoever sees difference in This, goes from death to death.
11. This is attained only with the mind and there is no diversity in It whatsoever. Whoever sees difference in This, goes from death to death.
Comment: Verses 10-11 summarize the teaching of this chapter: that the Divine Self, Hiraṇyagarbha, and Brahman are one and whoever fails to realize that Reality (which is realized only with a pure mind) continues in transmigratory existence.
12. Puruṣaḥ, the Self, the size of a thumb, seated in the middle of the body, is the Lord of past and future. Knowing That, one does not hide. This, surely, is That.
13. Puruṣaḥ, the size of a thumb, is like smokeless light. Lord of the past and future, He alone, is now and in the future. This, surely, is That.
14. As water flowing on steep mountains gets dispersed in different directions, so too is the person who sees separate selves and runs after them.
15. Gautama, as pure water poured into pure water is clearly the same, so too is the realized sage the same as the Self.
Comment: The realized person does not become the Self, but awakens to the fact that they are and have always been the Supreme Brahman, which is within and outside of all things.
Chapter 2
1. In the city of eleven gates is the Unborn with unwavering consciousness. By performing meditation on That, one does not grieve and, becoming liberated, is freed from death. This, surely, is That.
Comment: The city with eleven gates is the body. The “gates” are the seven orifices plus the two eyes, the navel and the crown of the head.
2. As the sun, He dwells in heaven; as air, He dwells in space; as the sacrificial fire, He dwells in the altar; and as the guest, He dwells in the house. He resides in men, in gods, in sacrifice, and in the sky. He is earth-born, truth-born, and born in the mountains. He is sacred and vast.
3. Worshipped by all the deities, He leads exhalation (prāṇa) upward and drives inhalation (apāna) down. Minute, He sits in the center (of the heart).
4. When the embodied Self is detached and liberated from the body, what then is left here? This, surely, is That.
5. Mortal beings do not live by prāṇa and apāna, but by another. They live by That on which those two depend.
6. Now, Gautama, I will tell you the secret of the Everlasting Brahman and what happens to the soul after death.
7. Some souls fall into wombs to be embodied again, while others become one with the inanimate, according to their deeds and how they have learned.
Comment: That is, souls are reborn again in animate and inanimate life-forms according to their actions and the understanding that they have acquired in their previous lives. It is an evolutionary process leading to realization and liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
8. It is that Puruṣaḥ, who is watchful while asleep, forming desired objects (in dreams). That is pure, That is Brahman, and That is called immortal. It is That, which supports all the worlds and That, which no one transcends. This, surely, is That.
9. As fire, though one, comes into this world in many forms corresponding to the nature of its fuel, so too does the Self in all beings, though one, take different forms corresponding to their nature; but, this is only on the outside.
10. As air, though one, comes into the world in many forms corresponding to the nature of those forms, so too does the Self in all beings, though one, take different forms corresponding to their nature; but, this is only on the outside.
11. As the sun, the eye of the entire world, is not fouled by the vision of external impurity, so too is the One Self in all beings not tainted by the world’s external troubles.
Comment: The sun is called “the eye of the world,” because its light illumines everything it shines upon. And just as the sun is not stained when its light illuminates impure things, the Self in all beings is not tainted by the sins and sufferings of those beings. This is because True Self, Brahman is transcendental and not the actor; it is the body, mind, and senses that act. In a dream, the dream body acts in accordance with the dream environment, while the physical body does nothing. Similarly, the material body acts in the world, while the Self remains inactive. It is mistaking non-self for Self that causes one to believe that they are the actor and it is that illusion that causes one to suffer the consequences of those actions.
12. The One Ruler, the Self in all beings, though one essence, creates the multi-formed universe. The wise, who discover that Self seated within, experience everlasting bliss, but not the unrealized.
13. It is the Eternal among the perishable, Consciousness among the conscious, the One among the many Who grants desires. The wise, who discover that Self seated within, experience everlasting peace, but not the unrealized.
14. They realize that highest, indescribable bliss as this Self. But how will I know That? Does It shine or does It come to light?
15. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars. Lightning does not shine there either, so how can this fire? It, alone, shines. It illuminates all. From Its light, all this comes to light.
Comment: The question in verse 14 is this: Is the Self evident or does It have to be made to appear? Verse 15 answers that, without the Self, the sun, moon, stars, etc. do not appear. It is the Self that illuminates everything. It is the Light of Consciousness that lights all and without that light, nothing exists.
Comment: The city with eleven gates is the body. The “gates” are the seven orifices plus the two eyes, the navel and the crown of the head.
2. As the sun, He dwells in heaven; as air, He dwells in space; as the sacrificial fire, He dwells in the altar; and as the guest, He dwells in the house. He resides in men, in gods, in sacrifice, and in the sky. He is earth-born, truth-born, and born in the mountains. He is sacred and vast.
3. Worshipped by all the deities, He leads exhalation (prāṇa) upward and drives inhalation (apāna) down. Minute, He sits in the center (of the heart).
4. When the embodied Self is detached and liberated from the body, what then is left here? This, surely, is That.
5. Mortal beings do not live by prāṇa and apāna, but by another. They live by That on which those two depend.
6. Now, Gautama, I will tell you the secret of the Everlasting Brahman and what happens to the soul after death.
7. Some souls fall into wombs to be embodied again, while others become one with the inanimate, according to their deeds and how they have learned.
Comment: That is, souls are reborn again in animate and inanimate life-forms according to their actions and the understanding that they have acquired in their previous lives. It is an evolutionary process leading to realization and liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
8. It is that Puruṣaḥ, who is watchful while asleep, forming desired objects (in dreams). That is pure, That is Brahman, and That is called immortal. It is That, which supports all the worlds and That, which no one transcends. This, surely, is That.
9. As fire, though one, comes into this world in many forms corresponding to the nature of its fuel, so too does the Self in all beings, though one, take different forms corresponding to their nature; but, this is only on the outside.
10. As air, though one, comes into the world in many forms corresponding to the nature of those forms, so too does the Self in all beings, though one, take different forms corresponding to their nature; but, this is only on the outside.
11. As the sun, the eye of the entire world, is not fouled by the vision of external impurity, so too is the One Self in all beings not tainted by the world’s external troubles.
Comment: The sun is called “the eye of the world,” because its light illumines everything it shines upon. And just as the sun is not stained when its light illuminates impure things, the Self in all beings is not tainted by the sins and sufferings of those beings. This is because True Self, Brahman is transcendental and not the actor; it is the body, mind, and senses that act. In a dream, the dream body acts in accordance with the dream environment, while the physical body does nothing. Similarly, the material body acts in the world, while the Self remains inactive. It is mistaking non-self for Self that causes one to believe that they are the actor and it is that illusion that causes one to suffer the consequences of those actions.
12. The One Ruler, the Self in all beings, though one essence, creates the multi-formed universe. The wise, who discover that Self seated within, experience everlasting bliss, but not the unrealized.
13. It is the Eternal among the perishable, Consciousness among the conscious, the One among the many Who grants desires. The wise, who discover that Self seated within, experience everlasting peace, but not the unrealized.
14. They realize that highest, indescribable bliss as this Self. But how will I know That? Does It shine or does It come to light?
15. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars. Lightning does not shine there either, so how can this fire? It, alone, shines. It illuminates all. From Its light, all this comes to light.
Comment: The question in verse 14 is this: Is the Self evident or does It have to be made to appear? Verse 15 answers that, without the Self, the sun, moon, stars, etc. do not appear. It is the Self that illuminates everything. It is the Light of Consciousness that lights all and without that light, nothing exists.
Chapter 3
1. This eternal Aśvattha (Peepul) tree has roots above and branches below. It is pure; it is Brahman; and it alone is called immortal. It is That which supports all the worlds and That which no one transcends. This, surely, is That.
Comment: Here the universe is compared to a Peepul tree, which has roots growing above its branches, a metaphor for its being created and nourished from above.
2. Whatever moves in this entire universe emerged from Prāṇa, which is a great terror, like a raised weapon. Whoever knows That becomes immortal.
Comment: Here Brahman is called “Prāṇa” because He is the source and sustainer of all life.
3. From fear of That fire burns. From fear the sun shines. From fear Indra, Air, and Death, the fifth, flee.
Comment: In verses 2-3 Brahman is being spoken of as the Absolute Ruler. He is feared due to His being All-powerful.
4. Unless one realizes that Brahman here, before the destruction of the body, he is ordained to be embodied in the worlds of creation.
5. As one looks in a mirror, so it is here in the body. As seeing in a dream, so it is in the world of the fathers. As looking in water, which is like seeing the beyond, so it is in the world of the spirits. But sight in the world of Brahmā (Brahmaloka) is like shadow and sunshine.
Comment: Here the capability of perceiving the Self in the different Vedic worlds is compared to vision in different mediums. The first is here in this world, which is compared to looking into a mirror, one sees physical form clearly. Next are the worlds of the ancestors and the spirits, which are compared to seeing in dreams and in water. In these worlds, as in the mediums, vision is indistinct, so Self realization would be difficult, if not impossible. Lastly, there is Brahmaloka (heaven), in which vision is as clear as the difference between sunshine and shade. But, Brahmaloka is considered difficult to attain, that is why the Upaniṣad advocates realizing Brahman here, in this life.
6. The origination, as well as the rising and setting of the senses is separate from the Self. Knowing That, the wise do not grieve.
7. The mind is higher than the senses and the intellect is superior to the mind. Mahat, the Great Soul, is above the intellect and the non-manifest Prakṛti is superior to Mahat.
8. But higher than the non-manifest is Puruṣaḥ, the Self, All-pervasive and free of material attributes. The person who realizes That is liberated and attains immortality.
9. This Self has no visible form, no one can see It with the eye; but, it can be known by the heart, by the intellect, and determined through meditation. Whoever realizes this Self becomes immortal.
10. When the five senses of knowledge, along with the mind and intellect, come to rest and are inactive, that is called the highest destination.
11. That constant restraint of the senses is known as Yoga. One must be very vigilant in its practice, because Yoga rises and declines.
Comment: The Self cannot be perceived with the senses, but can be realized by controlling the mind and sense organs through meditation. However, one should be alert in the practice of Yoga meditation, since the mind and senses are easily distracted, concentration will rise and fall. When this happens, one should not become discouraged, but refocus on the meditation object.
12. Clearly, Brahman is invisible, indescribable, and inconceivable; so, other than saying “It is,” how else can That be known?
13. Brahman can be known as “It is” and by It's true nature. Of the two, first know Brahman as “It is,” then It's true, transcendental nature becomes evident.
Comment: One can understand that the Supreme exists; that is, reason dictates the existence of a first cause, which is God. Once the existence of God is accepted, the practice of Yoga, outlined in verses 10-11, will lead to the realization of one’s True Self, which is identical to That.
14. When one casts off all the desires that cling to the heart, then he attains Brahman and the mortal becomes immortal here in this world.
15. When all the knots of the heart are torn apart, here, then the moral becomes immortal. This alone is the teaching.
Comment: The knots of the heart are all the things that bind the individual soul: greed, hatred, ego, etc. These are the products of misidentification of the Self with the aggregate of body-mind-senses. Overcoming these bonds and realizing one’s true nature as the Supreme Brahman is the conclusion of all the Upaniṣads.
16. There are one-hundred and one channels issuing from the heart; of these, one goes to the crown of the head. By that upward movement, one attains immortality. The other channels, going in all directions, end in death.
Comment: There are one-hundred and one nāḍis, prāṇic channels leading out from the heart. Through the practice of Yoga, life-force enters the center channel, suṣumnā and ascends to the top of the head, resulting in samādhi. Continued practice leads to Self-realization. Those who follow other paths that do not lead to Self-realization are like the other channels that go in all directions. They only lead to continued rebirth and death.
17. Puruṣaḥ, the size of a thumb, is the Self that forever abides in the hearts of men. With diligence, one should distinguish Him from the body, like the reed is separated from Muñja grass. One should know Him as pure and immortal; surely, one should know Him as pure and immortal.
18. Then, Naciketā, having attained the wisdom taught by Death and the complete practice of Yoga, became free of passion and death, and obtained unity with Brahman. This too, will be the case for anyone else who realizes the Supreme Self.
Comment: Here the universe is compared to a Peepul tree, which has roots growing above its branches, a metaphor for its being created and nourished from above.
2. Whatever moves in this entire universe emerged from Prāṇa, which is a great terror, like a raised weapon. Whoever knows That becomes immortal.
Comment: Here Brahman is called “Prāṇa” because He is the source and sustainer of all life.
3. From fear of That fire burns. From fear the sun shines. From fear Indra, Air, and Death, the fifth, flee.
Comment: In verses 2-3 Brahman is being spoken of as the Absolute Ruler. He is feared due to His being All-powerful.
4. Unless one realizes that Brahman here, before the destruction of the body, he is ordained to be embodied in the worlds of creation.
5. As one looks in a mirror, so it is here in the body. As seeing in a dream, so it is in the world of the fathers. As looking in water, which is like seeing the beyond, so it is in the world of the spirits. But sight in the world of Brahmā (Brahmaloka) is like shadow and sunshine.
Comment: Here the capability of perceiving the Self in the different Vedic worlds is compared to vision in different mediums. The first is here in this world, which is compared to looking into a mirror, one sees physical form clearly. Next are the worlds of the ancestors and the spirits, which are compared to seeing in dreams and in water. In these worlds, as in the mediums, vision is indistinct, so Self realization would be difficult, if not impossible. Lastly, there is Brahmaloka (heaven), in which vision is as clear as the difference between sunshine and shade. But, Brahmaloka is considered difficult to attain, that is why the Upaniṣad advocates realizing Brahman here, in this life.
6. The origination, as well as the rising and setting of the senses is separate from the Self. Knowing That, the wise do not grieve.
7. The mind is higher than the senses and the intellect is superior to the mind. Mahat, the Great Soul, is above the intellect and the non-manifest Prakṛti is superior to Mahat.
8. But higher than the non-manifest is Puruṣaḥ, the Self, All-pervasive and free of material attributes. The person who realizes That is liberated and attains immortality.
9. This Self has no visible form, no one can see It with the eye; but, it can be known by the heart, by the intellect, and determined through meditation. Whoever realizes this Self becomes immortal.
10. When the five senses of knowledge, along with the mind and intellect, come to rest and are inactive, that is called the highest destination.
11. That constant restraint of the senses is known as Yoga. One must be very vigilant in its practice, because Yoga rises and declines.
Comment: The Self cannot be perceived with the senses, but can be realized by controlling the mind and sense organs through meditation. However, one should be alert in the practice of Yoga meditation, since the mind and senses are easily distracted, concentration will rise and fall. When this happens, one should not become discouraged, but refocus on the meditation object.
12. Clearly, Brahman is invisible, indescribable, and inconceivable; so, other than saying “It is,” how else can That be known?
13. Brahman can be known as “It is” and by It's true nature. Of the two, first know Brahman as “It is,” then It's true, transcendental nature becomes evident.
Comment: One can understand that the Supreme exists; that is, reason dictates the existence of a first cause, which is God. Once the existence of God is accepted, the practice of Yoga, outlined in verses 10-11, will lead to the realization of one’s True Self, which is identical to That.
14. When one casts off all the desires that cling to the heart, then he attains Brahman and the mortal becomes immortal here in this world.
15. When all the knots of the heart are torn apart, here, then the moral becomes immortal. This alone is the teaching.
Comment: The knots of the heart are all the things that bind the individual soul: greed, hatred, ego, etc. These are the products of misidentification of the Self with the aggregate of body-mind-senses. Overcoming these bonds and realizing one’s true nature as the Supreme Brahman is the conclusion of all the Upaniṣads.
16. There are one-hundred and one channels issuing from the heart; of these, one goes to the crown of the head. By that upward movement, one attains immortality. The other channels, going in all directions, end in death.
Comment: There are one-hundred and one nāḍis, prāṇic channels leading out from the heart. Through the practice of Yoga, life-force enters the center channel, suṣumnā and ascends to the top of the head, resulting in samādhi. Continued practice leads to Self-realization. Those who follow other paths that do not lead to Self-realization are like the other channels that go in all directions. They only lead to continued rebirth and death.
17. Puruṣaḥ, the size of a thumb, is the Self that forever abides in the hearts of men. With diligence, one should distinguish Him from the body, like the reed is separated from Muñja grass. One should know Him as pure and immortal; surely, one should know Him as pure and immortal.
18. Then, Naciketā, having attained the wisdom taught by Death and the complete practice of Yoga, became free of passion and death, and obtained unity with Brahman. This too, will be the case for anyone else who realizes the Supreme Self.
Oṁ. May He protect us both; may He profit us both. May we gain strength together; may what we learned be noble. May there be no enmity between us.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
Oṁ. That is complete. This is complete. This fullness proceeds from That fullness. Taking fullness from fullness leaves only fullness.
Oṁ. Peace, peace, peace.
Oṁ. Peace; peace; peace.
Oṁ. That is complete. This is complete. This fullness proceeds from That fullness. Taking fullness from fullness leaves only fullness.
Oṁ. Peace, peace, peace.
Comment: The Kaṭha Upaniṣad tells the story of Naciketā, the young Brahmin who is given spiritual instruction by Yama, the god of death. Yama begins this instruction by explaining to Naciketā that Brahman and the Self are one and the same. He also explains the difference between the individual soul and the Self. He describes the basic elements that make up the universe and advises Naciketā to contemplate the elements merging, one into the other, from gross to subtle, up to the Self.
In Part II, Yama explains that the outgoing nature of the sense organs distracts the mind, which is why the Self is not easily perceived. Yama goes on to describe Brahman and His unity with the Self and the Divine Mind. He emphasizes the importance of realizing Brahman in this life and describes how that is achieved by restraining the mind and senses through meditation. Yama states that Yoga practice leads to the realization of Brahman and immortality, while all other paths lead to rebirth and death.
In Part II, Yama explains that the outgoing nature of the sense organs distracts the mind, which is why the Self is not easily perceived. Yama goes on to describe Brahman and His unity with the Self and the Divine Mind. He emphasizes the importance of realizing Brahman in this life and describes how that is achieved by restraining the mind and senses through meditation. Yama states that Yoga practice leads to the realization of Brahman and immortality, while all other paths lead to rebirth and death.
