THE KATHA UPANISHAD (Contd)

CHAPTER - 3

                                                        
t¦t£y:     vÚl£    
 
§t|    ¢pbÓtaW    s¤k]tÞy    laEkE    g¤ha|    p#¢v¿aW    prmE    praDI ,
CayatpaW    b#'¢vdaE    vd¢Ót    p·ag"yaE    yE   ¢æONa¢ckEta:   . 1 .
 
§t|   the outcome
¢pbÓtaW   experiencing
s¤k]tÞy   of good deeds
laEkE   in this world
g¤ha|   in intelligence
p#¢v¿aW   the two who have entered
prmE   in the supreme
praDI   in the cavity of the heart
CayatpaW   like shade and light
b#'¢vd:  the knowers of Brahman
vd¢Ót   say
p·ag"y:   householders who maintain the five fires
yE   who
c   likewise
¢æONa¢ckEta:   thrice pereformers of Nachiketa fire
 
The cave of the heart is occupied by two entities (the cosmic self and the individual self), enjoying the fruits of their actions. Those who are realised, call them light and shade, as also the tenders of the five fires (house-holders), who had performed Nachiketa sacrifice thrice.  
y:    sEt¤r£jananamXr|    b#'    yÏprm¯   ,
ABy|    ¢tt£xIta|    par|    na¢ckEtgq|    SkEm¢h         .       2         .
y:   which
sEt¤:   bridge (dam)
iIjananam¯   for performers of sacrifice
AXr|   the imperishable
b#'   Brahman
yt¯   which
prm¯   the supreme
ABy|   free from fear
¢tt£xIta   who wish to cross (the cyclic existence)
par|   the shores
na¢ckEt|   the Nachiketa Fire
SkEm¢h   capable (of knowing)

        We can perform the Nachiketa sacrifice which will take us to the celestial regions, acting as a bridge. we could also attain the knowledge about the everlasting principle, Supreme Brahman, which is the place beyond the realm of fear and the refuge of the seekers of liberation - from human bondage.  
AaÏman|    r¢Tn|    ¢v¢dqD    Sr£r|    rTmEv    ,
b¤¢dqD|       sar¢T|    ¢v¢dqqD    mn:    p#g#hmEv    c         .       3       .  
AaÏman|   the soul
r¢Tn|   master of the chariot
¢v¢dqD   know
Sr£r|   the body
rTmEv   is verily the chariot
  again
b¤¢dqD|   intellect
  again
sar¢T|   charioteer
¢v¢dqD   know to be
mn:   mind
p#g#hmEv   the reins verily
c   and

        The inner being is the controller (seated in) of the chariot, which is the body, the intellect the driver and the mind the reings.  
 
i¢Ód#ya¢N    hyanah^¢vIxyagqÞtEx¤    gaEcran¯    ,
AaÏmE¢Ód#ymnaEy¤³|    BaE³EÏyah^mIn£¢xN:     .         4       .  
i¢Ód#ya¢N   the sense organs
hyan¯   horses
Aah^:   (They)say
¢vxyan¯   the senseobjects
tEx¤   to them
gaEcran¯   the path
AaÏm   body
i¢Ód#y   senses
mn:   mind
y¤³|   united
BaE³a   enjoyer
iÏyah^   :   say thus
mn£¢xN:   the wise

They (the wise) say that the sense organs are the horses, the road is the sense objects and the experiencer is the body, sense organs and the mind, say the realised ones.
 
yÞÏv¢våOanvan¯    BvÏyy¤³En    mnsa    sda   ,
tÞyE¢Ód#yaÎyvÜya¢n    Ѥ¾aáa    iv    sarTE:      .     5   .
y:   who
t¤                     again
A¢våOanvan¯   without right understanding
Bv¢t   is
Ay¤³En   unrestrained
mnsa   with mind
sda   always
tÞy   his
i¢Ód#ya¢N   senses
AvÜya¢n   uncontrollable
Ѥ¾aáa:   rogue horses
iv   like
sarTE:   charioteer's

 
That One   whose understanding of the reality is not there and whose mind is without restraint, his sense organs behave without control like the rogue horses of a charioteer.  
yÞt¤    ¢våOanvan¯    Bv¢t    y¤³En    mnsa    sda ,
tÞyE¢Ód#ya¢N    vÜya¢n    sdáa    iv    sarTE:         .     6    .  
y: t¤   but who
¢våOanvan¯   of right understanding
Bv¢t   is
y¤³En   restrained
mnsa   with mind
sda   always
tÞy iI¢Ód#ya¢N   his senses
vÜya¢n   controllable
sdáa:   iv   like good horses
sarTE:   of the charioteer

But   he   who   has   right   understanding   and   whose   mind   is
always  restrained,  his   senses   become   disciplined   like   the   obedient
horses   of  a   charioteer.
 
yÞÏv¢våOanvan¯    BvÏymnÞk:    sda{S¤¢c: ,
n    s    tÏpdmap"aE¢t    s|sar|    ca¢DgÅC¢t        .    7  .
 
y: t¤   but who
A¢våOanvan¯   without right understanding
Bv¢t   remains
AmnÞk:   uncontrolled mind
sda{S¤¢c:   always contaminated
n   s:   not he
tt¯   pdm¯   that goal
Aap"aE¢t   attains
s|sar|   cycle of birth and death
c   and
A¢DgÅC¢t   gets into

   Transmigratory (cyclic) existence is for him who has no control over his mind, lacks the right understanding and is always contaminated in mind, as he never attains that goal.
 
yÞt¤    ¢våOanvan¯    Bv¢t    smnÞk:    sda    S¤¢c: ,
s       tÏpdmap"aE¢t    yÞmaì¥yaE    n    jaytE     .   8   .  
y: t¤   but who
¢våOanvan¯   discriminating
Bv¢t   remains
smnÞk:   with controlled mind
sda   S¤¢c:   always pure
s:    he alone
tt¯   that
pdm¯   goal
Aap"aE¢t   attains
yÞmat¯   whence
B¥y:   again
n   jaytE   is not born

          However, that one who is discriminating , has his mind under restraint and always pure (in thought), verily he attains that destination, from where he never reverts to re-birth.  
¢våOansar¢TyIÞt¤    mn:p#g#hva*deg;r:   ,
saE{Òvn:    prmap"aE¢t    t¢¹ÝNaE:    prm|    pdm¯       .   9  .
 
¢våOansar¢T   :   whose intelligence is charioteer
y: t¤   who however
mn:p#g#hvan¯   has his mind as reined in
nr:   man
s:    he
AÒvn:   of the journey
parm¯   the end
Aap"aE¢t   attains
tt¯   that
¢vÝNaE:   of Vishnu
prm|   supreme
pdm¯   abode

        That person who has his (discriminative) intelligence as his charioteer and whose mind has been reined in , reaches the terminus of the journey, which is that supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.
 
i¢Ód#yE×y:    pra    /TaI    ATI×yà    pr|    mn: ,
mnsÞt¤    pra    b¤¢dqDb¤IdqDEraÏma    mhaÓpr:     .   10  .
 
i¢Ód#yE×y:   than the sense organs
pra   ¢h   superior
ATaI   :   the objects
ATI×y: c   than the objects
pr|   higher
mn:   is the mind
mns: t¤   than the mind
pra   greater
b¤¢dqD:   is the intellect
b¤dqDE:   than the intellect
AaÏma   Atman
mhan¯   is the Great
pr:   superior

         The   objects   of   senses   are   superior   to   the   sense organs,   the   mind is superior to the sense objects, the intellect is greater than the mind and the great Atman is   superior   to   the  intellect .
mht:    prmÛy³mÛy³aÏp¤âx:    pr:   ,
  p¤âxa°    pr|    ¢k¢·Ïsa    ka¿a    sa    pra    g¢t:    .   11 .
 
mht:   than the Mahat
prm¯   is higher
AÛy³m¯   the Unmanifested
AÛy³at¯   than the Unmanifested
p¤âx:   the Purusha
pr:   is superior
p¤âxat¯   than the Purusha
n   pr|   not higher
¢k¢·t¯   is anything
sa   that (Purusha)
ka¿a   the end
sa   that (Purusha)
pra   g¢t:   is the supreme refuge

        The   Unmanifested   is   higher than the   great  ( Atman,)   and   the
Purusha  higher  than   the   Unmanifested.  That  is   nothing   superior
to   the   Purusha,  it   is   the   acme and the supreme refuge.
 
ex    svIx¤    B¥tEx¤ g¥FaE{{Ïma    n    p#kaStE ,
d¦ÜytE    Ïvg#Yya    b¤dqÒya    s¥ßmya    s¥ßmd¢SI¢B:     .  12   .  
ex:   this
svIx¤   all
B¥tEx¤   in beings
g¥F:   hidden
AaÏma   Atman
n   p#kaStE   does not reveal itself
d¦ÜytE   is seen
  however
Ag#Yya   incisive
b¤dqÒya   intellect
s¥ßmya   subtle
s¥ßmd¢SI¢B:   by the seers of the subtle

          This   Atman,   is not seen, though laid  secretly  in all beings. However,  it  is  seen by   the   Seers   of   the   subtle ,   through   their   incisive and subtle
power of their intellect.  
yÅCE¹aHqmns£    p#aåOÞtïÅCEj¯åOan    AaÏm¢n
åOanmaÏm¢n    mh¢t    ¢nyÅCEäOïÅCEÅCaÓt    AaÏm¢n    .  13  .
yÅCEt¯   should sublate
vaHq   speech
mns£   in the mind
p#aåO:   the wise
tt¯   that (mind)
yÅCEt¯   should sublate
åOan   in the intellect
AaÏm¢n in the Self
åOanm¯   intellect
AaÏm¢n   mh¢t   in the Great Self
¢nyÅCEt¯   sublate
tt¯   that (Great Self)
yÅCEt¯   merge
SaÓtE   AaÏm¢n   in the Self of Peace

      The   wise   should   dissolve   the   speech   in   the   mind,   the   mind
in   the   intellect,   the   intellect   in   the   Great   Atman   , and   that   Great   Atman  in   the   Atman of quietitude.
 
u¢äO¿t    jag#t    p#aÔy    vra¢°baEDt   ,
X¤rÞy Dara ¢n¢Sta ѤrÏyya ѤgI|   pTÞtÏkvyaE    vd¢Ót      .  14  .
 
u¢äO¿t   arise
jag#t   awake
p#aÔy   having reached
vran¯   excellent (teacher)
¢nbaEDt   realise
X¤rÞy   of a razor
Dara   edge
¢n¢Sta   sharp
ѤrÏyya   hard to cross
ѤgI|   hard to tread
pT:   path
tt¯   that
kvy:   people with farsight
vd¢Ót   declare

        Arise !   Awake!   Having resorted to an excellent preceptor , realise  ( the   Reality ) . The people with far-sight say that like  the sharp edge of  a razor,  that path is both difficult to set foot upon and to cross.  
ASÖdmÞpSImãpmÛyy|    tTa{rs|    ¢nÏymgÓDvÅc     yt¯   ,
AnaïnÓt| mht: pr| D#¤v| ¢ncaÙy tÓm¦Ïy¤m¤KaÏp#m¤ÅytE     .  15  .  
ASÖdm¯   soundless
AÞpSIm¯   without touch
Aãpm¯     without form
AÛyy|   non diminishing
tTa   so also
Ars|   tasteless
¢nÏym¯   eternal
AgÓDvt¯      odourless
c   and
yt¯   which
AnaïnÓt|   without beginning or end
mht:   than Mahat
pr|   beyond
D#¤v|   immutable
¢ncaÙy   having realised
tt¯   that Atman
m¦Ïy¤m¤Kat¯   from the jaws of death
p#m¤ÅytE   one is released

        One is rid of the cyclic existence of births and deaths on realising that ultimate Reality, which is devoid of   sound, touch, form, perishability, taste, smell and  which is unsublatable,  beyond the Mahat, does not undergo  any change and has  neither a beginning nor an end.
 
na¢ckEtm¤paÁyan|    m¦Ïy¤p#aE³gq|    snatnm¯    ,
uÀÏva    ½¤Ïva    c    mEDav£    b#'laEkE    mh£ytE       .   16   .  
na¢ckEtm¤paÁyan|   the episode of Nachiketa
m¦Ïy¤p#aE³gq|   narrated by the God of Death
snatnm¯   the ancient
uÀÏva   having discussed
½¤Ïva   c   and having listened to attentively
mEDav£   the wise one
b#'laEkE   in the world of Brahma (Hiranyagarbha)
mh£ytE   revels and is glorified

        Having listened attentively to the ancient  episode of Nachiketa,  as narrated  and  discussed  by  the  god of  Death , the Wise One  revels in the world of Brahma and  is  glorified.
 
y    im|    prm|    g¤/|    ½avyEd¯b#'s|s¢d ,
p#yt: ½adqDkalE va tdanÓÏyay kÚptE tdanÓÏyay kÚpt i¢t   .  17 .  
y:   who
im|   this
prm|   g¤/|   highly mysterious
½avyEt¯   makes others hear
b#'s|s¢d   in the assembly of the holy
p#yt:   with devotion
½adqDkalE   va   or during Sraddha ceremony
tt¯   that
AanÓÏyay   for infinite (reward)
kÚptE   becomes fit
tt¯   that
AanÓÏyay   for infinite
kÚpt   i¢t   becomes fit, indeed

  Whoever  relates with devotion ,  this highly  secret-laden  episode  in the assembly  of the learned  or  at the time of performing rites and rituals  for the  the  Infinitude , indeed becomes fit for the   Infinitude.
 
 
i¢t   t¦t£y:   v¢Úl     Thus ends the third chapter.

PROCEED TO CHAPTER 4
RETURN TO CHAPTER 2
RETURN TO THE INDEX OF THE UPANISHADS