THE KATHA UPANISHAD

THE KATHA UPANISHAD (Contd)

CHAPTER - 5

p·m: vÚl£
p¤rmEkadS¹armjÞyav@cEts: ,
An¤¿ay n SaEc¢t ¢vm¤³à ¢vm¤ÅytE , et¹W tt¯ . 1 .

p¤rm¯

city

ekadS

eleven

¹arm¯

gates

AjÞy

of the unborn

Av@cEts:

of unchanging intelligence

An¤¿ay

having meditated upon

n SaEc¢t

does not grieve

¢vm¤³:

liberated

and

¢vm¤ÅytE

becomes free (from birth & death)

ett¯ vW tt¯

This is indeed that

          There   is   the   city   of   eleven   gates   belonging   to   Him   who   is
unborn   and   of   unchanging   consciousness.   By   meditating upon   Him,
one   grieves   no   more;   and   being   liberated   one   becomes   free   from
birth   and   death.   This   is   indeed   That.
hgq|s:    S¤¢cx¹s¤rÓt¢rXsdqDaEta    vE¢dxd¢t¢Td¤IraENst¯ ,
n¦x¹rsd¦ts¹YaEmsdÖja gaEja §tja A¢d#ja §t|    b¦ht¯ . 2 .

hgq|s:

the sun

S¤¢cxdq

dwelling in the heavens

vs¤:

air

AÓt¢rXsdq

in the sky

haEta

fire

vE¢dxdq

in the sacrificial altar

A¢t¢T:

the guest

d#aENst¯

dwelling in the jar

n¦xdq

dwelling in man

vrsdq

dwelling in the superior(gods)

§tsdq

dwelling in the sacrifice

ÛyaEmsdq

dwelling in the space

AÖja

born in water

gaEja

born on earth

§tja

born in the sacrifice

A¢d#ja

born on the mountains

§t|

the True

b¦ht¯

the Great

The Atman is   the   Sun   in   the   heavens,   the   air   in   the   sky,   the   fire
in   the   altar,   the   guest   in   the   house;   He   dwells   in   men,   in   gods
in   the   Sacrifice,   in   space.   He   is   all   that   is   born   in   water,   all
that   is   born   on   earth,   in   the   sacrifice   and   on   the   moutains.   He
is   the   True   and   the   Great.

UÒvI|    p#aNm¤°yÏypan|    p#ÏygÞy¢t ,
mÒyE    vamnmas£n|    ¢váE  dEva    upastE     .    3    .

UÒvI|

upward

p#aNm¯

Prana

u°y¢t

sends up

Apan|

Apana

p#Ïyg¯

downward

AÞy¢t

throws

mÒyE

in the middle

vamnm¯

adorable

Aas£n|

seated

¢váE dEva:

all gods

upastE

worship

          He   it   is   that   leads   the   life-breath   upwards   and   casts   the
lower   breath   downwards.   All   the   senses   minister   to   Him,   the
Adorable,   who   is   seated   in   the   centre.
AÞy    ¢v*|smanÞy    Sr£rÞTÞy    dE¢hn: ,
dEha¢¹m¤ÅymanÞy    ¢kmæO    p¢r¢SÝytE , et¹W    tt¯    . 4 .

AÞy

of this

¢v*|smanÞy

being of the separated

Sr£rÞTÞy

existing in the body

dE¢hn:

of the soul

dEhat¯

from the body

¢vm¤ÅymanÞy

when released

¢km¯

what

AæO

here (in this body)

p¢r¢SÝytE

remains

ett¯ vW tt¯

This is indeed That

       When   the   soul   in   the   body   is   separated   and   leaves   the   body
what   is   left   over   here?   This   is   indeed   That.

n    p#aNEn    napanEn    mÏyaI    j£v¢t    kàn ,
itrEN    t¤    j£v¢Ót    y¢Þm°Etav¤pa¢½taW          .   5   .

n p#aNEn

not by Prana

n ApanEn

nor by Apana

mÏyaI

man

j£v¢t

lives

kàn

any

itrEN

by something else

t¤

but

j£v¢Ót

they live

y¢Þmn¯

on whom

etaW

these

upa¢½taW

depend

      Man   does   not   live   by   breath   alone,   but   by   Him   who   is   the
power   of   breath.

hÓt    tE    id|    p#vßya¢m    g¤/|    b#'    snatnm¯ ,
yTa    c    mrN|    p#aÔy    AaÏma    Bv¢t      gaWtm    .   6   .

hÓt

Harken

to you

id|

this

p#vßya¢m

I shall tell

g¤/|

secret

b#'

Brahman

snatnm¯

eternal

yTa

what

and

mrN|

death

p#aÔy

meeting

AaÏma

the self

Bv¢t

becomes

gaWtm

O Nachiketa

            Listen,    I   shall   tell   you   O ! Nachiketa,   of   the   secret,
eternal   Brahman,   and   what   happens to   the   self   after   meeting death.
yaE¢nmÓyE    p#pïÓtE    Sr£rÏvay    dE¢hn: ,
ÞTaN¤mÓyE{n¤s|y¢Ót    yTakmI    yTa½¤tm¯      .   7 .

yaE¢nm¯

womb

AÓyE

another

p#pïÓtE

enter

Sr£rÏvay

For the sake of a physical body

dE¢hn:

souls

ÞTaN¤m¯

plant (immovable)

AÓyE

others

An¤s|y¢Ót

go to

yTa kmI

according to their activities (in the past)

yTa ½¤tm¯

according to their level or enlightenment

        Some   souls   seek a womb   for the sake of a physical body and yet others go to immovables, like the vegetable kingdom, depending upon the activities in the past and also in consonance with the level of awakening they have reached.

y    ex    s¤çOEx¤    jag¢tI    kam|    kam|    p¤âxaE    ¢n¢mImaN: ,
tdEv    S¤@|    tdqb#'    tdEvam¦tm¤ÅytE ,
t¢Þm|ÚlaEka: ¢½ta: svEI tÑ¤ naÏyE¢t    kàn . et¹W    tt¯    .   8   .

who

ex:

this

s¤çOEx¤

while asleep

jag¢tI

remains awake

kam| kam|

different desires

p¤âx:

man

¢n¢mImaN:

shaping

tt¯ ev

that verily

S¤@|

the pure

tt¯

that

b#'

Brahman

tt¯

that

indeed

Am¦t|

deathless

uÅytE

is known as

t¢Þmn¯

in that

laEka:

worlds

¢½ta:

rest

svI

all

tt u

that verily

n AÏyE¢t

does not transcend

kàn

any one

ett¯ vW tt¯

This is verily That

This principle Purusha   keeping awake when others sleep, creating     objects   of   desires , that which is taintless and said to be deathless is the Brahman. That is the substratum of all the worlds, and no one can surpass it . This , indeed is that.

A¢g"yITWkaE    B¤vn|    p#¢v¾aE    ãp|    ãp|      p#¢tãpaE    bB¥v ,
ekÞtTa    svIB¥taÓtraÏma    ãp|    ãp|    p#¢tãpaE    b¢hà     . 9   .

A¢g":

The fire

yTa

ek:

a single

B¤vn|

the world

p#¢v¾:

having entered

ãp| ãp|

to every form

p#¢tãp:

alike in form

bB¥v

becomes

ek:

one

tTa

svIB¥taÓtraÏma

the Atman permeating all forms of existence

ãp| ãp|

to every form

p#¢tãpaE

alike

b¢h: c

and beyond also

As fire, though one only , having entered the world, takes the form of various objects (which it burns ) so also though the all permeating brahman is one only, takes the form apparently of the various objects it enters and is also beyond them.

vay¤yITWkaE    B¤vn|    p#¢v¾aE    ãp|    ãp|    p#¢tãpaE    bB¥v ,
ekÞtTa    svIB¥taÓtraÏma    ãp|    ãp|    p#¢tãpaE    b¢hà    . 10 .

vay¤: air

yTa ek: though only one

B¤vn| the world

p#¢v¾:    having entered

ãp| ãp| different forms

p#¢tãp: alike in form

bB¥v becomes

ek: one

tTa even so

svIB¥taÓtraÏma Atman that permeates all

ãp| ãp| to different forms

p#¢tãp: alike in form

b¢h: c and beyond

        As one air,    takes   the   shape   of   every   object   it   enters,
so   the   Self which permeates into everything ,   though   one,   takes   the   shape   of   every   object   in which it dwells.   It   also   exists   outside   them.

s¥yaI    yTa    svIlaEkÞy    cX¤nI  ¢lÔytE    caX¤xWbaI/daExW: ,
ekÞtTa    svIB¥taÓtraÏma    n    ¢lÔytE    laEkÑ¤:KEn    ba/:     . 11 .

s¥yI:

yTa as

svIlaEkÞy of all the beings

cX¤: eye

n ¢lÔytE is not contaminated

caX¤xW: by the eyes

ba/daExW: external impurities

ek: one

tTa even so

svIB¥taÓtraÏma Atman inherent in all beings

n ¢lÔytE does not get attached

laEkÑ¤:KEn to the miseries of the world

ba/: beyond

     Like the sun, which is the   eye   of   the   whole   world   is   not tainted by the outward defects of the objects it lights, which are seen by the eye, in the same manner, this Brahman which is inherent in all beings is not tainted by the sufferings of the world, as it is beyond the world.

ekaE vS£ svIB¥taÓtraÏma ek| ãp| bh^Da y: kraE¢t ,
tmaÏmÞT| yE{n¤pÜy¢Ót D£raÞtExa| s¤K| Saát| nEtrExam¯ . 12 .

ek: one

vS£ controller

svIB¥taÓtraÏma the inner being of all beings

ek| one

ãp| form

bh^Da various

y: kraE¢t who manifests

tm¯ Him

AaÏmÞT| existing within the self

yE those

An¤pÜy¢Ót realise

D£ra: the wise

tExa| their

s¤K| bliss

Saát| eternal

n not

itrExam¯ others

      Eternal bliss falls to the lot of those wise ones who realise Him, existing within, the one controller, the inner being of all beings and being are manifests in myriad forms and not to the lot of others.
¢nÏyaE{¢nÏyana|    cEtnàEtnanamEkaE    bh\na|    yaE    ¢vdDa¢t    kaman¯ ,
tmaÏmÞT| yE{n¤pÜy¢Ót D£raÞtExa| Sa¢Ót: Saát£ nEtrExam¯    . 13 .

¢nÏy: the eternal

A¢nÏyana| inthe midst of noneteernals

cEtn: intelligence

cEtnanam¯ in the intelligent

ek: one

bh\na| of many

y: who

¢vdDa¢t fulfils

kaman¯ desires

tm¯ Him

AaÏmÞT| existing within the self

yE those

An¤pÜy¢Ót perceive

D£ra: wise men

tExa| their

Sa¢Ót: peace

Saát£ eternal

n itrExam¯ not of others

          Those wise persons who realise Him, who is within, who is permanent among all others which are impermanent , who is sentient amongt which are insensient and though one fulfills the desires of the several, they have lasting (inner) peace and none others.

tdEt¢d¢t    mÓyÓtE{¢nrdEÜy|    prm|    s¤Km¯ ,
kT|    n¤    t¢¹jan£ya|    ¢km¤    Ba¢t    ¢vBa¢t    va    .   14   .

tt¯ that

ett¯ this

i¢t thus

mÓyÓtE discern

A¢nrdEÜy| indefinable

prm| highest

s¤K| bliss

kT| n¤ how

tt¯ that

¢vjan£ya| shall I experience

¢km¯ whether

u Ba¢t shines by itself

¢vBa¢t va or reflects another light

          (The realised onesNachiketas) discern that " This " (individual self)
is "That" (Cosmic Self), the indefinable and the highest bliss. How shall I experience that ? Does it have self-luminosity or reflected luminosity ?

n tæO s¥yaEI Ba¢t n cÓd#tark| nEma ¢vï¤taE Ba¢Ót k¤taE{ym¢g": ,
tmEv BaÓtmn¤  Ba¢t    svI|    tÞy    Basa    svI¢md|    ¢vBa¢t    . 15 .

n not

tæO there

s¥yI: the sun

Ba¢t shines

n cÓd#tark| nor moon and stars

n nor

ima: these

¢vï¤t: lightnings

Ba¢Ót shine

kt: how

Ay| A¢g": can this fire (shine)

tmEv that only

BaÓtm¯ shining

An¤Ba¢t shines after

svI| all

tÞy its

Basa by light

svI¢md| all this

¢vBa¢t      shines

" Neither the   sun, the   moon , the   stars, nor   the lightning shines here, nor to speak of this   fire.   Every other thing shines following That and due its effulgence everything is illumined.

i¢t p·m: vÚl£: - Thus ends the fifth chapter.
PROCEED TO CHAPTER 6 RETURN TO CHAPTER 4 RETURN TO THE INDEX OF THE UPANISHADS