Library·Kaṭha Upaniṣad·2·2.3

Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3

KaU 2.3.1

॥ इति पञ्चमी वल्ली ॥ ऊर्ध्वमूलो अवाक्शाख एषो ऽश्वत्थः सनातनः । तद् एव शुक्रं तद् ब्रह्म तद् एवामृतम् उच्यते । तस्मिंल् लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तद् उ नात्येति कश्चन ॥ एतद् वै तत्

// iti pañcamī vallī // ūrdhvamūlo avākśākha eṣo 'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ / tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate / tasmiṃl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana // etad vai tat

This ancient Aswattha tree has its root above and branches below. That is pure, That is Brahman, That alone is called the Immortal. All the worlds rest in That. None goes beyond That. This verily is That.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.2

यद् इदं किंच जगत् सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् । महद् भयं वज्रम् उद्यतं य एतद् विदुर् अमृतास् ते भवन्ति

yad idaṃ kiṃca jagat sarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam / mahad bhayaṃ vajram udyataṃ ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti

Whatever there is in the universe is evolved from Prana and vibrates in Prana. That is a mighty terror, like an upraised thunderbolt. They who know That become immortal.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.3

भयाद् अस्याग्निस् तपति भयात् तपति सूर्यः । भयाद् इन्द्रश् च वायुश् च मृत्युर् धावति पञ्चमः

bhayād asyāgnis tapati bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ / bhayād indraś ca vāyuś ca mṛtyur dhāvati pañcamaḥ

From fear of Him the fire burns, from fear of Him the sun shines. From fear of Him Indra and Vayu and Death, the fifth, speed forth.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.4

इह चेद् अशकद् बोद्धुं प्राक्शरीरस्य विस्रसः । ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते

iha ced aśakad boddhuṃ prākśarīrasya visrasaḥ / tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate

If a man is not able to know Him before the dissolution of the body, then he becomes embodied again in the created worlds.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.5

यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके । यथाप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोर् इव ब्रह्मलोके

yathādarśe tathātmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke / yathāpsu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke chāyātapayor iva brahmaloke

As in a mirror, so is He seen within oneself; as in a dream, so (is He seen) in the world of the fathers (departed spirits); as in water, so (is He seen) in the world of Gandharvas (the angelic realm). As light and shadow, so (is He seen) in the world of Brahma (the Creator).

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.6

इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावम् उदयास्तमयौ च यत् । पृथग् उत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति

indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvam udayāstamayau ca yat / pṛthag utpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati

Knowing that the senses are distinct (from the Atman) and their rising and setting separate (from the Atman), a wise man grieves no more.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.7

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वम् उत्तमम् । सत्त्वाद् अधि महानात्मा महतो ऽव्यक्तम् उत्तमम्

indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvam uttamam / sattvād adhi mahānātmā mahato 'vyaktam uttamam

Higher than the senses is the mind, higher than the mind is the intellect, higher than the intellect is the great Atman, higher than the Atman is the Unmanifested.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.8

अव्यक्तात् तु परः पुरुषो व्यापको ऽलिङ्ग एव च । यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुर् अमृतत्वं च गच्छति

avyaktāt tu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako 'liṅga eva ca / yaṃ jñātvā mucyate jantur amṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati

Beyond the Unmanifested is the all-pervading and imperceptible Being (Purusha). By knowing Him, the mortal is liberated and attains immortality.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.9

न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपम् अस्य न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् । हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिकॢप्तो य एतद् विदुर् अमृतास् ते भवन्ति

na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam / hṛdā manīṣā manasābhikḷpto ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti

His form is not to be seen. No one can see Him with the eye. He is perceived by the heart, by the intellect and by the mind. They who know this become immortal.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.10

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह । बुद्धिश् च न विचेष्टति ताम् आहुः परमां गतिम्

yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha / buddhiś ca na viceṣṭati tām āhuḥ paramāṃ gatim

When the five organs of perception become still, together with the mind, and the intellect ceases to be active: that is called the highest state.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.11

तां योगम् इति मन्यन्ते स्थिराम् इन्द्रियधारणाम् । अप्रमत्तस् तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ

tāṃ yogam iti manyante sthirām indriyadhāraṇām / apramattas tadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau

This firm holding back of the senses is what is known as Yoga. Then one should become watchful, for Yoga comes and goes.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.12

नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्षुषा । अस्तीति ब्रुवतो ऽन्यत्र कथं तद् उपलभ्यते

naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā / astīti bruvato 'nyatra kathaṃ tad upalabhyate

He cannot be attained by speech, by mind, or by the eye. How can That be realized except by him who says "He is"?

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.13

अस्तीत्य् एवोपलब्धव्यस् तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः । अस्तीत्य् एवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति

astīty evopalabdhavyas tattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ / astīty evopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati

He should be realized as "He is" and also as the reality of both (visible and invisible). He who knows Him as "He is," to him alone His real nature is revealed.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.14

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा ये ऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः । अथ मर्त्यो ऽमृतो भवत्य् अत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते

yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye 'sya hṛdi śritāḥ / atha martyo 'mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute

When all desires dwelling in the heart cease, then the mortal becomes immortal and attains Brahman here.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.15

यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः । अथ मर्त्यो ऽमृतो भवत्य् एतावद् ध्य् अनुशासनम्

yadā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ / atha martyo 'mṛto bhavaty etāvad dhy anuśāsanam

When all the ties of the heart are cut asunder here, then the mortal becomes immortal. Such is the teaching.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.16

शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाड्यस् तासां मूर्धानम् अभिनिःसृतैका । तयोर्ध्वम् आयन्न् अमृतत्वम् एति विष्वङ्ङ् अन्या उत्क्रमणे भवति

śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍyas tāsāṃ mūrdhānam abhiniḥsṛtaikā / tayordhvam āyann amṛtatvam eti viṣvaṅṅ anyā utkramaṇe bhavati

There are a hundred and one nerves of the heart. One of them penetrates the centre of the head. Going upward through it, one attains immortality. The other (hundred nerve-courses) lead, in departing, to different worlds.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.17

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः । तं स्वाच् छरीरात् प्रवृहेन् मुञ्जाद् इवेषीकां धैर्येण । तं विद्याच् छुक्रम् अमृतं तं विद्याच् छुक्रम् अमृतम् इति

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo 'ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ / taṃ svāc charīrāt pravṛhen muñjād iveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa / taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtaṃ taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtam iti

The Purusha, the inner Self, of the size of a thumb, is ever seated in the heart of all living beings. With perseverance man should draw Him out from his body as one draws the inner stalk from a blade of grass. One should know Him as pure and deathless, as pure and deathless.

Translated by Swami Paramananda

KaU 2.3.18

मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतो ऽथ लब्ध्वा विद्याम् एतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् । ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजो ऽभूद् विमृत्युर् अन्यो ऽप्य् एवं यो विद् अध्यात्मम् एव

mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo 'tha labdhvā vidyām etāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam / brahmaprāpto virajo 'bhūd vimṛtyur anyo 'py evaṃ yo vid adhyātmam eva

Thus Nachiketas, having acquired this wisdom taught by the Ruler of Death, together with all the rules of Yoga, became free from impurity and death and attained Brahman (the Supreme). So also will it be with another who likewise knows the nature of the Self.

Translated by Swami Paramananda