Kathopanishad ..

in simple words !! Part 4

( Valli 5 of 2nd Adhyaya )

Kathopanishad is a timeless story. Some of us would have come across it as "Nachiketopakhyanam" . Being musical it has been seen on the stage ! The version below draws heavily from the abundant literature and follows Swami Chinmayananda's 'Dialogue with Death and Swami Jgyananada's telugu "Maranaanamtaram" . If you reading only English part nothing is lost. If you know Sanskrit in devanagari or Telugu script you will enjoy reading those lines immensely - this part 4 continuation of Part 1, and , Part 2 , and Part 3 presented earlier ,

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తా కథోపనిషద్ / कथोपनिषद्
వల్లీ / वल्ली / 5

In Valli 5 Yama elaborates on Atman and brahman . For elaboration of Atman and Brahman Yama uses different analogies and after every such analogy he concludes by saying this that what you have been asking !!


एतद् वै तत्
ఏతద్ వై తత్
This is that

Yama starts with comparing the body to a city of eleven gates saying:

पुरमॆकादशद्वारम्
పురమేకాదశద్వారమ్
This body is a city with eleven gates.

The Atman lives in this body which is a city with eleven gates. The one who realizes this self becomes free. This is that .

(The eleven gates are the two eyes, two ears , two openings in the nose, one mouth , one anus and one opening of the urinary tract ,one navel , the opening in the skull referred to as Brahma-randhra).

 

హంసః శుచిషద్ వసురన్తరిక్ష సద్ హోతావేదిషద్ అతిథిర్దురోణసత్ |
हंसः शुचिषद् वसुरन्तरिक्ष सद् होतावेदिषद् अतिथिर्दुरोणसत्
This atman can go every where. It is the Sun in the clear skies. It is the support of all beings. It is air in the atmosphere. It is the fire on the earth. It is like a guest in the house ( body).

Here Yama is presenting Atman as being present every where. He says "Oh Nachiketa, the Atman is all pervading. He is the sun dwelling in the bright heaven; He is the air dwelling in space; he is the fire burning on the altar; He is the guest dwelling in the house. He dwells in man. He dwells in those greater than man. He dwells in sacrifice. He dwells in the ether. He is all that is born in water. he is all that is born in earth. He is all that is born in sacrifice, all that is born on mountains. He is the True and the Great".

 

ఊర్ద్వం ప్రాణమున్నయతి
అపానం ప్రత్యగస్యతి
ऊर्द्वं प्राणमुन्नयति
अपानं प्रत्यगस्यति

He sends the breath up , He sends the breath down !.

అస్యం విస్రం సమానస్య శరీరస్థస్య దేహినః
अस्यं विस्रं समानस्य शरीरस्थस्य देहिनः

When that Atman seated in this body goes out what remains?

The Atman living in the body is the one who pushes the breath up and down. Yama says " Oh Nachiketa! The Atman is the one pushing the life-breath upward and throws the out-going breath downward too. All the senses are under the control of this Atman, seated in the center of the heart. When this Atman, which is seated in the body, goes out from the body, what remains then?"

"This really is that which you wanted to know ". 

న ప్రాణేన అ అపానేన మర్త్యో జీవతి కశ్చన
न प्राणेन अ अपानेन मर्त्यो जीवति कश्चन

A man does not live by this breath going up or breath going down

That on which the breathing is dependent that is the source of all life.

హంత ఇదం ప్రవక్ష్యామి గుహ్యం బ్రహ్మ సనాతనం
हंत इदं प्रवक्ष्यामि गुह्यं ब्रह्म सनातनं
"O Nachiketa!, I shall declare unto thee the secret of the eternal Brahman and what happens to the Self after death"

Here Yama goes on to elaborate what happens after death. After death the Atman depending on the karma may go through life cycle of birth and death. The Jiva which do not realize the secret of Atman goes through cycle of birth and death based on the karma according to their deeds and knowledge.

య ఏషు సుప్తేషు జాగర్తి కామం కామం పురుషో నిర్మిమాణః
य एषु सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कामं कामं पुरुषो निर्मिमाणः
That one is awake creating forms while one is sleeping

తదేవ శుక్రం తద్ బ్రహ్మ తదేవామృతమ్ ఉచ్యతే
तदेव शुक्रं तद् ब्रह्म तदेवामृतम् उच्यते
That is pure. That is the Brahman . That is said to be immortal

The being who remains awake while all sleep or dream, that is pure. That is the Brahman That alone is said to be immortal. On That all the worlds rest. None goes beyond That. This really is that you wanted to know.

Man goes through three states of being awake, sleeping and deep sleep. At the end of these states we are able to say what happened including saying we had a good sleep ( deep sleep). That one which is overseeing all these states is that Atman which we are talking about ! If we recognize that Atman then we going to be able to go beyond theses states.

వాయుర్యథైకో భువనం ప్రవిష్టో
రూపం రూపం ప్రతిరూపో బభూవః
वायुर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो
रूपं रूपं प्रत्रूपो बभूवः
The air takes the form of what it enters Awareness

ఏకస్థథా సర్వభూత్తాన్తరాత్మా
రూపం రూపం ప్రతిరూపో బభూవః
एकस्थथा सर्वभूत्तान्तरात्मा
रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूवः
The Awareness takes the form of what it enters yet remains unchanged.

Yama explains here the nature of self

As air takes the form of what it enters. Similarly the awareness or self takes the form of what it enters yet remains unchanged.

As the sun, the eye of the world, is not defiled by the impurities of the eye that sees it,similarly the Self of all is untouched by the miseries of the body occupied by it or the miseries of the world.

ఏకో వశీ సర్వభూతాంతరాత్మా ఏకో రూపం బహుధా యః కరోతి
एको वशी सर्वभूतांतरात्मा एको रूपं बहुधा यः करोति
In spite of multiplicity of bodies there is only one Atman.
The wise who perceive Him seated within their Self, to them belongs the eternal bliss, not to others who are moving from death to death

  Eternal among the changing, consciousness of the conscious, which though one fulfils the desires of many, it is the Brahman. The wise perceive Him seated within their Self, and to them belongs eternal peace, not to others. 
  They (the wise) perceive that indescribable highest bliss, saying, This is That.

Then Yama himself brings up the question. “But how am I to know it? Does it shine by its own light or does it shine by reflected light?”
కథంను తద్విజానీయాం కిముభాతి విభాతి వా
कथंनु तद्विजानीयां किमुभाति विभाति वा

How do I know it , does it shine by its own light or does it shine by reflected light ?

And Yama proceeds to answer
"The sun does not shine there, nor the moon, nor the stars; nor do these lightning shine there, much less this fire. When He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light all is lighted" .

Just like you do not need light to see the sun which shines on its own. Because of it we are seeing everything else. Similarly in the case of the Atman also you do not need light it shines on its own and because of it we are able to see everything else.

The experiencing Atman or Brahman is a personal experience. It is not an experience that can be described like any other external happening.

Thus ends

కథోపనిషద్ / कथोपनिषद्
వల్లీ / वल्ली / 5