The Upanishads
Translated By
Swami Paramananda
CONTENTS:
From the Original Sanskrit Text
This volume is reverently
dedicated to all seekers of truth and lovers of wisdom
The translator's idea of
rendering the Upanishads into clear simple English, accessible to Occidental
readers, had its origin in a visit paid to a
The desire to unlock the
closed doors of this ancient treasure house, awakened at that time, led to a
series of classes on the Upanishads at The Vedanta Centre of Boston during its
early days in
So far as was consistent
with a faithful rendering of the Sanskrit text, the Swami throughout his
translation has sought to eliminate all that might seem obscure and confusing
to the modern mind. While retaining in remarkable measure the rhythm and
archaic force of the lines, he has tried not to sacrifice directness and
simplicity of style. Where he has been obliged to use the Sanskrit term for
lack of an exact English equivalent, he has invariably interpreted it by a
familiar English word in brackets; and everything has been done to remove the
sense of strangeness in order that the Occidental reader may not feel himself
an alien in the new regions of thought opened to him.
Even more has the Swami
striven to keep the letter subordinate to the spirit. Any Scripture is only
secondarily an historical document. To treat it as an object of mere
intellectual curiosity is to cheat the world of its deeper message. If mankind
is to derive the highest benefit from a study of it, its appeal must be
primarily to the spiritual consciousness; and one of the salient merits of the
present translation lies in this, that the translator approaches his task not
only with the grave concern of the careful scholar, but also with the profound
reverence and fervor of the true devotee.
Editor
The Upanishads represent the
loftiest heights of ancient Indo-Aryan thought and culture. They form the
wisdom portion or Gnana-Kanda of the Vedas, as
contrasted with the Karma-Kanda or sacrificial portion. In each of the four
great Vedas--known as Rik, Yajur,
Sama and Atharva--there is
a large portion which deals predominantly with rituals and ceremonials, and
which has for its aim to show man how by the path of right action he may
prepare himself for higher attainment. Following this in each Veda is another
portion called the Upanishad, which deals wholly with the essentials of
philosophic discrimination and ultimate spiritual vision. For this reason the
Upanishads are known as the Vedanta, that is, the end or final goal of wisdom
(Veda, wisdom; anta, end).
The name Upanishad has been
variously interpreted. Many claim that it is a compound Sanskrit word Upa-ni-shad, signifying "sitting at the feet or in the
presence of a teacher"; while according to other authorities it means
"to shatter" or "to destroy" the fetters of ignorance.
Whatever may have been the technical reason for selecting this name, it was
chosen undoubtedly to give a picture of aspiring seekers
"approaching" some wise Seer in the seclusion of an
Himalayan forest, in order to learn of him the profoundest truths regarding the
cosmic universe and God. Because these teachings were usually given in the
stillness of some distant retreat, where the noises of the world could not
disturb the tranquillity of the contemplative life,
they are known also as Aranyakas, Forest Books.
Another reason for this name may be found in the fact that they were intended
especially for the Vanaprasthas (those who, having
fulfilled all their duties in the world, had retired to the forest to devote
themselves to spiritual study).
The form which the teaching
naturally assumed was that of dialogue, a form later adopted by Plato and other
Greek philosophers. As nothing was written and all instruction was transmitted
orally, the Upanishads are called Srutis, "what
is heard." The term was also used in the sense of revealed, the Upanishads
being regarded as direct revelations of God; while the Smritis,
minor Scriptures "recorded through memory," were traditional works of
purely human origin. It is a significant fact that nowhere in the Upanishads is
mention made of any author or recorder.
No date for the origin of
the Upanishads can be fixed, because the written text does not limit their
antiquity. The word Sruti makes that clear to us. The
teaching probably existed ages before it was set down in any written form. The
text itself bears evidence of this, because not infrequently in a dialogue
between teacher and disciple the teacher quotes from earlier Scriptures now
unknown to us. As Professor Max Mller states in his
lectures on the Vedanta Philosophy: "One feels certain that behind all
these lightning-flashes of religious and philosophic thought there is a distant
past, a dark background of which we shall never know the beginning." Some
scholars place the Vedic period as far back as 4000 or 5000 B.C.; others from
2000 to 1400 B.C. But even the most conservative admit that it antedates, by
several centuries at least, the Buddhistic period
which begins in the sixth century B.C.
The value of the Upanishads,
however, does not rest upon their antiquity, but upon the vital message they
contain for all times and all peoples. There is nothing peculiarly racial or
local in them. The ennobling lessons of these Scriptures are as practical for
the modern world as they were for the Indo-Aryans of the earliest Vedic age.
Their teachings are summed up in two Maha-Vakyam or
"great sayings":--Tat twam asi (That thou art) and Aham Brahmasmi (I am Brahman).
This oneness of Soul and God lies at the very root of all Vedic thought, and it
is this dominant ideal of the unity of all life and the oneness of Truth which
makes the study of the Upanishads especially beneficial at the present moment.
One of the most eminent of
European Orientalists writes: "If we fix our
attention upon it (this fundamental dogma of the Vedanta system) in its
philosophical simplicity as the identity of God and the Soul, the Brahman and
the Atman, it will be found to possess a significance reaching far beyond the
Upanishads, their time and country; nay, we claim for it an inestimable value
for the whole race of mankind. .
Whatever new and unwonted
paths the philosophy of the future may strike out, this principle will remain
permanently unshaken and from it no deviation can possibly take place. If ever
a general solution is reached of the great riddle . . . the key can only be
found where alone the secret of nature lies open to us from within, that is to
say, in our innermost self. It was here that for the first time the original
thinkers of the Upanishads, to their immortal honor, found it...."
The first introduction of
the Upanishads to the Western world was through a translation into Persian made
in the seventeenth century. More than a century later the distinguished French
scholar, Anquetil Duperron,
brought a copy of the manuscript from
The first English
translation was made by a learned Hindu, Raja Ram Mohun
Roy (1775-1833). Since that time there have been various European
translations--French, German, Italian and English. But a mere translation,
however accurate and sympathetic, is not sufficient to make the Upanishads
accessible to the Occidental mind. Professor Max Mller
after a lifetime of arduous labor in this field frankly confesses: "Modern
words are round, ancient words are square, and we may as well hope to solve the
quadrature of the circle, as to express adequately
the ancient thought of the Vedas in modern English."
Without a commentary it is
practically impossible to understand either the spirit or the meaning of the
Upanishads. They were never designed as popular Scriptures. They grew up
essentially as text books of God-knowledge and Self-knowledge, and like all text
books they need interpretation. Being transmitted orally from teacher to
disciple, the style was necessarily extremely condensed and in the form of
aphorisms. The language also was often metaphorical and obscure. Yet if one has
the perseverance to penetrate beneath these mere surface difficulties, one is
repaid a hundredfold; for these ancient Sacred Books contain the most precious
gems of spiritual thought.
Every Upanishad begins with
a Peace Chant (Shanti-patha) to create the proper
atmosphere of purity and serenity. To study about God the whole nature must be
prepared, so unitedly and with loving hearts teacher
and disciples prayed to the Supreme Being for His grace and protection. It is
not possible to comprehend the subtle problems of life unless the thought is
tranquil and the energy concentrated. Until our mind is withdrawn from the
varied distractions and agitations of worldly affairs, we cannot enter into the
spirit of higher religious study. No study is of avail so long as our inner
being is not attuned. We must hold a peaceful attitude towards all living
things; and if it is lacking, we must strive fervently to cultivate it through
suggestion by chanting or repeating some holy text. The same lesson is taught
by Jesus the Christ when He says: "If thou bring thy gift to the altar and
there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against
thee; leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; first be reconciled
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."
Bearing this lofty ideal of
peace in our minds, let us try to make our hearts free from prejudice, doubt
and intolerance, so that from these sacred writings we may draw in abundance
inspiration, love and wisdom.
Paramananda
This Upanishad desires its
title from the opening words Isa-vasya,
"God-covered." The use of Isa (Lord)--a more personal name of the Supreme Being than
Brahman, Atman or Self, the names usually found in the Upanishads--constitutes
one of its peculiarities. It forms the
closing chapter of the Yajur-Veda, known as Shukla (White).
Oneness of the Soul and God,
and the value of both faith and works as means of ultimate attainment are the
leading themes of this Upanishad. The
general teaching of the Upanishads is that works alone, even the highest, can bring
only temporary happiness and must inevitably bind a man unless through them he
gains knowledge of his real Self. To
help him acquire this knowledge is the aim of this and all Upanishads.
Isa-Upanishad
Peace Chant
The indefinite term
"That" is used in the Upanishads to designate the Invisible-Absolute,
because no word or name can fully define It. A finite object, like a table or a tree, can
be defined; but God, who is infinite and unbounded, cannot be expressed by
finite language. Therefore the Rishis or Divine Seers, desirous not to limit the Unlimited, chose the indefinite term "That" to
designate the Absolute.
In the light of true wisdom
the phenomenal and the Absolute are inseparable. All existence is in the Absolute; and whatever
exists, must exist in It; hence all manifestation is
merely a modification of the One Supreme Whole, and neither increases nor
diminishes It. The Whole therefore
remains unaltered.
I
All this, whatsoever exists
in the universe, should be covered by the Lord.
Having renounced (the unreal), enjoy (the Real). Do not covet the wealth of any man.
We cover all things with the
Lord by perceiving the Divine Presence everywhere. When the consciousness is firmly fixed in
God, the conception of diversity naturally drops away; because the One Cosmic
Existence shines through all things. As
we gain the light of wisdom, we cease to cling to the unrealities of this world
and we find all our joy in the realm of Reality.
The word "enjoy"
is also interpreted by the great commentator Sankaracharya
as "protect," because knowledge of our true Self is the greatest
protector and sustainer. If we do not
have this knowledge, we cannot be happy; because nothing on this external plane
of phenomena is permanent or dependable.
He who is rich in the knowledge of the Self does not covet external
power or possession.
II
If one should desire to live
in this world a hundred years, one should live performing
Karma (righteous deeds). Thus thou mayest live; there is no other way. By doing this, Karma (the fruits of thy
actions) will not defile thee.
If a man still clings to
long life and earthly possessions, and is therefore unable to follow the path
of Self-knowledge (Gnana-Nishta) as prescribed in the
first Mantram (text), then he may follow the path of
right action (Karma-Nishta). Karma here means actions performed without
selfish motive, for the sake of the Lord alone.
When a man performs actions clinging blindly to his lower desires, then
his actions bind him to the plane of ignorance or the plane of birth and death;
but when the same actions are performed with surrender to God, they purify and
liberate him.
III
After leaving their bodies,
they who have killed the Self go to the worlds of the Asuras,
covered with blinding ignorance.
The idea of rising to bright
regions as a reward for well-doers, and of falling into realms of darkness as a
punishment for evil-doers is common to all great religions. But Vedanta claims that this condition of
heaven and hell is only temporary; because our actions, being finite, can
produce only a finite result.
What does it mean "to
kill the Self?" How can the immortal Soul ever be destroyed? It cannot be
destroyed, it can only be obscured.
Those who hold themselves under the sway of ignorance, who serve the
flesh and neglect the Atman or the real Self, are not able to perceive the
effulgent and indestructible nature of their Soul; hence they fall into the
realm where the Soul light does not shine.
Here the Upanishad shows that the only hell is absence of
knowledge. As long as man is overpowered
by the darkness of ignorance, he is the slave of Nature and must accept
whatever comes as the fruit of his thoughts and deeds. When he strays into the path of unreality,
the Sages declare that he destroys himself; because he who clings to the
perishable body and regards it as his true Self must experience death many
times.
IV
That One, though motionless,
is swifter than the mind. The senses can
never overtake It, for It ever goes before. Though immovable, It
travels faster than those who run. By It the all-pervading air sustains all living beings.
This verse explains the
character of the Atman or Self. A finite
object can be taken from one place and put in another, but it can only occupy
one space at a time. The Atman, however,
is present everywhere; hence, though one may run with the greatest swiftness to
overtake It, already It is there before him.
Even the all-pervading air
must be supported by this Self, since It is infinite;
and as nothing can live without breathing air, all living things must draw
their life from the Cosmic Self.
V
It moves and It moves not. It is
far and also It is near. It is within and also It
is without all this.
It is near to those who have
the power to understand It, for It dwells in the heart
of every one; but It seems far to those whose mind is covered by the clouds of
sensuality and self-delusion. It is
within, because It is the innermost Soul of all
creatures; and It is without as the essence of the whole external universe,
infilling it like the all-pervading ether.
VI
He who sees all beings in
the Self and the Self in all beings, he never turns away from It (the Self).
VII
He who perceives all beings
as the Self' for him how can there be delusion or grief, when he sees this
oneness (everywhere) ?
He who perceives the Self
everywhere never shrinks from anything, because through his higher
consciousness he feels united with all life.
When a man sees God in all beings and all beings in God, and also God
dwelling in his own Soul, how can he hate any living thing? Grief and delusion
rest upon a belief in diversity, which leads to competition and all forms of
selfishness. With the realization of
oneness, the sense of diversity vanishes and the cause of misery is removed.
VIII
He (the Self) is
all-encircling, resplendent, bodiless, spotless, without sinews, pure,
untouched by sin, all-seeing, all-knowing, transcendent, self-existent; He has
disposed all things duly for eternal years.
This text defines the real
nature of the Self. When our mind is
cleansed from the dross of matter, then alone can we behold the vast, radiant,
subtle, ever-pure and spotless Self, the true basis of our existence.
IX
They enter into blind
darkness who worship Avidya
(ignorance and delusion); they fall, as it were, into greater darkness who
worship Vidya (knowledge).
X
By Vidya
one end is attained; by Avidya, another. Thus we have heard from the wise men who
taught this.
XI
He who knows at the same
time both Vidya and Avidya,
crosses over death by Avidya and attains immortality
through Vidya.
Those who follow or
"worship" the path of selfishness and pleasure (Avidya),
without knowing anything higher, necessarily fall into darkness; but those who
worship or cherish Vidya (knowledge) for mere
intellectual pride and satisfaction, fall into greater darkness, because the
opportunity which they misuse is greater.
In the subsequent verses Vidya and Avidya are used in
something the same sense as "faith" and "works" in the
Christian Bible; neither alone can lead to the ultimate goal, but when taken
together they carry one to the Highest.
Work done with unselfish motive purifies the mind and enables man to
perceive his undying nature. From this
he gains inevitably a knowledge of God, because the Soul and God are one and
inseparable; and when he knows himself to be one with the Supreme and
Indestructible Whole, he realizes his immortality.
XII
They fall into blind
darkness who worship the Unmanifested
and they fall into greater darkness who worship the manifested.
XIII
By the worship of the Unmanifested one end is attained; by the worship of the
manifested, another. Thus we have heard
from the wise men who taught us this.
XIV
He who knows at the same
time both the Unmanifested (the cause of
manifestation) and the destructible or manifested, he crosses over death
through knowledge of the destructible and attains immortality through knowledge
of the First Cause (Unmanifested).
This particular Upanishad
deals chiefly with the Invisible Cause and the visible manifestation, and the
whole trend of its teaching is to show that they are one and the same, one being the outcome of the other hence no perfect
knowledge is possible without simultaneous comprehension of both. The wise men declare that he who worships in
a one-sided way, whether the visible or the invisible, does not reach the
highest goal. Only he
who has a co-ordinated understanding of both the
visible and the invisible, of matter and spirit, of activity and that which is
behind activity, conquers Nature and thus overcomes death. By work, by making the mind steady and by
following the prescribed rules given in the Scriptures, a man gains
wisdom. By the light of that wisdom he
is able to perceive the Invisible Cause in all visible forms. Therefore the wise man sees Him in every
manifested form. They who have a true
conception of God are never separated from Him.
They exist in Him and He in them.
XV
The face of Truth is hidden
by a golden disk. O Pushan
(Effulgent Being)! Uncover (Thy face)
that I, the worshipper of Truth, may behold Thee.
XVI
O Pushan! O Sun, sole traveller
of the heavens, controller of all, son of Prajapati,
withdraw Thy rays and gather up Thy burning effulgence. Now through Thy Grace I behold Thy blessed
and glorious form. The Purusha (Effulgent Being) who dwells within Thee, I am He.
Here the sun, who is the
giver of all light, is used as the symbol of the Infinite,
giver of all wisdom. The seeker after
Truth prays to the Effulgent One to control His dazzling rays, that his eyes,
no longer blinded by them, may behold the Truth. Having perceived It,
he proclaims: "Now I see that that Effulgent Being and I are one and the
same, and my delusion is destroyed." By the light of Truth he is able to
discriminate between the real and the unreal, and the knowledge thus gained
convinces him that he is one with the Supreme; that there is no difference
between himself and the Supreme Truth; or as Christ said, "I and my Father
are one."
XVII
May my life-breath go to the
all-pervading and immortal Prana, and let this body
be burned to ashes.
Seek not fleeting results as
the reward of thy actions, O mind!
Strive only for the Imperishable.
This Mantram or text is often chanted at the
hour of death to remind one of the perishable nature of the body and the
eternal nature of the Soul. When the
clear vision of the distinction between the mortal body and the immortal Soul
dawns in the heart, then all craving for physical pleasure or material
possession drops away; and one can say, let the body be burned to ashes that
the Soul may attain its freedom; for death is nothing more than the casting-off
of a worn-out garment.
XVIII
O Agni (Bright Being)! Lead us to blessedness by the good path. O Lord!
Thou knowest all our deeds, remove all evil
and delusion from us. To Thee we offer
our prostrations and supplications again and again.
Here ends this Upanishad
This Upanishad is called Isa-Vasya-Upanishad, that which gives Brahma-Vidya or knowledge of the All-pervading Deity. The dominant thought running through it is
that we cannot enjoy life or realize true happiness unless we consciously
"cover" all with the Omnipresent Lord. If we are not fully conscious of that which
sustains our life, how can we live wisely and perform our duties? Whatever we
see, movable or immovable, good or bad, it is all "That." We must not
divide our conception of the universe; for in dividing it, we have only
fragmentary knowledge and we thus limit ourselves.
He who sees all beings in
his Self and his Self in all beings, he never suffers; because when he sees all
creatures within his true Self, then jealousy, grief and hatred vanish. He alone can love. That AH-pervading One is self- effulgent, birthless, deathless, pure, untainted
by sin and sorrow. Knowing this, he
becomes free from the bondage of matter and transcends death. Transcending death means realizing the
difference between body and Soul and identifying oneself with the Soul. When we actually behold the undecaying Soul within us and realize our true nature, we
no longer identify ourself with the body which dies
and we do not die with the body.
Self-knowledge has always
been the theme of the Sages; and the Upanishads deal especially with the
knowledge of the Self and also with the knowledge of God, because there is no
difference between the Self and God.
They are one and the same. That
which comes out of the Infinite Whole must also be infinite; hence the Self is
infinite. That is the ocean, we are the
drops. So long as the drop remains
separate from the ocean, it is small and weak; but when it is one with the ocean,
then it has all the strength of the ocean.
Similarly, so long as man believes himself to be separate from the
Whole, he is helpless; but when he identifies himself with It,
then he transcends all weakness and partakes of Its omnipotent qualities.
The Katha-Upanishad
is probably the most widely known of all the Upanishads. It was early translated into Persian and
through this rendering first made its way into
There is no consensus of
opinion regarding the place of this Upanishad in Vedic literature. Some authorities declare it to belong to the Yajur-Veda, others to the Sama-Veda,
while a large number put it down as a part of the Atharva-Veda. The story is first suggested in the Rig-Veda;
it is told more definitely in the Yajur-Veda; and in
the Katha-Upanishad it appears fully elaborated and
interwoven with the loftiest Vedic teaching.
There is nothing however, to indicate the special place of this final
version, nor has any meaning been found for the name Katha.
The text presents a dialogue
between an aspiring disciple, Nachiketas, and the
Ruler of Death regarding the great Hereafter.
Katha-Upanishad
Peace Chant
May He (the Supreme Being)
protect us both, teacher and taught. May
He be pleased with us. May we acquire strength. May our
study bring us illumination. May there be no enmity among us.
I
Vahasrava, being desirous of heavenly rewards (at the Viswajit sacrifice), made a gift of all that he
possessed. He had a son by the name of Nachiketas.
II
When the offerings were
being distributed, faith (Shraddha) entered (the
heart of)Nachiketas, who,
though young, yet resected:
III
These cows have drunk water,
eaten grass and given milk for the last time, and their senses have lost all vigour. He who gives
these undoubtedly goes to joyless realms.
In
IV
He said to his father: Dear
father, to whom wilt thou give me? He said it a second time, then a third
time. The father replied: I shall give
thee unto Death.
Nachiketas, being a dutiful son and eager to atone for his
father's inadequate sacrifice, tried to remind him thus indirectly that he had
not fulfilled his promise to give away all his possessions, since he had not
yet offered his own son, who would be a worthier gift than useless cattle. His father, conscious that he was not making
a true sacrifice, tried to ignore the boy's questions; but irritated by his
persistence, he at last impatiently made answer: "I give thee to Yama, the Lord of Death." The fact that anger could so quickly rise in
his heart proved that he had not the proper attitude of a sacrificer,
who must always be tranquil, uplifted and free from egoism.
V
Nachiketas thought: Among many (of my father's pupils) I stand
first; among many (others) I stand in the middle (but never last). What will be
accomplished for my father by my going this day to Yama?
It was not conceit which led
Nachiketas to consider his own standing and
importance. He was weighing his value as
a son and pupil in order to be able to judge whether or not he had merit enough
to prove a worthy gift. Although he
realized that his father's harsh reply was only the expression of a momentary
outburst of anger; yet he believed that greater harm might befall his father,
if his word was not kept. Therefore he
sought to strengthen his father's resolution by reminding him of the transitory
condition of life. He said:
VI
Look back to those who lived
before and look to those who live now.
Like grain the mortal decays and like grain again springs up (is
reborn).
All things perish, Truth
alone remains. Why then fear to
sacrifice me also; Thus Nachiketas convinced his
father that he should remain true to his word and send him to Yama, the Ruler of Death.
Then Nachiketas went to the abode of Death,
but Yama was absent and the boy waited without food
or drink for three days. On Yama's return one of his household said to him:
VII
Like fire a Brahmana guest enters into houses. That fire is quenched by an offering. (Therefore) O Vaivaswata,
bring water.
VIII
The foolish man in whose
house a Brahmana guest remains without food, all his
hopes and expectations, all the merit gained by his association with the holy,
by his good words and deeds, all his sons and cattle, are destroyed.
According to the ancient
Vedic ideal a guest is the representative of God and should be received with
due reverence and honor. Especially is
this the case with a Brahmana or a Sannyasin whose life is wholly consecrated to God. Any one who fails to give proper care to a
holy guest brings misfortune on himself and his household. When Yama returned,
therefore, one of the members of his household anxiously informed him of Nachiketas' presence and begged him to bring water to wash
his feet, this being always the first service to an arriving guest.
IX
Yama said: O Brahmana! Revered guest! My salutations to thee. As thou hast remained three nights in my
house without food, therefore choose three boons, O Brahmana.
X
Nachiketas said: May Gautama, my father, be free from anxious
thought (about me). May he lose all
anger (towards me) and be pacified in heart.
May he know and welcome me when I am sent back by thee. This, O Death, is the first of the three
boons I choose.
XI
Yama replied: Through my will Auddalaki
Aruni (thy father) will know thee, and be again
towards thee as before. He will sleep in
peace at night. He will be free from
wrath when he sees thee released from the mouth of death.
XII
Nachiketas said: In the realm of heaven there is no fear, thou
(Death) art not there; nor is there fear of old age. Having crossed beyond both hunger and thirst
and being above grief, (they) rejoice in heaven.
XIII
Thou knowest,
O Death, the fire-sacrifice that leads to heaven. Tell this to me, who am full of Shraddha (faith and yearning). They who live in the realm of heaven enjoy
freedom from death. This I beg as my
second boon.
XIV
Yama replied: I know well that fire which leads to the
realm of heaven. I shall tell it to
thee. Listen to me. Know, O Nachiketas,
that this is the means of attaining endless worlds and their support. It is hidden in the heart of all beings.
XV
Yama then told him that fire-sacrifice, the beginning of
all the worlds; what bricks, how many and how laid for the altar. Nachiketas repeated
all as it was told to him. Then Death,
being pleased with him, again said:
XVI
The great-soured Yama, being well pleased, said to him (Nachiketas):
I give thee now another boon. This fire
(sacrifice) shall be named after thee.
Take also this garland of many colours.
XVII
He who performs this Nachiketa fire-sacrifice three times, being united with the
three (mother, father and teacher), and who fulfills the three-fold duty (study
of the Vedas, sacrifice and alms-giving) crosses over birth and death. Knowing this worshipful shining fire, born of
Brahman, and realizing Him, he attains eternal peace.
XVIII
He who knows the three-fold Nachiketa fire and performs the Nachiketa
fire-sacrifice with three-fold knowledge, having cast off the fetters of death
and being beyond grief, he rejoices in the realm of heaven.
XIX
O Nachiketas,
this is thy fire that leads to heaven, which thou hast chosen as thy second
boon. People will call this fire after
thy name. Ask the third boon, Nachiketas.
Fire is regarded as
"the foundation of all the worlds," because it is the revealer of
creation. If there were no fire or light,
no manifested form would be visible. We
read in the Semitic Scriptures, "In the beginning the Lord said, 'Let
there be light."' Therefore, that
which stands in the external universe as one of the purest symbols of the Divine, also dwells in subtle form in the heart of every
living being as the vital energy, the life-force or cause of existence.
Yama now tells Nachiketas how,
by performing sacrifice with the three-fold knowledge, he may transcend grief
and death and reach heaven. The
three-fold knowledge referred to is regarding the preparation of the altar and
fire. Nachiketas
being eager to learn, listened with wholehearted
attention and was able to repeat all that was told him. This so pleased Yama
that he granted him the extra boon of naming the fire-sacrifice after him and
gave him a garland set with precious stones.
Verses XVI-XVIII are regarded by many as an interpolation, which would
account for certain obscurities and repetitions in them.
XX
Nachiketas said: There is this doubt regarding what becomes of
a man after death. Some say he exists,
others that he does not exist. This
knowledge I desire, being instructed by thee.
Of the boons this is the third boon.
XXI
Yama replied: Even the Devas
(Bright Ones) of old doubted regarding this. It is not easy to know; subtle indeed is this
subject. O Nachiketas,
choose another boon. Do not press
me. Ask not this boon of me.
XXII
Nachiketas said: O Death, thou sayest
that even the Devas had doubts about this, and that
it is not easy to know. Another teacher
like unto thee is not to be found.
Therefore no other boon can be equal to this one.
XXIII
Yama said: Ask for sons and grandsons who shall live a
hundred years, many cattle, elephants, gold and horses. Ask for lands of vast extent and live thyself
as many autumns as thou desirest.
XXIV
If thou thinkest
of any other boon equal to this, ask for wealth and long life; be ruler over
the wide earth. O Nachiketas,
I shall make thee enjoyer of all desires.
XXV
Whatsoever objects of desire
are difficult to obtain in the realm of mortals, ask them all as thou desirest; these lovely maidens with their chariots and
musical instruments, such as are not obtainable by mortals--be served by these
whom I give to thee. O Nachiketas,
do not ask regarding death.
The third boon asked by Nachiketas concerning the great Hereafter was one which
could be granted only to those who were freed from all mortal desires and limitations, therefore Yama first
tested Nachiketas to see whether he was ready to
receive such knowledge. "Do not
press me regarding this secret," he said.
"Even wise men cannot understand it and thou art a mere lad. Take, rather, long life, wealth, whatever
will give thee happiness on the mortal plane." But the boy proved his strength and
worthiness by remaining firm in his resolution to know the great secret of life
and death.
XXVI
Nachiketas said: O Death, these are fleeting; they weaken the vigour of all the senses in man. Even the longest life is short. Keep thou thy chariots, dance and music.
XXVII
Man cannot be satisfied by
wealth. Shall we possess wealth when we
see thee (Death)? Shall we continue to
live as long as thou rulest? Therefore that boon alone is to be chosen by
me.
XXVIII
What man dwelling on the
decaying mortal plane, having approached the undecaying
immortal one, and having reflected upon the nature of enjoyment through beauty
and sense pleasure, would delight in long life?
XXIX
O Death, that regarding
which there is doubt, of the great Hereafter, tell us. Nachiketas asks for
no other boon than that which penetrates this hidden secret.
I
Yama said: The good is one thing and the pleasant
another. These two, having different
ends, bind a man. It is well with him
who chooses the good. He who chooses the
pleasant misses the true end.
II
The good and the pleasant
approach man; the wise examines both and discriminates between them; the wise
prefers the good to the pleasant, but the foolish man chooses the pleasant
through love of bodily pleasure.
III
O Nachiketas
after wise reflection thou hast renounced the pleasant and all pleasing
forms. Thou hast not accepted this
garland of great value for which many mortals perish.
IV
Wide apart are these
two,--ignorance and what is known as wisdom, leading in opposite
directions. I believe Nachiketas to be one who longs for wisdom, since many
tempting objects have not turned thee aside.
With this second part, the
Ruler of Death begins his instructions regarding the great Hereafter. There are two paths,--one leading Godward, the other leading to worldly pleasure. He who follows one inevitably goes away from
the other; because, like light and darkness they conflict. One leads to the imperishable spiritual
realm; the other to the perishable physical realm. Both confront a man at every step of
life. The discerning man distinguishing
between the two, chooses the Real and Eternal, and he
alone attains the highest, while the ignorant man, preferring that which brings
him immediate and tangible results, misses the true purpose of his
existence. Although Yama
put before Nachiketas many temptations to test his
sincerity and earnestness, he judging them at their real value, refused them
all, saying "I have come from the mortal realm, shall I ask for what is
mortal? I desire only that which is
eternal." Then Death said to him:
"I now see that thou art a sincere desirer of Truth. I offered thee vast wealth, long life and
every form of pleasure which tempts and deludes men; but thou hast proved thy
worthiness by rejecting them all."
V
Fools dwelling in ignorance,
yet imagining themselves wise and learned, go round and round in crooked ways,
like the blind led by the blind.
VI
The Hereafter never rises
before the thoughtless child (the ignorant), deluded by the glamour of
wealth. "This world alone is, there
is none other": thinking thus, he falls under my sway again and again.
There are many in the world,
who, puffed up with intellectual conceit, believe that they are capable of
guiding others. But although they may
possess a certain amount of worldly wisdom, they are devoid of deeper
understanding; therefore all that they say merely increases doubt and confusion
in the minds of those who hear them.
Hence they are likened to blind men leading the blind.
The Hereafter does not shine
before those who are lacking in the power of discrimination and are easily
carried away therefore by the charm of fleeting objects. As children are tempted by toys, so they are
tempted by pleasure, power, name and fame.
To them these seem the only realities.
Being thus attached to perishable things, they come many times under the
dominion of death. There is one part of
us which must die; there is another part which never dies. When a man can identify himself with his undying
nature, which is one with God, then he overcomes death.
VII
He about whom many are not
even able to hear, whom many cannot comprehend even after hearing: wonderful is
the teacher, wonderful is he who can receive when taught by an able teacher.
Throughout the Vedic
Scriptures it is declared that no one can impart spiritual knowledge unless he
has realization. What is meant by
realization? It means knowledge based on
direct perception. In
VIII
When taught by a man of
inferior understanding, this Atman cannot be truly known, even though
frequently thought upon. There is no way
(to know It) unless it is taught by another (an illumined teacher), for it is
subtler than the subtle and beyond argument.
IX
O Dearest, this Atman cannot
be attained by argument; It is truly known only when taught by another (a wise
teacher). O Nachiketas,
thou hast attained It.
Thou art fixed in Truth. May we
ever, find a questioner like thee.
Knowledge of the Atman or
Self cannot be attained when it is taught by those who themselves lack in real
understanding of It; and who therefore, having no definite conviction of their
own, differ among themselves as to its nature and existence. Only he who has been able to perceive the
Self directly, through the unfoldment of his higher
nature, can proclaim what It actually is; and his
words alone carry weight and bring illumination. It is too subtle to be reached by
argument. This secret regarding the
Hereafter cannot be known through reasoning or mere intellectual
gymnastics. It is to be attained only in
a state of consciousness which transcends the boundary line of reason.
X
I know that (earthly)
treasure is transitory, for the eternal can never be attained by things which
are non-eternal. Hence the Nachiketa fire (sacrifice) has been performed by me with
perishable things and yet I have attained the eternal.
XI
O Nachiketas,
thou hast seen the fulfillment of all desires, the basis of the universe, the
endless fruit of sacrificial rites, the other shore where there is no fear,
that which is praiseworthy, the great and wide
support; yet, being wise, thou hast rejected all with firm resolve.
The teacher, saying that the
imperishable cannot be attained by the perishable, shows that no amount of
observance of rituals and ceremonies can earn the imperishable and
eternal. Although the Nachiketa fire-sacrifice may bring results which seem
eternal to mortals because of their long duration, yet they too must come to an
end; therefore this sacrifice cannot lead to the final goal. Yama praises Nachiketas because, when all heavenly and earthly
pleasures, as well as knowledge of all realms and their enjoyments were offered
him, yet he cast them aside and remained firm in his desire for Truth alone.
XII
The wise, who by means of
the highest meditation on the Self knows the Ancient One, difficult to
perceive, seated in the innermost recess, hidden in the cave of the heart,
dwelling in the depth of inner being, (he who knows that One) as God, is
liberated from the fetters of joy and sorrow.
XIII
A mortal, having heard and
fully grasped this, and having realized through
discrimination the subtle Self, rejoices, because he has obtained that which is
the source of all joy. I think the abode (of Truth) is open to Nachiketas.
The Scriptures give three
stages in all spiritual attainment. The
aspirant must first hear about the Truth from an enlightened teacher; next he
must reflect upon what he has heard; then by constant practice of discrimination
and meditation he realizes it; and with realization comes the fulfilment of every desire, because it unites him with the
source of all. Having beheld this, a man
learns that all sense pleasures are but fragmentary reflections of that one
supreme joy, which can be found in the true Self alone. Yama assures Nachiketas that there is no doubt of his realizing the
Truth, because he has shown the highest discrimination as well as fixity of
purpose.
XIV
Nachiketas said: That which thou seest,
which is neither virtue nor vice, neither cause nor effect, neither past nor
future (but beyond these), tell me That.
XV
Yama replied: That goal which all the Vedas glorify,
which all austerities proclaim, desiring which (people) practice Brahmacharya (a life of continence and service), that goal
I tell thee briefly--it is Aum.
What name can man give to
God? How can the Infinite be bound by
any finite word? All that language can express must be finite, since it is itself finite. Yet it is very difficult for mortals to think
or speak of anything without calling it by a definite name. Knowing this, the Sages gave to the Supreme
the name A-U-M which stands as the root of all language. The first letter "A" is the
mother-sound, being the natural sound uttered by every creature when the throat
is opened, and no sound can be made without opening the throat. The last letter "M," spoken by
closing the lips, terminates all articulation.
As one carries the sound from the throat to the lips, it passes through
the sound "U." These three
sounds therefore cover the whole field of possible articulate sound. Their combination is called the Akshara or the imperishable word, the Sound-Brahman or the
Word
God,
because it is the most universal name which can be given to the Supreme. Hence it must
be the word which was "in the beginning" and corresponds to the Logos
of Christian theology. It is because of
the all-embracing significance of this name that it is used so universally in
the Vedic Scriptures to designate the Absolute.
XVI
This Word is indeed
Brahman. This Word is indeed the
Supreme. He who knows this Word obtains
whatever he desires.
XVII
This is the best Support,
This is the highest Support; he who knows this Support is glorified in the
world of Brahman.
This sacred Word is the
highest symbol of the Absolute. He who
through meditating on It grasps Its full significance,
realizes the glory of God and at once has all his desires satisfied, because
God is the fulfilment of all desires.
XVIII
This Self is never born, nor
does It die. It
did not spring from anything, nor did anything spring from It. This Ancient One is unborn, eternal, everlasting. It is
not slain even though the body is slain.
XIX
If the slayer thinks that he
slays, or if the slain thinks that he is slain, both of these know not. For It neither slays
nor is It slain.
XX
The Self is subtler than the
subtle, greater than the great; It dwells in the heart of each living
being. He who is free
from desire and free from grief, with mind and senses tranquil, beholds the
glory of the Atman.
Although this Atman dwells
in the heart of every living being, yet It is not
perceived by ordinary mortals because of Its subtlety. It cannot be perceived by the senses; a finer
spiritual sight is required. The heart
must be pure and freed from every unworthy selfish desire; the thought must be
indrawn from all external objects; mind and body must be under control; when
the whole being thus becomes calm and serene, then it is possible to perceive
that effulgent Atman. It is subtler than
the subtle, because It is the invisible essence of every thing; and It is
greater than the great because It is the boundless, sustaining power of the
whole universe; that upon which all existence rests.
XXI
Though sitting, It travels far; though lying, It goes everywhere. Who else save me is fit to know that God, who
is (both) joyful and joyless?
The Self is all-pervading,
hence It is that which sits still and that which
travels, that which is active and that which is inactive. It is both stationary and moving, and It is the basis of all forms of existence; therefore
whatever exists in the universe, whether joy or joylessness, pleasure or pain,
must spring from It. Who is better able
to know God than I myself, since He resides in my heart and is the very essence
of my being? Such should be the attitude
of one who is seeking.
XXII
The wise who know the Self,
bodiless, seated within perishable bodies, great and all- pervading, grieve
not.
Then a wise man through the
practice of discrimination has seen clearly the distinction between body and
Soul, he knows that his true Self is not the body, though It
dwells in the body. Thus realizing the
indestructible, all-pervading nature of his real Self, he surmounts all fear of
death or loss, and is not moved even by the greatest sorrow.
XXIII
This Self cannot be attained
by study of the Scriptures, nor by intellectual perception, nor by frequent
hearing (of It); He whom the Self chooses, by him alone is It attained. To him the Self reveals Its
true nature.
We may imagine that by much
study we can find out God; but merely hearing about a thing and gaining an
intellectual comprehension of it does not mean attaining true knowledge of
it. Knowledge only comes through direct
perception, and direct perception of God is possible for those alone who are
pure in heart and spiritually awakened.
Although He is alike to all beings and His mercy is on all, yet the
impure and worldy-minded do not get the blessing,
because they do not know how to open their hearts to it. He who longs for God, him the Lord chooses;
because to him alone can He reveal His true nature.
XXIV
He who has not turned away
from evil conduct, whose senses are uncontrolled, who is not tranquil, whose
mind is not at rest, he can never attain this Atman
even by knowledge.
Yama having first described what the Atman is, now tells us how to attain It. man must try to
subdue his lower nature and gain control over the body and senses. e must conquer the
impure selfish desires which now disturb the serenity of his mind, that it may
grow calm and peaceful. In other words, he must live the life and develop all
spiritual qualities in order to perceive the Atman.
XXV
Who then can know where is
this mighty Self?
He (that Self) to whom the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas are but food and death itself a condiment.
This text proclaims the
glory and majesty of the Supreme. The Brahmanas stand for spiritual strength, the Kshatriyas for physical strength, yet both are overpowered
by His mightiness. Life and death alike
are food for Him. As the light of the
great sun swallows up all the lesser lights of the universe, similarly all
worlds are lost in the effulgence of the Eternal Omnipresent Being.
I
There are two who enjoy the fruits
of their good deeds in the world, having entered into the cave of the heart,
seated (there) on the highest summit.
The knowers of Brahman call them shadow and
light. So also (they are called) by
householders who perform five fire- sacrifices or three Nachiketa
fire-sacrifices.
Here the two signify the
Higher Self and the lower self, dwelling in the innermost cave of the
heart. The Seers of Truth, as well as
householders who follow the path of rituals and outer forms with the hope of
enjoying the fruits of their good deeds, both proclaim that the Higher Self is
like a light and the lower self like a shadow.
When the Truth shines clearly in the heart of the knower, then he
surmounts the apparent duality of his nature and becomes convinced that there
is but One, and that all outer manifestations are
nothing but reflections or projections of that One.
II
May we be able to learn that
Nachiketa fire-sacrifice, which is a bridge for those
who perform sacrifice.
May we also know the One, who is the highest imperishable Brahman for
those who desire to cross over to the other shore which is beyond fear.
The significance of this
text is May we acquire the knowledge of Brahman, the Supreme, in both
manifested and unmanifested form. He is manifested as the Lord of sacrifice for
those who follow the path of ritual He is the unmanifested,
eternal, universal Supreme Being for those who follow the path of wisdom. The "other shore," being the realm
of immortality, is said to be beyond fear; because disease, death, and all that
which mortals fear, cease to exist there.
It is believed by many that these two opening verses were a later
interpolation.
III
Know the Atman (Self) as the
lord of the chariot, and the body as the chariot. Know also the intellect to be the driver and
mind the reins.
IV
The senses are called the
horses; the sense objects are the roads; when the Atman is united with body,
senses and mind, then the wise call Him the enjoyer.
In the third chapter Yama defines what part of our being dies and what part is
deathless, what is mortal and what is immortal.
But the Atman, the Higher Self, is so entirely beyond human conception
that it is impossible to give a direct definition of It. Only through similies
can some idea of It be conveyed. That is the reason why all the great Teachers
of the world have so often taught in the form of parables. So here the Ruler of Death represents the
Self as the lord of this chariot of the body.
The intellect or discriminative faculty is the driver, who controls
these wild horses of the senses by holding firmly the reins of the mind. The roads over which these horses travel are
made up of all the external objects which attract or repel the senses:--the
sense of smelling follows the path of sweet odours,
the sense of seeing the way of beautiful sights. Thus each sense, unless restrained by the
discriminative faculty, seeks to go out towards its special objects. When the Self is joined with body, mind and
senses, It is called the intelligent enjoyer; because
It is the one who wills, feels, perceives and does everything.
V
He who is without
discrimination and whose mind is always uncontrolled, his senses are
unmanageable, like the vicious horses of a driver.
VI
But he who is full of
discrimination and whose mind is always controlled, his senses are manageable,
like the good horses of a driver.
The man whose intellect is
not discriminative and who fails to distinguish right from wrong, the real from
the unreal, is carried away by his sense passions and desires, just as a driver
is carried away by vicious horses over which he has lost control. But he who clearly distinguishes what is good
from what is merely pleasant, and controls all his out-going forces from
running after apparent momentary pleasures, his senses obey and serve him as
good horses obey their driver.
VII
He who does not possess
discrimination, whose mind is uncontrolled and always impure, he does not reach
that goal, but falls again into Samsara (realm of
birth and death).
VIII
But he who possesses right
discrimination, whose mind is under control and always pure, he reaches that
goal, from which he is not born again.
IX
The man
who has a discriminative intellect for the driver, and a controlled mind for
the reins, reaches the end of the journey, the highest place of Vishnu (the
All-pervading and Unchangeable One).
A driver must possess first
a thorough knowledge of the road; next he must understand how to handle the
reins and control his horses. Then will
he drive safely to his destination.
Similarly in this journey of life, our mind and senses must be wholly
under the control of our higher discriminative faculty; for only when all our
forces work in unison can we hope to reach the goal--the abode of Absolute
Truth.
X
Beyond the senses are the
objects, beyond the objects is the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, beyond the intellect is the great Atman.
XI
Beyond the great Atman is
the Unmanifested; beyond the Unmanifested
is the Purusha (the Cosmic Soul); beyond the Purusha there is nothing.
That is the end, that is the final goal.
In these two verses the
Teacher shows the process of discrimination, by which one attains knowledge of
the subtle Self. Beginning with the
sense-organs, he leads up to the less and less gross, until he reaches that
which is subtlest of all, the true Self of man.
The senses are dependent on sense-objects, because without these the
senses would have no utility.
XII
This Atman (Self), hidden in
all beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through keen
and subtle understanding.
If It
dwells in all living beings, why do we not see It? Because the ordinary man's
vision is too dull and distracted. It is
visible to those alone whose intellect has been purified by constant thought on
the Supreme, and whose sight therefore has become refined and sharpened. This keenness of vision comes only when all
our forces have been made one-pointed through steadfast practice of
concentration and meditation.
XIII
A wise man should control
speech by mind, mind by intellect, intellect by the great Atman, and that by
the Peaceful One (the Paramatman or Supreme Self).
Here Yama
gives the practical method to be followed if one wishes to realize the
Supreme. The word "speech"
stands for all the senses. First,
therefore, a man must control his outgoing senses by the mind. Then the mind must be brought under the
control of the discriminative faculty; that is, it must be withdrawn from all
sense-objects and cease to waste its energies on nonessential things. The discriminative faculty in turn must be
controlled by the higher individual intelligence and this must be governed
wholly by the Supreme Intelligence.
XIV
A rise! Awake!
Having reached the Great Ones (illumined Teachers), gain
understanding. The path is as sharp as a
razor, impassable and difficult to travel, so the wise declare.
This is the eternal call of
the wise: Awake from the slumber of ignorance!
Arise and seek out those who know the Truth, because only those who have
direct vision of Truth are capable of teaching It. Invoke their blessing with a humble spirit
and seek to be instructed by them. The
path is very difficult to tread. No
thoughtless or lethargic person can safely travel on it. One must be strong, wakeful and persevering.
XV
Knowing That
which is soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying; also tasteless, odorless, and eternal; beginningless, endless and immutable; beyond the Unmanifested: (knowing That) man escapes from the mouth of
death.
The Ruler of Death defines
here the innermost essence of our being.
Because of its extreme subtlety, it cannot be heard or felt or smelled
or tasted like any ordinary object. It
never dies. It has no beginning or
end. It is unchangeable. Realizing this Supreme Reality, man escapes
from death and attains everlasting life.
Thus the Teacher has gradually led Nachiketas
to a point where he can reveal to him the secret of death. The boy had thought that there was a place
where he could stay and become immortal.
But Yama shows him that immortality is a state
of consciousness and is not gained so long as man clings to name and form, or
to perishable objects. What dies? Form. Therefore the formful man dies; but not that which dwells within. Although inconceivably subtle, the Sages have
always made an effort through similies and analogies
to give some idea of this inner Self or the God within. They have described It as beyond mind and
speech; too subtle for ordinary perception, but not beyond the range of
purified vision.
XVI
The intelligent man, who has
heard and repeated the ancient story of Nachiketas,
told by the Ruler of Death, is glorified in the world of Brahman.
XVII
He who with devotion recites
this highest secret of immortality before an assembly of Brahmanas
(pious men) or at the time of Shraddha (funeral
ceremonies), gains everlasting reward, he gains
everlasting reward.
I
The Self-existent created
the senses out-going; for this reason man sees the external, but not the inner
Atman (Self). Some wise man, however,
desiring immortality, with eyes turned away (from the external) sees the Atman
within.
In the last chapter the
Ruler of Death instructed Nachiketas regarding the
nature and glory of the Self. Now he
shows the reason why the Self is not seen by the majority. It is because man's mind is constantly drawn
outward through the channels of his senses, and this prevents his seeing the
inner Self (Pratyagatman); but now and then a seeker,
wiser than others, goes within and attains the vision of the undying Self.
II
Children (the ignorant)
pursue external pleasures; (thus) they fall into the wide- spread snare of
death. But the wise, knowing the nature of immortality, do not seek the
permanent among fleeting things.
Those who are devoid of
discrimination and fail to distinguish between real and unreal, the fleeting
and the permanent, set their hearts on the changeable things of this world;
hence they entangle themselves in the net of insatiable desire, which leads
inevitably to disappointment and suffering. To such, death must seem a reality
because they identify themselves with that which is born and which dies. But
the wise, who see deeper into the nature of things, are no longer deluded by
the charm of the phenomenal world and do not seek for permanent happiness among
its passing enjoyments.
III
That by which one knows
form, taste, smell, sound, touch and sense enjoyments, by That also one knows
whatever remains (to be known). This
verily is That (which thou hast asked to know).
IV
That by which a mortal
perceives, both in dream and in waking, by knowing that great all-pervading
Atman the wise man grieves no more.
In these verses the teacher
tries to make plain that all knowledge, as well as all sense perception, in
every state of consciousness--sleeping, dreaming or waking--is possible only
because the Self exists. There can be no knowledge or perception independent of
the Self. Wise men, aware of this, identify themselves with their Higher Self
and thus transcend the realm of grief.
V
He who
knows this Atman, the honey-eater (perceiver and enjoyer of objects), ever
near, as the lord of the past and future, fears no more. This verily is That.
VI
He who sees Him seated in
the five elements, born of Tapas (fire of Brahman),
born before water; who, having entered the cave of the heart, abides therein --this
verily is That.
This verse indicates that
He, the Great Self, is the cause of all created objects. According to the Vedas, His first
manifestation was Brahma, the Personal God or Creator, born of the fire of
wisdom. He existed before the evolution of
the five elements--earth, water, fire, air and ether; hence He was "born
before water." He is the Self
dwelling in the hearts of all creatures.
VII
He who knows Aditi, who rises with Prana (the
Life Principle), existent in all the Devas; who,
having entered into the heart, abides there; and who was born from the
elements--this verily is That.
This verse is somewhat
obscure and seems like an interpolated amplification of the preceding verse.
VIII
Tje all-seeing fire which exists hidden in the two sticks,
as the foetus is well-guarded in the womb by the
mother, (that fire) is to be worshipped day after day by wakeful seekers (after
wisdom), as well as by sacrificers. This verily is That.
Fire is called all-seeing
because its light makes everything visible.
In Vedic sacrifices the altar fire was always kindled by rubbing
together two sticks of a special kind of wood called Arani. Because fire was regarded as one of the most
perfect symbols of Divine wisdom, it was to be worshipped by all seekers after
Truth, whether they followed the path of meditation or the path of rituals.
IX
From whence the sun rises,
and whither it goes at setting, upon That all the Devas depend. No one
goes beyond That. This verily is That.
X
What is here (in the visible
world), that is there (in the invisible); he who sees difference (between
visible and invisible) goes from death to death.
XI
By mind alone this is to be
realized. There is no difference
whatever (between visible and invisible).
He who sees difference here (between these) goes from death to death.
In the sight of true wisdom,
there is no difference between the creator and the created. Even physical science has come to recognize
that cause and effect are but two aspects of one manifestation of energy. He who fails to see this, being engrossed in
the visible only, goes from death to death; because he clings to external forms
which are perishable. Only the essence
which dwells within is unchangeable and imperishable. This knowledge of the oneness of visible and
invisible, however, cannot be acquired through sense-perception. It can only be
attained by the purified mind.
XII
The Purusha
(Self), of the size of a thumb, resides in the middle of the body as the lord
of the past and the future, (he who knows Him) fears no more. This verily is That.
The seat of the Purusha is said to be the heart, hence It
"resides in the middle of the body." Although It
is limitless and all-pervading, yet in relation to Its abiding-place It is
represented as limited in extension, "the size of a thumb." This
refers really to the heart, which in shape may be likened to a thumb. s light is
everywhere, yet we see it focused in a lamp and believe it to be there only;
similarly, although the life-current flows everywhere in the body, the heart is
regarded as peculiarly its seat.
XIII
That Purusha,
of the size of a thumb, is like a light without smoke, lord of the past and the
future. He is the same today and
tomorrow. This verily is That.
In this verse the teacher
defines the effulgent nature of the Soul, whose light is pure like a flame
without smoke. He also answers the
question put by Nachiketas as to what happens after
death, by declaring that no real change takes place, because the Soul is ever
the same.
XIV
As rain water, (falling) on
the mountain top, runs down over the rocks on all sides; similarly, he who sees
difference (between visible forms) runs after them in various directions.
XV
O Gautama (Nachiketas), as pure water poured into pure water becomes
one, so also is it with the Self of an illumined Knower (he becomes one with
the Supreme).
I
The city of the Unborn,
whose knowledge is unchanging, has eleven gates. Thinking on Him, man grieves no more; and
being freed (from ignorance), he attains liberation. This verily is That.
This human body is called a
city with eleven gates, where the eternal unborn Spirit dwells. These gates are the two eyes, two ears, two
nostrils, the mouth, the navel, the two lower apertures, and the imperceptible opening
at the top of the head. The Self or
Atman holds the position of ruler in this city; and being above the
modifications of birth, death and all human imperfections, It is not affected
by the changes of the physical organism.
As the intelligent man through constant thought and meditation realizes
the splendour of this Supreme Spirit, he becomes free
from that part of his nature which grieves and suffers, and thus he attains
liberation.
II
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, (all that)
is born in earth, (all that) is born in sacrifice, (all that) is born on
mountains. He is the True and the Great.
III
He it is who sends the
(in-coming) Prana (life-breath) upward and throws the
(out-going) breath downward. Him all the senses worship, the adorable Atman,
seated in the centre (the heart).
IV
When this Atman, which is
seated in the body, goes out (from the body), what remains then? This verily is That.
V
No mortal lives by the
in-coming breath (Prana) or by the out-going breath (Apana), but he lives by another on which these two depend.
VI
O Gautama (Nachiketas), I shall declare unto thee the secret of the
eternal Brahman and what happens to the Self after death.
VII
Some Jivas
(individual Souls) enter wombs to be embodied; others go into immovable forms,
according to their deeds and knowledge.
This text shows the
application of the law of cause and effect to all forms of life. The thoughts and actions of the present life
determine the future birth and environment.
VIII
The Being who remains awake
while all sleep, who grants all desires, That is pure,
That is Brahman, That alone is said to be immortal. On That all the
worlds rest. None goes beyond That. This verily is That.
IX
As fire, though one, having
entered the world, becomes various according to what it burns, so does the
Atman (Self) within all living beings, though one, become various according to
what it enters. It also exists outside.
X
As air, though one, having
entered the world, becomes various according to what it enters, so does the
Atman within all living beings, though one, become various according to what it
enters. It also exists outside.
By using these similies of fire and air, the teacher tries to show Nachiketas the subtle quality of the great Self, who,
although one and formless like air and fire, yet assumes different shapes
according to the form in which It dwells. But, being all-pervading and unlimited, It cannot be confined to these forms; therefore it is said
that It also exists outside all forms.
XI
As the sun, the eye of the
whole world, is not defiled by external impurities seen by the eyes, thus the
one inner Self of all living beings is not defiled by the misery of the world,
being outside it.
The sun is called the eye of
the world because it reveals all objects.
As the sun may shine on the most impure object, yet remain
uncontaminated by it, so the Divine Self within is not touched by the impurity
or suffering of the physical form in which it dwells, the Self being beyond all
bodily limitations.
XII
There is one ruler, the Self
of all living beings, who makes the one form manifold; the wise who perceive
Him seated within their Self, to them belongs eternal bliss, not to others.
XIII
Eternal among the changing,
consciousness of the conscious, who, though one,
fulfils the desires of many: the wise who perceive Him seated within their
Self, to them belongs eternal peace, not to others.
XIV
They (the wise) perceive
that indescribable highest bliss, saying, This is
That. How am I to know It? Does It shine (by Its own light) or does It shine (by reflected
light)?
XV
The sun does not shine
there, nor the moon, nor the stars; nor do these lightnings
shine there, much less this fire. When
He shines, everything shines after Him; by His light all is lighted.
I
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.
This verse indicates the
origin of the tree of creation (the Samsara-Vriksha),
which is rooted above in Brahman, the Supreme, and sends its branches downward
into the phenomenal world. Heat and
cold, pleasure and pain, birth and death, and all the shifting conditions of
the mortal realm--these are the branches; but the origin of the tree, the
Brahman, is eternally pure, unchanging, free and deathless. From the highest angelic form to the minutest
atom, all created things have their origin in Him. He is the foundation of the universe. There is nothing beyond Him.
II
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.
III
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.
Just as
the body cannot live or act without the Soul, similarly nothing in the created
world can exist independent of Brahman, who is the basis of all existence. His position is like that of a king whom all must
obey; hence it is said that the gods of sun, moon, wind, rain, do His bidding.
He is likened to an upraised thunderbolt, because of the impartial and
inevitable nature of His law, which all powers, great or small, must obey
absolutely.
IV
Ifa man is not able to know Him before the dissolution
of the body, then he becomes embodied again in the
created worlds.
As soon as a man acquires
knowledge of the Supreme, he is liberated; but if he fails to attain such
knowledge before his Soul is separated from the body, then he must take other
bodies and return again and again to this realm of birth and death, until
through varied experience he realizes the nature of the Supreme and his
relation to Him.
V
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).
When by means of a purified
understanding one beholds God within, the image is distinct as in a polished
mirror; but one cannot have clear vision of the Supreme by attaining to the
various realms known as heavens, where one reaps the fruit of his good
deeds. It is only by developing one's
highest consciousness here in this life that perfect God-vision can be
attained.
VI
Knowing that the senses are
distinct (from the Atman) and their rising and setting separate (from the
Atman), a wise man grieves no more.
A wise man never confounds
the Atman, which is birthless and deathless, with
that which has beginning and end.
Therefore, when he sees his senses and his physical organism waxing and
waning, he knows that his real Self within can never be affected by these outer
changes, so he remains unmoved.
VII
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.
VIII
Beyond the Unmanifested is the all-pervading and imperceptible Being (Purusha). By knowing Him, the mortal is liberated and
attains immortality.
This division of the
individual into senses, mind, intellect, self-consciousness, undifferentiated
creative energy and the Absolute Self is explained in the commentary of verse
XI, Part Third.
IX
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.
The Supreme, being formless,
cannot be discerned by the senses, hence all knowledge
of Him must be acquired by the subtler faculties of heart, intellect and mind,
which are developed only through the purifying practice of meditation.
X
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.
The teacher now shows Nachiketas the process by which the transcendental vision
can be attained. he
out-going senses,--seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting; the restless
mind and the intellect: all must be indrawn and quieted. The state of equilibrium thus attained is
called the highest state, because all the forces of one's
being become united and focused; and this inevitably leads to supersensuous vision.
XI
This firm holding back of
the senses is what is known as Yoga.
Then one should become watchful, for Yoga comes and goes.
Yoga literally means to join
or to unite the lower self with the Higher Self, the object with the subject, the
worshipper with God. In order to gain
this union, however, one must first disunite oneself from all that scatters the
physical, mental and intellectual forces; so the outgoing perceptions must be
detached from the external world and indrawn.
When this is accomplished through constant practice of concentration and
meditation, the union takes place of its own accord. But it may be lost again, unless one is
watchful.
XII
He cannot be attained by
speech, by mind, or by the eye. How can That be realized except by him who says "He is"?
XIII
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.
This supersensuous
vision cannot be gained through man's ordinary faculties. By mind, eye, or speech the manifested
attributes of the Divine can be apprehended; but only one who has acquired the supersensuous sight can directly perceive God's existence
and declare definitely that "He is," that He alone exists in both the
visible and the invisible world.
XIV
When all desires dwelling in
the heart cease, then the mortal becomes immortal and attains Brahman here.
XV
When all the ties of the
heart are cut asunder here, then the mortal becomes immortal. Such is the teaching.
XVI
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.
The nervous system of the
body provides the channels through which the mind travels; the direction in
which it moves is determined by its desires and tendencies. When the mind becomes pure and desireless, it takes the upward course and at the time of
departing passes out through the imperceptible opening at the crown of the
head; but as long as it remains full of desires, its course is downward towards
the realms where those desires can be satisfied.
XVII
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.
As has been explained in
Part Fourth, verse XII, the inner Self, although unlimited, is described as
"the size of a thumb" because of its abiding-place in the heart,
often likened to a lotus-bud which is similar to a thumb in size and
shape. Through the process of steadfast
discrimination, one should learn to differentiate the Soul from the body, just
as one separates the pith from a reed.
XVIII
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.
PEACE CHANT
May He (the Supreme Being)
protect us both.
May He be pleased with us. May we acquire strength. May our study bring us illumination. May there be no enmity among us.
Here ends this Upanishad
Like the Isavasya,
this Upanishad derives its name from the opening word of the text, Kena-ishitam, "by whom
directed." It is also known as the Talavakara-Upanishad because of its place as a chapter in
the Talavakara-Brahmana of the Sama-Veda.
Among the Upanishads it is
one of the most analytical and metaphysical, its purpose being to lead the mind
from the gross to the subtle, from effect to cause. By a series of profound questions and
answers, it seeks to locate the source of man's being; and to expand his
self-consciousness until it has become identical with God-Consciousness.
KENA-UPANISHAD
Peace Chant
May my
limbs, speech, Prana (life-force), sight, hearing,
strength and all my senses, gain in vigor. All is the Brahman (Supreme
Lord) of the Upanishads. May I never
deny the Brahman.
May the Brahman never deny me. May there be no denial of the Brahman. May there be no separation from the
Brahman. May all the virtues declared in
the sacred Upanishads be manifest in me, who am devoted to the Atman (Higher
Self). May they
be manifest in me.
I
By whom
commanded and directed does the mind go towards its objects? Commanded by whom
does the life-force, the first (cause), move?
At whose will do men utter speech?
What power directs the eye and the ear?
Thus the disciple approached
the Master and inquired concerning the cause of life and human activity. Having a sincere longing for Truth he desired
to know who really sees and hears, who actuates the
apparent physical man. He perceived all
about him the phenomenal world, the existence of which he could prove by his
senses; but he sought to know the invisible causal world, of which he was now
only vaguely conscious. Is mind
all-pervading and all-powerful, or is it impelled by some other force, he
asked. Who sends forth the vital energy,
without which nothing can exist? The
teacher replies:
II
It is the ear of the ear,
the mind of the mind, the speech of the speech, the life of the life, the eye
of the eye. The wise, freed (from the
senses and from mortal desires), after leaving this world, become immortal.
An ordinary man hears, sees,
thinks, but he is satisfied to know only as much as can be known through the
senses; he does not analyze and try to find that which stands behind the ear or
eye or mind. He is completely identified
with his external nature. His conception
does not go beyond the little circle of his bodily life, which concerns the
outer man only. He has no consciousness
of that which enables his senses and organs to perform their tasks.
There is a vast difference
between the manifested form and That which is
manifested through the form. When we
know That, we shall not die with the body. One who clings to
the senses and to things that are ephemeral, must die many deaths, but that man
who knows the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, having severed himself from
his physical nature, becomes immortal.
Immortality is attained when man transcends his apparent nature and
finds that subtle, eternal and inexhaustible essence which is within him.
III
There the eye does not go,
nor speech, nor mind. We do not know That; we do not understand how It can be taught. It is distinct from the known and also It is beyond the unknown.
Thus we have heard from the ancient (teachers) who told us about It.
These physical eyes are
unable to perceive that subtle essence.
Nor can it be expressed by finite language or known by finite
intelligence, because it is infinite.
Our conception of knowing finite things is to know their name and form;
but knowledge of God must be distinct from such knowledge. This is why some declare God to be unknown
and unknowable; because He is far more than eye or mind or speech can perceive,
comprehend or express. The Upanishad
does not say that He cannot be known. He
is unknowable to man's finite nature.
How can a finite mortal apprehend the Infinite Whole? But He can be known by man's God-like nature.
IV
That which speech does not
illumine, but which illumines speech: know that alone to be the Brahman (the
Supreme Being), not this which people worship here.
V
That which cannot be thought
by mind, but by which, they say, mind is able to think: know that alone to be
the Brahman, not this which people worship here.
VI
That which is not seen by
the eye, but by which the eye is able to see: know that alone to be the
Brahman, not this which people worship here.
VII
That which cannot be heard
by the ear, but by which the ear is able to hear: know that alone to be
Brahman, not this which people worship here.
VIII
That which none breathes
with the breath, but by which breath is in-breathed: know that alone to be the
Brahman, not this which people worship here.
Ordinarily we know three
states of consciousness only,--waking, dreaming and sleeping. There is, however, a fourth state, the superconscious, which transcends these. In the first three states the mind is not
clear enough to save us from error; but in the fourth state it gains such
purity of vision that it can perceive the Divine. If God could be known by the limited mind and
senses, then God-knowledge would be like any other knowledge and spiritual
science like any physical science. He
can be known, however, by the purified mind only. Therefore to know God, man must purify
himself. The mind described in the
Upanishads is the superconscious mind. According to the Vedic Sages the mind in its
ordinary state is only another sense organ.
This mind is limited, but when it becomes illumined by the light of the
Cosmic Intelligence, or the "mind of the mind," then it is able to
apprehend the First Cause or That which stands behind all external activities.
I
If thou thinkest
"I know It well," then it is certain that thou knowest
but little of the Brahman (Absolute Truth), or in what form He (resideth) in the Devas (minor
aspects of Deity). Therefore I think
that what thou thinkest to be known is still to be
sought after.
Having given the definition
of the real Self or Brahman, by which mortals are able to see, hear, feel and
think, the teacher was afraid that the disciple, after merely hearing about It,
might conclude that he knew It. So he said to him: "You have heard about It, but that is not enough. You must experience It. Mere intellectual
recognition will not give you true knowledge of It.
Neither can It be taught to you. The teacher can only show the way. You must find It for
yourself."
Knowledge means union
between subject and object. To gain this
union one must practice, theory cannot help us.
The previous chapter has shown that the knowledge of Brahman is beyond
sense-perception: "There the eye does not go, nor speech, nor
mind." "That is distinct from
known and also It is beyond the unknown." Therefore it was necessary for the teacher to
remind the disciple that knowledge based on sense-perception or intellectual
apprehension should not be confounded with supersensuous
knowledge. Although the disciple had
listened to the teacher with unquestioning mind and was intellectually
convinced of the truth of his words, it was now necessary for him to prove by
his own experience what he had heard.
Guided by the teacher, he sought within himself through meditation the
meaning of Brahman; and having gained a new vision, he approached the teacher
once more.
II
The disciple said: I do not
think I know It well, nor do I think that I do not
know It. He among us who knows It truly,
knows (what is meant by) "I know" and also what is meant by "I
know It not."
This appears to be
contradictory, but it is not. In the
previous chapter we learned that Brahman is "distinct from the known"
and "beyond the unknown." The disciple,
realizing this, says: "So far as mortal conception is concerned, I do not
think I know, because I understand that It is beyond mind and speech; yet from
the higher point of view, I cannot say that I do not know; for the very fact
that I exist, that I can seek It, shows that I know; for It is the source of my
being. I do not know, however, in the
sense of knowing the whole
The observation of material
science being confined to the sense plane, it ignores what is beyond. Therefore it must always be limited and subject
to change. It discovered atoms, then it
went further and discovered electrons, and when it had found the one, it had to
drop the other; so this kind of knowledge can never lead to the ultimate
knowledge of the Infinite, because it is exclusive and not inclusive. Spiritual science is not merely a question of
mind and brain, it depends on the awakening of our
latent higher consciousness.
III
He who thinks he knows It not, knows It. He
who thinks he knows It, knows It not. The true knowers
think they can never know It (because of Its
infinitude), while the ignorant think they know It.
By this text the teacher
confirms the idea that Brahman is unthinkable, because unconditioned. Therefore he says: He who considers It beyond
thought, beyond sense-perception, beyond mind and speech, he alone has a true
understanding of Brahman. They who judge
a living being from his external form and sense faculties, know him not;
because the real Self of man is not manifested in his seeing, hearing,
speaking. His real Self is that within
by which he hears and speaks and sees.
In the same way he knows not Brahman who thinks he knows It by name and form.
The arrogant and foolish man thinks he knows everything; but the true
knower is humble. He says: "How can
I know Thee, who art Infinite and beyond mind and speech?" In the last portion of the text, the teacher
draws an impressive contrast between the attitude of the wise man who knows, but thinks he does not know; and that of the
ignorant who does not know, but thinks he knows.
IV
It (Brahman) is known, when It is known in every state of consciousness. (Through such knowledge) one attains
immortality. By attaining this Self, man
gains strength; and by Self-knowledge immortality is attained.
We have learned from the
previous text that the Brahman is unknown to those whose knowledge is limited
to sense experience; but He is not unknown to those whose purified intelligence
perceives Him as the basis of all states of consciousness and the essence of
all things. By this higher knowledge a
man attains immortality, because he knows that although his body may decay and
die, the subtle essence of his being remains untouched. Such an one also
acquires unlimited strength, because he identifies himself with the ultimate Source. The strength which comes from one's own
muscle and brain or from one's individual power must be limited and mortal and
therefore cannot lift one beyond death; but through the strength which Atma-gnana or Self-knowledge gives, immortality is reached. Whenever knowledge is based on direct
perception of this undying essence, one transcends all fear of death and
becomes immortal.
V
If one knows It here, that is Truth; if one knows It not here, then great
is his loss. The wise seeing the same Self in all beings, being liberated from this world, become
immortal.
I
The Brahman once won a
victory for the Devas. Through that victory of the Brahman, the Devas became elated.
They thought, "This victory is ours. This glory is ours."
Brahman here does not mean a
personal Deity. There is a Brahma, the
first person of the Hindu Trinity; but Brahman is the Absolute, the One without
a second, the essence of all. There are different names and forms which
represent certain personal aspects of Divinity, such as Brahma the Creator,
Vishnu the Preserver and Siva the Transformer; but no one of these can fully
represent the Whole. Brahman is the vast
ocean of being, on which rise numberless ripples and waves of
manifestation. From the smallest atomic
form to a Deva or an angel, all spring from that
limitless
II
The Brahman perceived this
and appeared before them. They did not
know what mysterious form it was.
III
They said to Fire: "O Jataveda (All-knowing)!
Find out what mysterious spirit this is." He said: "Yes."
IV
He ran towards it and He
(Brahman) said to him: "Who art thou?" "I am Agni, I am Jataveda,"
he (the Fire-god) replied.
V
Brahman asked: "What
power resides in thee?" Agni replied: "I can burn up all whatsoever
exists on earth."
VI
Brahman placed a straw
before him and said: "Burn this."
He (Agni) rushed towards it with all speed, but was not able to burn
it. So he returned from there and said (to
the Devas): "I was not able to find out what
this great mystery is."
VII
Then they said to Vayu (the Air-god): "Vayu!
Find out what this mystery is." He
said: "Yes."
VIII
He ran towards it and He
(Brahman) said to him: "Who art thou?" "I am Vayu, I
am Matarisva (traveller of
Heaven)," he (Vayu) said.
IX
Then the Brahman said:
"What power is in thee?" Vayu replied: "I can blow away all whatsoever exists
on earth."
X
Brahman placed a straw
before him and said: "Blow this away." He (Vayu) rushed
towards it with all speed, but was not able to blow it away. So he returned from there and said (to the Devas): "I was not able to find out what this great
mystery is."
XI
Then they said to Indra: "O Maghavan
(Worshipful One)! Find out what this
mystery is." He said:
"Yes"; and ran towards it, but it disappeared before him.
XII
Then he saw in that very
space a woman beautifully adorned, Uma of golden hue,
daughter of Haimavat (
Here we see how the Absolute
assumes concrete form to give knowledge of Himself to
the earnest seeker. Brahman, the
impenetrable mystery, disappeared and in His place appeared a personal form to
represent Him. This is a subtle way of
showing the difference between the Absolute and the personal aspects of
Deity. The Absolute is declared to be
unknowable and unthinkable, but He assumes deified personal aspects to make
Himself known to His devotees. Thus Uma, daughter of the Himalaya, represents that personal
aspect as the offspring of the Infinite Being; while the
I
She (Uma)
said: "It is Brahman. It is through
the victory of Brahman that ye are victorious." Then from her words, he (Indra)
knew that it (that mysterious form) was Brahman.
Uma replied to Indra, "It
is to Brahman that you owe your victory.
It is through His power that you live and act. He is the agent and you are all only
instruments in His hands. Therefore your
idea that 'This victory is ours, this glory is ours,' is based on
ignorance." At once Indra saw their mistake.
The Devas, being puffed up with vanity, had
thought they themselves had achieved the victory, whereas it was Brahman; for
not even a blade of grass can move without His command.
II
Therefore these Devas,--Agni, Vayu and Indra--excel other Devas, because
they came nearer to Brahman. It was they
who first knew this spirit as Brahman.
III
Therefore Indra excels all other Devas,
because he came nearest to Brahman, and because he first (before all others)
knew this spirit as Brahman.
Agni, Vayu
and Indra were superior to the other Devas because they gained a closer vision; and they were
able to do this because they were purer; while Indra
stands as the head of the Devas, because he realized
the Truth directly, he reached Brahman.
The significance of this is that whoever comes in direct touch with
Brahman or the Supreme is glorified.
IV
Thus the teaching of Brahman
is here illustrated in regard to the Devas. He dashed like lightning, and appeared and
disappeared just as the eye winks.
The teaching as regards the Devas was that Brahman is the only Doer. He had appeared before them in a mysterious
form; but the whole of the unfathomable Brahman could not be seen in any
definite form; so at the moment of vanishing, He manifested more of His
immeasurable glory and fleetness of action by a sudden dazzling flash of light.
V
Next (the teaching) is
regarding Adhyatman (the embodied Soul). The mind seems to approach Him
(Brahman). By this mind (the seeker)
again and again remembers and thinks about Brahman.
Only by the mind can the
seeker after knowledge approach Brahman, whose nature in glory and speed has
been described as like unto a flash of lightning. Mind alone can picture the indescribable
Brahman; and mind alone, being swift in its nature, can follow Him. It is through the help of this mind that we
can think and meditate on Brahman; and when by constant thought of Him the mind
becomes purified, then like a polished mirror it can reflect His Divine Glory.
VI
That Brahman is called Tadvanam (object of adoration). He is to be worshipped by the name Tadvanam. He who
knows Brahman thus, is loved by all beings.
Brahman is the object of
adoration and the goal of all beings.
For this reason he should be worshipped and meditated upon as Tadvanam. Whoever
knows Him in this aspect becomes one with Him, and serves as a clear channel
through which the blessings of Brahman flow out to others. The knower of God partakes of all His lovable
qualities and is therefore loved by all true devotees.
VII
The disciple asked: O
Master, teach me the Upanishad. (The
teacher replied:) The Upanishad has been taught
thee. We have certainly taught thee the
Upanishad about Brahman.
VIII
The Upanishad is based on tapas (practice of the control of body, mind and senses), dama (subjugation of the senses), karma
(right performance of prescribed actions).
The Vedas are its limbs. Truth is
its support.
IX
He who knows this (wisdom of
the Upanishad), having been cleansed of all sin, becomes established in the
blissful, eternal and highest abode of Brahman, in the highest abode of
Brahman.
Here ends this Upanishad.
This Upanishad is called Kena, because it begins with the inquiry: "By
whom" (Kena) willed or directed does the mind go
towards its object? From whom comes
life? What enables man to speak, to hear
and see? And the teacher in reply gives
him the definition of Brahman, the Source and Basis of existence. The spirit of the Upanishads is always to
show that no matter where we look or what we see or feel in the visible world,
it all proceeds from one Source.
The prevailing note of all
Vedic teaching is this: One tremendous Whole becoming the world, and again the world merging in that Whole.
It also strives in various ways to define that Source, knowing which all
else is known and without which no knowledge can be well established. So here the teacher replies: That which is
the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear, that is the inexhaustible river of
being which flows on eternally; while bubbles of creation rise on the surface,
live for a time, then burst.
The teacher, however, warns
the disciple that this eye, ear, mind, can never perceive It;
for It is that which illumines speech and mind, which enables eye and ear and
all sense-faculties to perform their tasks.
"It is distinct from the known and also It
is beyond the unknown." He who
thinks he knows It, knows It not; because It is never
known by those who believe that It can be grasped by the intellect or by the
senses; but It can be known by him who knows It as the basis of all
consciousness.
The knower of Truth says,
"I know It not," because he realizes the unbounded, infinite nature
of the Supreme. "Thou art this (the
visible), Thou art That (the invisible), and Thou art
all that is beyond," he declares.
The ordinary idea of knowledge is that which is based on sense preceptions; but the knowledge of an illumined Sage is not
confined to his senses. He has all the
knowledge that comes from the senses and all that comes from Spirit.
The special purpose of this
Upanishad is to give us the knowledge of the Real, that
we may not come under the dominion of the ego by identifying ourselves with our
body, mind and senses. Mortals become
mortals because they fall under the sway of ego and depend on their own limited
physical and mental strength. The lesson
of the parable of the Devas and Brahman is that there
is no real power, no real doer except God.
He is the eye of the eye, the ear of the ear; and eyes, ears, and all
our faculties have no power independent of Him.
When we thus realize Him as the underlying Reality of our being, we
transcend death and become immortal.
THE END