Katha Upanishad — Nachiketa + Yama (complete)

अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेयस्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषं सिनीतः। तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते॥

anyac chreyo 'nyad utaiva preyas te ubhe nānārthe puruṣaṃ sinītaḥ | tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhu bhavati hīyate 'rthād ya u preyo vṛṇīte ||

— Different is the Good (shreyas), different is the Pleasant (preyas). Both, of different purposes, bind a person. He who takes up the Good fares well; he who chooses the Pleasant falls from the goal.

श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतस्तौ संपरीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः। श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते॥

śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etas tau saṃparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ | śreyo hi dhīro 'bhi preyaso vṛṇīte preyo mando yogakṣemād vṛṇīte ||

— The Good and the Pleasant approach a person. The wise (dhira), examining both, distinguishes between them. The wise chooses the Good over the Pleasant; the dull (manda), for the sake of yoga-kshema (acquisition + protection), chooses the Pleasant.

श्रवणायापि बहुभिर्यो न लभ्यः शृण्वन्तोऽपि बहवो यं न विद्युः। आश्चर्यो वक्ता कुशलोऽस्य लब्धाश्चर्यो ज्ञाता कुशलानुशिष्टः॥

śravaṇāyāpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ śṛṇvanto 'pi bahavo yaṃ na vidyuḥ | āścaryo vaktā kuśalo 'sya labdhāścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ ||

— (This Atman) is not even attained by many for mere hearing; many, even hearing of IT, do not know IT. Wonderful is the teacher; rare is the receiver; wonderful is the knower, instructed by the skilled.

सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्ति तपांसि सर्वाणि च यद्वदन्ति। यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदं संग्रहेण ब्रवीम्योमित्येतत्॥

sarve vedā yat padam āmananti tapāṃsi sarvāṇi ca yad vadanti | yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tat te padaṃ saṃgraheṇa bravīmy om ity etat ||

— The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities proclaim, desiring which men live the life of brahmacharya — that goal I tell you in brief: it is OM (ॐ).

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित्। अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin nāyaṃ kutaścin na babhūva kaścit | ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||

— The wise (Atman) is not born, nor does it die; it did not come from anywhere, nor did anything come from it. Unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient — it is not slain when the body is slain. (Quoted verbatim in Bhagavad Gita 2.20.)

अणोरणीयान्महतो महीयानात्माऽस्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायाम्। तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुप्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः॥

aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmā 'sya jantor nihito guhāyām | tam akratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuprasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ ||

— Smaller than the small, greater than the great — the Atman is hidden in the cave (heart) of the creature. The desire-free one, free from sorrow, sees that greatness of the Atman by the grace of the Creator.

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन। यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम्॥

nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena | yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām ||

— This Atman is not attained by talk, nor by intellect, nor by much hearing of scriptures. Whom IT chooses — by him alone is IT attained. To him this Atman reveals its own form.

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु। बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च॥

ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca ||

— Know the Atman as the master of the chariot; the body as the chariot itself; the intellect (buddhi) as the charioteer; and the mind (manas) as the reins.

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान्। आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः॥

indriyāṇi hayān āhur viṣayāṃs teṣu gocarān | ātmendriyamano yuktaṃ bhoktety āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||

— The senses are called the horses; the sense-objects their roads. The Atman, joined with senses + mind, is the experiencer (bhokta) — so declare the wise.

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः। सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्॥

vijñānasārathir yas tu manaḥ pragrahavān naraḥ | so 'dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam ||

— The one who has discrimination (vijnana) as charioteer + a controlled mind as reins — that one reaches the end of the path: the supreme abode of Vishnu (paramam padam).

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः। मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः॥

indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṃ manaḥ | manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ ||

— Higher than the senses are the objects; higher than the objects is the mind; higher than the mind is the intellect; higher than the intellect is the Great Self (mahat-atman). (Bhagavad Gita 3.42 quotes this.)

महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः। पुरुषान्न परं किञ्चित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः॥

mahataḥ param avyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ | puruṣān na paraṃ kiñcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ ||

— Higher than the Great (mahat) is the Unmanifest (avyakta); higher than the Unmanifest is the Purusha. Higher than the Purusha there is nothing. That is the limit. That is the supreme goal.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत। क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति॥

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata | kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathas tat kavayo vadanti ||

— ARISE! AWAKE! Approach the great (teachers) and learn! Sharp as a razor's edge, hard to traverse — that path, the sages declare, is difficult to tread. (Swami Vivekananda's lifelong motto.)

अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथारसं नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत्। अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते॥

aśabdam asparśam arūpam avyayaṃ tathārasaṃ nityam agandhavac ca yat | anādy anantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tan mṛtyumukhāt pramucyate ||

— Soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying — similarly tasteless, eternal, odourless — beginningless, endless, beyond the Great, fixed — knowing THIS, one is freed from the mouth of Death.

पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत्स्वयम्भूस्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन्। कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्षदावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन्॥

parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhūs tasmāt parāṅ paśyati nāntarātman | kaścid dhīraḥ pratyag ātmānam aikṣad āvṛttacakṣur amṛtatvam icchan ||

— The Self-Born pierced the openings of the senses outward — therefore, a person looks outward, not at the inner Self. A rare wise one (dhira), desiring immortality (amritatva), turned his gaze inward + beheld the indwelling Atman (pratyag-atman).

पराचः कामाननुयन्ति बालास्ते मृत्योर्यन्ति विततस्य पाशम्। अथ धीरा अमृतत्वं विदित्वा ध्रुवमध्रुवेष्विह न प्रार्थयन्ते॥

parācaḥ kāmān anuyanti bālās te mṛtyor yanti vitatasya pāśam | atha dhīrā amṛtatvaṃ viditvā dhruvam adhruveṣv iha na prārthayante ||

— The childish chase outward desires + fall into the wide-spread snare of Death. But the wise, knowing immortality (amritatva), seek not the eternal among the transient things of this world.

येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान्स्पर्शांश्च मैथुनान्। एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते। एतद्वै तत्॥

yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdān sparśāṃś ca maithunān | etenaiva vijānāti kim atra pariśiṣyate | etad vai tat ||

— That by which one knows form, taste, smell, sound, touch, sexual pleasure — by THAT alone one knows. What remains here (outside Atman)? — THIS verily is THAT (the Atman you asked about).

यदेवेह तदमुत्र यदमुत्र तदन्विह। मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति॥

yad eveha tad amutra yad amutra tad anv iha | mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyum āpnoti ya iha nāneva paśyati ||

— What is here, that is there; what is there, that here. He who sees as it were difference here — from death to death he goes.

मनसैवेदमाप्तव्यं नेह नानास्ति किञ्चन। मृत्योः स मृत्युं गच्छति य इह नानेव पश्यति॥

manasaivedam āptavyaṃ neha nānāsti kiñcana | mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati ||

— This (Brahman) is to be attained only by the mind (purified). There is here no plurality whatever. He who sees as it were plurality here, from death to death he goes.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति। ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते। एतद्वै तत्॥

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati | īśāno bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etad vai tat ||

— The Purusha — of the size of a thumb — dwells in the middle of the self (heart). Lord of past + future — knowing this, one no longer shrinks. THIS verily is THAT.

पुरमेकादशद्वारमजस्यावक्रचेतसः। अनुष्ठाय न शोचति विमुक्तश्च विमुच्यते। एतद्वै तत्॥

puram ekādaśadvāram ajasyāvakracetasaḥ | anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaś ca vimucyate | etad vai tat ||

— There is a city of 11 gates (the body) belonging to the unborn (Atman) of un-bent consciousness. Meditating on HIM, one does not grieve; freed, one is utterly freed. THIS verily is THAT.

हंसः शुचिषद्वसुरन्तरिक्षसद्धोता वेदिषदतिथिर्दुरोणसत्। नृषद्वरसदृतसद्व्योमसदब्जा गोजा ऋतजा अद्रिजा ऋतं बृहत्॥

haṃsaḥ śuciṣad vasur antarikṣasad dhotā vediṣad atithir duroṇasat | nṛṣad varasad ṛtasad vyomasad abjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtaṃ bṛhat ||

— The Hamsa (Atman/Sun) dwells in the pure (heavens), the Vasu in the mid-region, the priest at the altar, the guest at the door — dwells in men, in gods, in the cosmic order (rita), in space, born of water, of cows, of rita, of the mountain — the great Rita (Cosmic Order).

अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव। एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च॥

agnir yathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva | ekas tathā sarvabhūtāntar ātmā rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiś ca ||

— As the one Fire, having entered the world, takes the form of each (object it burns) — so the one Atman, dwelling in all beings, takes the form of each — and yet is beyond.

नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानामेको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान्। तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरास्तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम्॥

nityo 'nityānāṃ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān | tam ātmasthaṃ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrās teṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām ||

— The eternal among the transient, the conscious among the conscious, the One among the many who fulfils all desires — the wise who see HIM dwelling in their own Atman — to them belongs eternal peace; not to others.

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः। तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति॥

na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto 'yam agniḥ | tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṃ vibhāti ||

— There the sun does not shine, nor the moon + stars; nor these lightnings — much less this fire. HE shining, everything shines after HIM. By HIS light all this is illumined.

ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः। तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते। तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन। एतद्वै तत्॥

ūrdhvamūlo 'vākśākha eṣo 'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ | tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate | tasmiṁl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana | etad vai tat ||

— With root above and branches below stands this eternal ashvattha (peepal-tree). THAT is the pure; THAT is Brahman; THAT is called the immortal. In THAT all the worlds rest; none ever passes beyond IT. THIS verily is THAT.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम्। सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा महतोऽव्यक्तमुत्तमम्॥ अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च। यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुरमृतत्वं च गच्छति॥

indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvam uttamam | sattvād adhi mahān ātmā mahato 'vyaktam uttamam || avyaktāt tu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako 'liṅga eva ca | yaṃ jñātvā mucyate jantur amṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati ||

— Higher than the senses is the mind; higher than the mind is the intellect (sattva); higher than the intellect is the Great Self (mahat-atman); higher than the Great is the Unmanifest (avyakta). But beyond the Unmanifest is the Purusha — all-pervading, signless. Knowing whom, the creature is freed + attains immortality.

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह। बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तामाहुः परमां गतिम्॥ तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम्। अप्रमत्तस्तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ॥

yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha | buddhiś ca na viceṣṭati tām āhuḥ paramāṃ gatim || tāṃ yogam iti manyante sthirām indriya-dhāraṇām | apramattas tadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau ||

— When the 5 senses (jnanas), together with the mind, are at rest, and the intellect does not stir — that, they say, is the highest state. This steady holding of the senses they call YOGA. Then one must be vigilant — for yoga has both arising + departing (it can come + it can go).

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः। अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते॥

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

— When all the desires that dwell in the heart are released — then the mortal becomes immortal. Here (in this very body) he attains Brahman.

यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः। अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्येतावद्ध्यनुशासनम्॥

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

— When all the knots of the heart (hridaya-granthi) here are cut — then the mortal becomes immortal. This much, verily, is the (entire) teaching.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषोऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये सन्निविष्टः। तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण। तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति॥

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo 'ntar ātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye sanniviṣṭaḥ | taṃ svāc charīrāt pravṛhen muñjād iveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa | taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtaṃ taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtam iti ||

— The Purusha, of the size of a thumb, the inner Atman, ever-seated in the hearts of beings — one should draw HIM out of one's body with patience, as one draws the reed-pith out of the munja-grass. Know HIM as the pure, the immortal — know HIM as the pure, the immortal.

मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतोऽथ लब्ध्वा विद्यामेतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम्। ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजोऽभूद्विमृत्युरन्योऽप्येवं यो विदध्यात्ममेव॥

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

— Then Nachiketa, having received this vidya taught by Death + the entire yoga procedure — attained Brahman, became free of passion (virajas) + free of death (vimrityu). And so does any other who likewise knows this Adhyatma.