Katha Upanishad

Salutations to Lord Yama, son of Vivasvan (Surya)!

The Kathopanishad is divided into six Vallis. Valli literally means a creeper. A Valli, like a creeper, is attached to the Sakhas or Branches of the Veda. Valli is used in the same sense as Parvam, joint, shoot, branch, i.e., a division. This Upanishad is also divided into two Adhyayas (chapters) of three Vallis each.

This is one of the most beautiful Upanishads in which the eternal truths are given in the form of a narrative. The narrative is taken from Taittiriya Brahmana (3-11-8) with some variation. The same story is told in the Taittiriya Brahmana, only with this difference, that in the Brahmana, freedom from death and birth is obtained by a peculiar performance of a sacrifice, while in the Upanishad, it is obtained by knowledge only. The story is as follows:

Vajasravasa, wishing for reward, sacrificed all his wealth. He had a son, called Nachiketas. While he was still a boy, faith entered into him at the time when the cows, that were to be given by his father as presents to the priests, were brought in. He said: “Father, to whom wilt thou give me?” He said so a second and a third time. But father turned round and said to him: “To Death I give thee.”

Then a voice said to young Nachiketas as he stood up: “He (thy father) said, ‘Go away to the house of Death, I give thee to Death’. Go therefore to Death, when he is not at home, and dwell in his house for three nights without eating. If he should ask thee ‘Boy, how many nights hast thou been here?’, say, ‘Three’. When he asks thee, ‘What didst thou eat the first night?’, say, ‘Thy offspring’; ‘What didst thou eat the second night?’, say, ‘Thy cattle’; ‘What didst thou eat the third night?’, say, ‘Thy good works’.”

He went to Death, while he was away from home, and he dwelt in his house for three nights without eating. When Death returned, the following took place: ‘Boy, how many nights hast thou been here?’ He answered, ‘Three’. ‘What didst thou eat the first night?’–‘Thy offspring’. ‘What didst thou eat the second night?’–‘Thy cattle’. ‘What didst thou eat the third night?’–‘Thy good works’.

Then Death said: ‘My respect to thee, O venerable sir, choose a boon’. ‘May I return living to my father?’–said Nachiketas. ‘Choose a second boon’, said Death. The boy replied: ‘Tell me how my good works may never perish’. Death then explained to him the Nachiketa fire (sacrifice), and hence his good works do not perish.

‘Choose a third boon’, said Death. Nachiketas said: ‘Tell me how to conquer death’.

Then Death explained to him this (chief) Nachiketa fire (sacrifice), and hence he conquered death.

This Upanishad has become very popular not only in India but everywhere in the world. It has been translated into many languages. It is a branch or recension of the Krishna Yajurveda. It forms part of the Katha-Sakha Brahmana of the Krishna Yajurveda. A few verses from this Upanishad occur in the Bhagavad Gita. It deserves the most careful consideration of all who are interested in the growth of religious and philosophical ideas. The sublime doctrines of Vedanta are presented in this Upanishad in a very attractive and charming manner.

The Katha Upanishad has always been considered as one of the best Upanishads. It has won the appreciation of many English, French and German writers also. They regard this Upanishad as the best book on philosophy and poetry of ancient Hindus. In elevation of thought, depth of expression, beauty of its imagery, no Upanishad is equal to the Kathopanishad.

The comparison of the body with a car or chariot, the soul with the Lord of the chariot, the intellect with the rider, the mind with the rein, the senses with horses, the five objects of the senses with the roads, is indeed very beautiful.

In this Upanishad, the way to attain Self-realisation is fully treated.

From such passages as, “This Atman is difficult to be known, It is very subtle, It cannot be obtained by arguing”, it is quite evident that revelation or direct intuition (Aparoksha-anubhuti) is the source of the knowledge of the Self.

From such passages as, “A wonderful teacher is required”, “Arise, awake, having reached the excellent teacher, learn” (III-14), “How can this Atman be realised otherwise than from those who say that It exists” (VI-12), it is quite clear that a realised Guru is necessary to lead the aspirants in the spiritual path.

From the 11th Mantra of the 6th Valli, you will understand that this Upanishad recognises the necessity of Yoga as well. This Mantra says: “The firm control of the senses they regard as Yoga. At that time one becomes vigilant, for Yoga is acquired and lost”.

Some writers complain that Kathopanishad is not the production of an original thinker or a seer, as there is little connection between the thoughts or verses in some places, there is no progress from one idea to another, there is neither arrangement nor connected sequence in some places, and that it is a mere compilation. This is a sad mistake. The seers of the Upanishads had direct revelations during communion or meditation. They expressed their experiences. Their inspired thoughts were scattered in different Sakhas or Branches of the Vedas. In days of yore, the thoughts of the seers, or their compositions, were handed over orally from teachers to their disciples. The original composers, the compilers, the repeaters, or lastly, the writers of the Upanishads might not have taken care to arrange them in an orderly manner. In some places, the text might have been corrupted by later compilers, copyists or printers.

This Upanishad was first introduced to the knowledge of European scholars by Raja Ram Mohan Roy. It has been translated into the German by Windischmann, by Poley. Dr. Weber has also written a commentary. Swami Ananda Giri has written a gloss on the commentary of Sri Sankara. Muir, Rignaud, Gough and many others have translated this Upanishad.

May the truths of the Upanishads be revealed unto you all! May you all be endowed with right understanding, discrimination and pure subtle intellect! May you all be freed from the knots of ignorance and ties of Samsara, and the trammels of birth and death! May you all be blessed with a Srotriya Brahma-Nishtha Guru to lead you on in the spiritual path! May you all shine as Jivanmuktas or Brahma-Jnanis in this very birth!

Kațhopanişad is perhaps the clearest of all the ten classical Upanişads. Upanişad means Brahmavidyā, that is, the knowledge of Brahman. Kațhopanișad explains Brahmavidyā most clearly, most vividly, and repeats the essentials without making the subject complicated by unconsciously mixing up upāsanās with it as almost all the other Upanișads do. It goes on adding colour after colour in its description of the pure Ātman, which is Brahman, the only Reality. The root cause of all the miseries and calamities of this world is ignorance (avidyā). By instinct or by intellect a man thinks that he is the body. This is ignorance. ‘Body cannot be the meaning of l’. I am Ātman, ever shining, everlasting, eternal, pure Consciousness. To understand Ātman in such a way by intellectual thinking and discrimination, and to experience it by clear perception and Realisation, is called Knowledge. This Self-knowledge – this Ātmavidyā – was demanded by Naciketā, and Yamarāja explained it in a simple style, adopting different methods. This constitutes the whole text.स मोदते मोदनीय हि लब्ध्वा
sa modate modanīyaň hi labdhvā – Kațhopanișad-1.2.13
Having attained the blissful Atman, he becomes happy.

Ātman is of the nature of eternal Bliss. The only source of happiness is Ātman. And that Ātman is one’s own Self. It is already attained. Therefore, Its attainment is nothing but to know It. It is not to be attained or enjoyed as an object, like a mango or an apple. Ātman, the pure Caitanya, is ever luminous in all Its glory in this body. The man of ignorance does not know It though he is doing all his actions by that Caitanya. Therefore, Mother Śruti says with wonder and sorrow –

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत
uttişthata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata  – Kațhopanışad-1.3.14
Arise! Awake! Sitting at the feet of Mahātmās, the Realised souls, know It! Realise It!

This knowledge of Ātman, the destroyer of ignorance, is being discussed again and again in the Kathopanișad and can be easily understood and fully realised by an intelligent and faithful aspirant who is hearing and studying it. The knowledge – I am eternal and ever blissful Brahman; I am beyond this body, senses and mind – which a man acquires by simply hearing the Upanişad cannot be perfect and, therefore, would produce no great result. Incessant flow of remembrance of Ātman in the mind that ‘I am pure, blissful, birthless and deathless Ātman’ like the continuous flow of the Ganga is called perfect Knowledge (jñāna) which alone can destroy ignorance (avidyā) and give perpetual peace.

Even an ikkā driver who attends some lecture of Vedānta on the roadside can have the knowledge of the Ātman for a moment. Though he hears that he is Ātman, he cannot think of it again for himself, as his mind is so deeply rooted in his body and body idea. Ātman idea or Self-knowledge has no place in his mind. His greedy and lustful mind with hundreds of desires, hatreds, ambitions and anxieties cannot think of the Ātman continuously even for a few moments without having the body consciousness, ‘I-ness’ and ‘my-ness?. It burns and boils in the waters of his clinging attachments (trşņā). Ātman can be thought of, realised and remembered only by a calm, quiet and concentrated mind and not by a greedy, anxious and wavering mind. If those who hear the discourses on the Kathopanişad are intelligent, they can have an idea of the Self, that is, they can acquire an intellectual estimate of the Ātman in their understanding. But one cannot be an Atmavit – a Realised soul – by such a knowledge of the Self. Because that knowledge is not perfect; it is only a conditioned knowledge of Ātmā. If the mind of the hearer is faithful, pure, concentrated and calm, then only it can realise and get established in pure Knowledge (jñāna) by continuous remembrance of the Atman. Therefore, the hearers of Vedānta who want to acquire perfect jñāna, which alone can eliminate ignorance and give eternal peace and happiness, must have a pure, calm and concentrated mind. Hence the mantra definitely advises –

नाविरतो दुश्चरितात् नाशान्तो नासमाहितः।
नाशान्तमानसो वापि प्रज्ञानेनैनमाप्नुयात्॥
nāvirato duscaritāt nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ,
nāśānta-mānaso vā’pi prajñanenainam-āpnuyāt. – Kathopanişad-1.2.24
One who is indulged always in vicious actions, and desirous of various sensual enjoyments, and who has got no concentrated mind cannot attain Ātman through Knowledge.

This is the reason why renunciation (vairāgya) is considered as an unavoidable sādhanā for Brahma-jñāna everywhere in Vedānta. Vairāgya can destroy all sorts of desire-dirts and make the mind pure. No other Upanişad has so clearly described the full and true nature of healthy vairāgya as Kathopanişad has done. Naciketā, the glorious student of Brahmavidyā in Kațhopanişad, was an embodiment of vairāgya. No such great adhikarī for Brahmavidyā is ever so exhaustively narrated anywhere in the whole Upanişad literature –

तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते॥
tavaiva vāhāstava nrtyagīte. – Kathopanişad-1.1.26
You may keep yourself these carriages, these singing and dancing girls.

This was the prompt and immediate reply to his Ācārya, Lord Death, when these things of sensual enjoyment were offered to him. Yamarāja utterly failed in his attempt to make Naciketā covetous. By vairāgya and by practising meditation, one’s mind becomes slowly concentrated. Concentration of mind is absolutely necessary for the direct perception and realisation of the Self. By attaining Yoga, the concentration of mind, one can realise the Paramātman and get established in the eternal Bliss – the absolute perfection – beyond all pleasure and pain. What is the nature of the yoga which is described here, as the unavoidable sādhanā for the Brahmajñāna? Śruti very clearly says –

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह।
बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तामाहुः परमां गतिम्॥
तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम्।
yadā pañcā-vatisthante jñānāni manasā saha,
buddhiếca na viceștati tāmāhuḥ paramām gatim.
tām yogamiti manyante sthirām-indriya-dhāraņām, – Kathopanişad-2.3.10,11
When the five senses and mind become controlled and the intellect also becomes steady, then that stage is the highest, and that is called ‘Yoga’ by the great yogīs of the past.

Though ancient rșis called this – sthirām-indriya-dhāraṇām – the control of the outer senses and the inner mind – as ‘yoga’ and though this is the real Yoga which leads us to Self- realisation, perfection and eternal Bliss, the word ‘yoga’ is nowadays greatly misunderstood by the Eastern and the Western book readers. They think that ‘yoga’ means some occult powers and superhuman strength of the body and the senses. The exaggerated descriptions of the power of kundalinī and its awakening in the books on yoga make them eager to become a yogi. They want no realisation of the Self. They never practise yoga for Self-realisation. Real Yoga is concentration of mind, according to the Upanișads and that is to be practised and attained by a spiritual aspirant.

As there is no possibility of realising the Ātman without vairāgya and without concentration of mind, every aspirant must try to acquire these two at any cost. This is what the above mantra in Kaſhopanişad means to say. Therefore, first of all, be good, do good actions like the worship of God, like meditation upon His form, constant remembrance of Him and so on, and thus purify the mind. Practise upāsanā also; that is, do japa and meditation upon the form and qualities of a personal God. By practising selfless service and upāsanā, the wavering state of mind will end, and the mind will become gradually purified. Then you will be able to undoubtedly realise the Ātman, and thereafter come to live in the Ātman which you have intellectually understood by attending the discourses on Kathopanişad.

Never be satisfied by simply attending and hearing the discourses of Vedānta. Intellectual knowledge of the Ātman is only the first stage. Do not think that it is the last and the final stage. Many ladders you have to climb on after the acquisition of this intellectual knowledge if you must have the bright vision and the blissful experience of the Ātman. That is the supreme Brahmavidyā which the Kaſhopanișad teaches us. Try to reach that final stage by performing continuously severe spiritual sādhanās. Never feel contented with the preliminary intellectual knowledge of the supreme Self in you. Strive to become and be.

Blessings