kathopanishad-1-2-16-etaddhyevākṣaraṃ

Commentary by Swami Krishnananda of the great Divine Life Society

The Upanishad tells us of the greatness of this Om. Etadd hy evākṣaram brahma, etadd hy evākṣaram param, etadd hy evākṣaram jñātvā, yo yad icchati tasya tat (1.2.16). Etadd hy evākṣaram brahma: Verily this is Brahman itself because outside this final centre of immortality there is nothing. Therefore, it is Absolute, Parabrahman. Etadd hy evākṣaram param: Supreme is the state. External to it, beyond it, nothing is. Etadd hy evākṣaram jñātvā, yo yad icchati tasya tat: Whoever knows this, whatever that person wants is on the palm of his hand. You will have what you want, you will achieve what you want, and it will be on the palm of your hand. Let this ego vanish. Try to be no more a human being. Cease to be a human being, cease to be this body, cease to be this personality, cease to be this individuality, cease to be Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so. Cease to be anything visible, tangible, sensible, contactable. Then you actually melt into the very bricks of the wall that is in front of you.