Kathopanishad – Part 1 – Canto 1 – Invocation « »

Kathopanishad Introduction

The Katha Upanishad (Kathopanishad) is the legendary story of a little boy, Nachiketa – the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama (the deity of death). Their conversation evolves to a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Soul, Self) and Moksha (liberation). This Upanishad is one of the most popular Upanishads for its simplicity and clarity in making the subject matter regarding the Highest truth easily comprehensible. It consists of two chapters (adhyāyas), each divided into three sections (vallis) that contain a total of 119 mantras. Many mantras of Kathopanishad have been repeated in the Bhagavad-Gitä in verbatim/or adapted.

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ॐ
॥ अथ कठोपनिषद् ॥
ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सहवीर्यं करवावहै ।
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु । मा विद्विषावहै ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

oṃ
.. atha kaṭhopaniṣad ..
oṃ saha nāvavatu . saha nau bhunaktu . sahavīryaṃ karavāvahai .
tejasvi nāvadhītamastu . mā vidviṣāvahai ..
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ..

Invocation:
Om. May Brahman protect us both! May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of Knowledge! May we both obtain the energy to acquire Knowledge! May what we both study reveal the Truth! May we cherish no ill feeling toward each other!

Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!

Table of Contents

Sri Shankara’s Commentary (Bhashya) translated by S. Sitarama Sastri

This sânti (expiatory prayer) is stated here for the purpose of removing all faults incurred by the disciple and preceptor, in the course of receiving, and imparting knowledge respectively, and caused by dereliction of rules due to oversight or excitement. Let him protect us both by illumining the nature of knowledge. Who? He alone, the Lord of all, revealed by the Upanishads. Again, let him protect us both, by revealing the fruits of such knowledge. Let us together acquire the strength produced by knowledge. Moreover, may what is studied by us, who are bright, be well studied! Or may what is studied, i.e., acquired by study, by us, be very potent! May we, disciple and preceptor, never hate each other, owing to blame incurred by us, by improper recital or instruction due to oversight! The repetition three times of ‘Peace,’ as ‘Peace! Peace! Peace!’ is for averting all evil. The word Om is to show that the Upanishad ends here.

Commentary by Swami Krishnananda of the great Divine Life Society

Auṁ saha nāv avatu, saha nau bhunaktu, saha vīryaṁ karavāvahai: tejasvi nāv adhītam astu: mā vidviṣāvahai; auṁ śāntih, śāntih, śāntih. A Shanti Mantra is recited at the beginning of the Upanishad. Every Upanishad has some Shanti Mantra which is recited in the beginning as well as in the end. In this particular context of the Kathopanishad, the Shanti Mantra is what we have recited just now.

May we both, the teacher and the student, be protected together. May we be nourished together. May we work together with great energy and strength. May our studies bring us brilliance and enlightenment. May there be no enmity or misunderstandings between us. Om, peace, peace, peace.

Saha nāv avatu: May That protect us both. Here ‘both’ means the teacher and the disciple. May we, the teacher and the disciple, be blessed and protected by That. Saha nau bhunaktu: May That energise both of us, and on the one side, make us fit for teaching, and on the other side, make us fit for receiving the teaching. Saha vīryaṁ karavāvahai: May we get strengthened by the energy imparted by the teacher. Tejasvi nāv adhītam astu: May our study impart radiance and light to us. Mā vidviṣāvahai: May there be no conflict between us, may there be no difference of opinion between us, may there be nothing between us which will break the harmony between us, may there be always harmony between us. Auṁ śāntih, śāntih, śāntih: May there be peace, may there be peace, may there be peace. “May there be peace” is said three times as an invocation of divine powers for the freedom from three kinds of troubles to which humanity is generally held: troubles that arise from our own selves, known as adhyatmika tapa; troubles from the outside world, known as adhibhautika tapa; troubles coming from above by thunderstorm, heavy rains, and even earthquakes, which are all superphysical occurrences causing pain to mankind, known as adhidaivika tapa. May there be peace in all the three directions. We begin the study of the Kathopanishad after the recitation of the Shanti Mantra.

Links
Various resources on the Kathopanishad
Upanishad Series – Katopanishad Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda

Kathopanishad – Invocation – Kathopanishad Invocation – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Meaning and Commentary by Adi Shankaracharya (Sankara Bhashya) – Katha-Invocation