|| amrutvani ||: kathopanishad original sanskrit with English translation 2nd Chapter 3rd Valli

amrutvani

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Kathopanishad Chapter 2nd Valli 3rd

तृतीया वल्ली

ऊर्ध्वमूलोSवाक्शाखा एषोSश्वत्थः सनातन्: |

तदैव शुर्क्र तद्ब्रह्य तदेवामृतमुच्यते |

तस्मिंल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन |

एतद्वै तत् || १ ||

In the first mantra of this Valli, Yamaraja gives another imagery of ‘etat vai tat’.
The Upanishad presents the samsära as an Asvattha tree.
Its root system if facing up and the branches are hanging down.
The roots are in the nitya-tattva.
That is Brahman, That is Amrta. All the regions are based on That.
No one can transcend That.
This is That (you asked). (II.3.1)

(This imagery of Asvattha tree compared to the samsara, is repeated in the BhagavadGitä-XV.)

यदिदं किं च जगत्सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् |

महद्भयं वज्रमुद्यतं व एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति || २ ||

Tr. - This is the präna. The whole universe emerges and moves because of This Brahman,
which is a great terror like an uplifted thunderbolt. Those who know This become immortal. (II.3.2)

भयादस्याग्निस्तपति भयात्तपति सूर्यः |

भयादिन्द्रश्च वायुश्च मृतुर्धावति पञ्चमः || ३ ||

Yamaräja continues to present That Brahman thus,

Yamaräja then explains how the order is maintained because of Its presence –

Tr. - Out of fear of Him fire burns, out of fear of Him the Sun shines,
out of fear of Him, Indra, Väyu and Death perform their duties. (II.3.3)

इह चेदशकद् बोद्धुं प्राक्शरीरस्य विस्त्रसः |

ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते || ४ ||

(This concept is a famous and oft-quoted mantra in Kenopanishad-II.5)

Yamaräja continues to explain the spirit of the mantras –

Clarity of Vision of Atma is maximum here

Tr. - If one succeeds in knowing Him before the fall of the physical body, one becomes free; else, because of that one continues to be born in the world of creatures. (II.3.4)

यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके | यथाप्सु

परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोरिव ब्रह्मलोके || ५ ||

Tr. - That tattva is clearly seen here in the intellect,
just as the reflection in the mirror, in the Pitrloka
It is seen like in the dream, in Gandharva-loka as seen in water.
However, in Brahmaloka It is seen as clearly as light and shade. (II.3.5)

(Since it is very difficult to go to Brahmaloka, one should strive to know That in this life.)

इन्द्रियाणां प्रुथग्भावमुदयास्तमयो च यत् |

प्रुथगुत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति || ६ ||

(The concept of II.3.3 is repeated in Taittiriya Upanishad-II.8.1).
Tr. - If one succeeds in knowing Him before the fall of the physical body, one becomes free; else, because of that one continues to be born in the world of creatures. (II.3.4) (This concept is a famous and oft-quoted mantra in Kenopanishad-II.5) Yamaräja continues to explain the spirit of the mantras – Clarity of Vision of Atma is maximum here Now Yamaräja explains how to know That and the necessity of that knowledge. (This physical body functions with the help of the five senses.) Tr. - The wise man who knows the differences of the senses and rising and setting, does not grieve. (II.3.6)

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम् |

सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा महतोSव्यक्तमुत्तमम् || ७ ||

Tr. - The mind is superior to the senses, and the intellect superior to the mind and Mahat is superior to the intellect, and the Avyaktam (Unmanifest Creation) is superior to Mahat. (II.3.7) (This is repetition of mantra I.3.10, and the concept is repeated in BhagavadGita-III.42)

अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोSलिङ्ग एव च |

यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुरमृतत्वं च गच्छति || ८ ||

Tr. - The all-pervasive Purusha is superior to the Avyakta, and is devoid of any attributes. Knowing Him, a man becomes free and obtains immortality. (II.3.8)

न संदृशे तिष्टति रूपमस्य

न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् |

हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिक्लृप्तो

य एततद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति || ९ ||

Tr. - His form is not within the range of the vision, nobody sees Him with the physical eyes. When this Self is revealed through meditation, it is known by the intellect, the ruler of the mind. Those who know Him become immortal. (II.3.9)

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह |

बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तामाहुः परमां गतिम् || १० ||

But how can the ruler of the heart be known? For that purpose, Yoga is introduced, Tr. - When the five senses along with the mind and intellect calm down, that is called the highest state. (II.3.10)

तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम् |

अप्रमत्तस्तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ || ११ ||

Tr. - Such a state of keeping the senses steady is called Yoga. One becomes alert and vigilant at that time, since Yoga is subject to rising and setting. (II.3.11)

नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्षुषा |

अस्तीति ब्रुवतोSन्यत्र कथं तदुपलभ्यते || १२ ||

Such a state is achieved through effort and practice, Tr. That nitya-tattva is not attained through speech, nor mind (contradiction of mantra II.1.11), nor the eyes. It is not available to anyone other than him, who knows that It indeed is. (II.3.12) (meaning the wise know it as himself/herself)

अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धव्यस्तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः |

अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति || 13 ||

Tr. - First, the Self is to be accepted as existing, and then as It is really. Of these two aspects, the real nature of the Self that is known as mere existence becomes favourably disposed (for self-revelation). (II.3.13)

यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा ये स्य हृदि श्रिताः |

अथ मर्त्यो मृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समष्नुते || १४ ||

Tr. - When all the desires of the mind fall off, then the man becomes free even while alive. He attains the Brahman here. (II.3.14)

यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते ह्रुदयस्यस्येह ग्रन्थयः |

अथ मर्त्योSमृतो भवत्येतावद्ध्यनुशासनम् || १५ ||

(2nd Pramäna-väkya for the theory/law of Jivanmukta in Advaita) But when the desires will be totally uprooted? Upanishad says – Tr. - When all the knots of the heart (mind/intellect) fall off, even while the man is alive, then a mortal becomes immortal. This much alone is the teaching of the Upanishad. (II.3.15)

शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाङ्य-

स्तासां मूर्धानमभिनिःसृतैका |

तयोर्ध्वमायन्नमृतत्वमेति

विष्वङङन्या उत्क्रमणे भवन्ति || १६ ||

Tr. - The nerves of the mind is 101 in number. Of them, one nerve passes through the crown of the head. Going up through that nerve, one gets immortality. The others who go through different directions, become causes of birth and death. (II.3.16) Now, with the view to conclude the purport of the chapters, the Upanishad says -

अङ्गुष्ठमात्र: पुरुषो न्तरात्मा

सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः |

तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुज्ञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण |

तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति || १७ ||

Now, with the view to conclude the purport of the chapters, the Upanishad says - Tr. - The Purusha, the indweller of the body is of the size of the thumb (for visualisation and meditation only) and is ever-seated in the minds of the people. One should unerringly separate Him from the physical body, just as the stalk is separated from the munjä grass. One should know Him as pure and immortal, one should now Him as pure and immortal. (II.3.17)

मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतोSथ लब्ध्वा

विद्यामेतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् |

ब्रह्माप्राप्तो विरजोSभूद्विमृत्यु-

रन्योSप्येवं यो विदध्यात्ममेव || १८ ||

Tr. - Naciketä having first become free from virtue and vice, and desire and ignorance received this knowledge of Yoga in its totality revealed by Lord of Death, and attained Brahman. Anyone else, too, who becomes a knower like him (Naciketä) attains Brahman. (II.3.18)

ॐ सह नाववतु | सह नौ भुनक्तु | सह वीर्यं

करवावहै | तेजस्वी नावधीतमस्तु

मा विद्विषावहै || १९ ||

ॐ शान्तिः ! शान्तिः !! शान्तिः !!!

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