Index…

Kathopanisad

Chapter 1 Valli 3 Mantra 17

Lecture

Mantra

ya i̱maṁ para̍maṁ gu̱hya̱ṁ śrāva̍yed bra̱hma-sa̍ṁsadi
pra̱yata̱ḥ śrāddha̍-kāle̱ vā̱ ta̱d āna̍ntyāya̱ kalpa̍te
ta̱d āna̍ntyāya̱ kalpa̍tā i̱ti

yaḥ = whoever; śrāvayed = causes to be recited; imam = this; paramaṁ guhyaṁ = supreme secret doctrine; brahma-saṁsadi = in an assembly of brahmins; prayataḥ = after becoming purified; vā = or; śrādddha-kāle = at the time of the ceremonies for the dead; tat = that funeral ceremony; kalpate = becomes conducive; ānantyāya = to an eternal result.

Whoever with devotion recites before an assembly of Brahmins or at the time of Sraddha of forefathers, this highest secret, obtains thereby immortality, obtains immortality.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

(Thus ends the Third Valli of the First Chapter)

āna̍ntyāya̱ kalpa̍te (obtains immortality). This statement should not be confused by the student of Vedanta to mean what it directly says.  Immortality cannot be gained by merely “reading some textbooks, however great they may be in the presence of any assembly. Knowledge alone is the cure for ignorance; light alone can end the darkness. The vital experience lived through Samadhi that one is, in one’s real Swarupa, of the nature of the Self, alone can end the delusion-created ego-centric false-identifications. It is only with the end of the ego, can we end the dream-sorrows of Samsar and end forever the endless whirl of births. Here immortality means only relative immortality which is the lot of the denizens of the heavens. Compared with the quick visitations of death in the plane of the mortal the long periods of life extending over thousands of years and enjoyed by the enjoyers of heaven, the heavenly life can be favorably expressed as immortal.

With this glorification of Brahma Vidya the first half of the Upanishad ends. It is the style of the Upanishads to repeat the last portion of the last Mantra in each chapter to indicate the end of the chapter. Thus, we have here a repetition of the last two phrases to indicate the close of the chapter.

Thus, in this chapter we have an elaborate scene of a fit student for Vedanta; Nachiketa, approaching a great and perfect Master of Brahma Vidya, Lord Death, with a burning doubt for elucidation. The chapter also contains some crisp statements in which the scriptural answer to the transcendental question has been very briefly hinted at, with, as it were, many ots-and-dashes in between. The next chapter constituting in itself the entire second part of the Upanishad gives us in detail the philosophical expositions on the Nature of the Self.

16-17. There are critics who believe that here the Upanishad ended and these two stanzas give the result of its recital. But this chapter raised some points as to the nature of the Self, the meaning of Yoga, etc. Hence the second chapter.

by Swami Gurubhaktananda:

Auspicious Recitation of this Knowledge

1   Yah imam paramam guhyam      Should anyone get this highest secret
2   shrāvayet brahma sam-sadi;      recited before an assembly of Brahmanas;
3   prayatah shrāddha kāle vā         or at the time of the purificatory rites for the dead,
4a tadā anantyāya kalpate;             then the recital becomes conducive to eternal fruit;
4b tadā anantyāya kalpate iti.          indeed, it becomes conducive to eternal fruit!

1 Special credit is given in this last verse of Part 1 to the active field worker who assists in organizing assemblies of hearers of this knowledge.
2 The recitation of this text before an assembly of Brahmanas (i.e., spiritual aspirants seeking the Immortal Truth), or
3 its recitation at a funeral ceremony is especially blessed by Lord Yama.
4 Such recitation programs are said to take all the people involved with it towards the ultimate Goal – eternal union with Brahman.

At present, the absence of this knowledge makes people unnecessarily afraid of Death. When this knowledge is received by more people, they are less likely to meet death with fear. The result will be that the people whom Yama receives will already know the laws of Karma upon which the governance of life on earth is based. Knowing these laws, when Lord Yama finally visits them, people will welcome him, not repel him.

Thus ends the Third Chapter of the First Part of the Katha Upanishad.

Previous…

 

Index…

Kathopanisad

Chapter 1 Valli 3 Mantra 16

Lecture

Mantra

nā̱cike̱tam u̍pākhyā̱na̱ṁ mṛ̱tyu-pro̍ktaṁ sa̱nāta̍nam |
u̱ktvā śru̱tvā ca̍ medhā̱vī̱ bra̱hma-lo̍ke ma̱hīya̍te ||

uktvā = telling, relating; ca śrutvā = and listening to; upākhyānam = the story and the knowledge; nāciketam = of naciketas; mṛtyu-proktaṁ = as told by Death; sanātanam = is eternal; medhāvī = the intelligent person; mahīyate = is magnified, glorified; brahma-loke = in the world of Brahma.

The intelligent one having heard and repeated this ancient story of Nachiketas told by Death, is glorified, in the world of Brahman.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

In the 16th and 17th Mantras with which the first chapter of Kathopanishad ends, we have a brief statement glorifying the very Upanishad. Such statements of eulogy are very frequent in the style of the scriptures and according to Shri Sankara these statements are often pronounced with a view to encouraging the seekers to study and follow the path.

It is noteworthy that Shri Śaṅkaracharya in his commentary points out that Brahma Loka can have two interpretations: it can be either “the world of the Creator” meaning the Hiranyagarbha State (Brahma Loka), or it can be the world of the Self-effulgent Brahman (Brahmarupi Loka, where Loka means Prakasaroopa). In short, if an intelligent one, who has a large share of retentive capacity and has memorized the first three Vallis of this Upanishad, were to repeat these Mantras often in the presence of others, and thus contribute to the dissemination of them, he shall come to enjoy the transcendental joys of the Brahma Loka. And if we were to accept the other interpretation of Shri Sankara, we shall have to twist a lot the meaning of the words ‘hears’ and “repeats; for wherein, “hearing” and “repeating should mean hearing the Truth from a perfect Master and repeating it through one’s own reflections and meditations until at last one becomes a full Gyani. Then such a great soul shall come to enjoy this Brahmarupi Loka; for, “the knower of Brahman becomes Brahman “, is a famous scriptural declaration.

by Swami Gurubhaktananda:

Glory of the “Nachiketa” Knowledge:

1 Nāchiketam upākhyānam       This (Vedic) knowledge as received by Nachiketa,
2 mrityu proktam sanātanam;    and as told by the Lord of Death, is eternal;
3 uktvā shrutvā cha medhāvē    relating it or hearing it, the intelligent one
4 brahma loke mahēyate.           becomes worthy of glorification in the world of Brahman (or in Brahma Loka).

The Pada could be interpreted in two ways:

1. Upaakhyaanam: “story”. In this case, ‘Nachiketa’ becomes an adjective to ‘story’, giving “The Nachiketa Story”, identifying which story. This is in keeping with the earlier usage of “The Nachiketa Fire” where the entire sacrificial fire was named after
2. Upaakhyaanam: the alternative meaning is “knowledge”. In this case, the Pada could mean either the specific knowledge as taught to Nachiketa by Lord Yama; or that the knowledge is named after him, as “The Nachiketa Knowledge”.

• The knowledge (or the story) is “eternal” because it is from the Vedas, which are eternal. The glorification of either is ultimately the glorification of the Vedas itself.
• The knowledge (or the story) is also glorified by associating it with an intelligent young seeker of exceptional qualities and a pure intellect. As a slight variant, the intelligent student who understands this knowledge is equally glorified in the process.
• Acharyaji expressed it with another metaphor: “A good book is a good meal.” Knowledge was always greatly respected in Vedic culture.
• By stating that the fruit of this knowledge is twofold:

1. It can be Brahman, the highest Goal of human life if by knowledge is meant Brahma Vidya, the Knowledge of the
2. It can be Brahmaloka, the highest heavenly region if the knowledge is taken to mean knowledge of the “Nachiketa Fire Sacrifice”.

Previous…                                                                                                                                                     Next…