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Kathopanisad

Chapter 2 Valli 2 Mantra 2

Mantra

ha̱msah śu̍ciṣad vasu̍r antari̱kṣasad hotā̍ vedi̱ṣad ati̍thir duroṇa̱sat |
nṛ̱ṣad va̍ra̱sad ṛ̍ta̱sad vyo̍ma̱sad a̱bjā go̱jā ṛ̍ta̱jā a̍dri̱jā ṛ̱taṃ bṛ̱hat ||

haṁsaḥ = a swan, the Supreme Mover (ham = to go); śuci sad = a dweller in the pure place i.e., sky; vasuḥ = all pervader; antarikṣa-sad = a dweller in the intermediate region of the sky; hotā = the sacrificial fire or the priest; vediṣat = the dweller upon the sacrificial altar; atithiḥ = the guest; duroṇasat = that is within the drona vessel; nṛṣat =a dweller among humans; varasat = a dweller among the gods; ṛtasat = a dweller in Truth or Cosmic Order; vyomasat = a dweller in space; abjā = born in the waters; gojā = born in the earth; ṛtajā = born of sacrifice; adrijā = born in the mountains (rivers etc); ṛtam = immutable in nature; bṛhat = the great.

As Hamsa (Sun) He dwells in heaven; as Vayu (air) He dwells in the sky; as fire He dwells on the Earth; as guest He dwells in a house; He dwells in man, in the Gods, in the Sacrifice (truth), in the sky. He is born in the waters, He is born in the earth, He is born in the sacrifice, He is born on the mountains; He is true and great.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

The Purusha who has been explained, in the last Mantras, as residing in the human body is now explained in its wider aspect as the Lordly one who presides over all the functions in every form. The stanza gives us a very melodious list of living organisms and forms in the universe.

Abja (born in water) — In the form of conch, mother-of-pearl, shell, fish, insects; in short, all aquatic animals and insects.

Gojah (born of the earth) — In the form of corn, grain, plants, trees, herbs and so on.

Adrijah (born of mountains) — In the form of rivers, springs, rivulets, and so on.

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Kathopanisad

Chapter 2 Valli 2 Mantra 1

Mantra

pu̱ram e̍kādaśa-dvāram a̱jasyā̍-vakra̱-ceta̍saḥ |
a̱nuṣṭhā̍ya na̱ śoca̍ti vi̱mukta̍śca vi̱mucya̍te |
e̱tad vai tat ||

puram = a city; ekādaśa-dvāram =possessed of 11 gates; ajasya = of the Birthless One; avakracetasaḥ = of the One whose knowledge is not crooked; anuṣṭhāya = ruling, guiding or meditating upon That; na = does not; śocati = grieve, experience sorrow; vimuktaḥ ca = and being freed; vimucyate = is liberated indeed; etad vai tat = this verily is that.

The city of the unborn (Brahman) whose knowledge is permanent, has eleven gates. Adoring Him, one does not grieve and liberated (from all bonds of ignorance), he becomes free. This verily is That.

by Swami Chinmayananda:

Puram-ekadasa-dvaram (City with Eleven Gates) — The body with its eleven opening-gates is meant here by the “city”. We have altogether seven openings in the head, three openings in the trunk and the eleventh one is the subtle aperture called the “Brahmarandhra” at the crown of the head, famous in the Yoga-sastra.

The comparison of the body with a city is quite appropriate inasmuch as we have gates, gate keepers, their controllers, a palace and a king, under whose orders all the servants carry out their appointed duties very systematically and very regularly, both in a city as well as in the body. The sense organ openings are the gates; the presiding deities are the gate-keepers; the mind, the controller; and Purusha, the King.

Anushtaya (having meditated upon) — He who meditates upon the Lord of the Heart constantly gets rid of his Ignorance and ignorance created ego sense and realizes the True Nature of the Self. Thereafter, naturally, he grieves not, being liberated from all bonds of ignorance and becoming free from the trammels of birth and death.

This is “That” which Nachiketas had asked of his Guru Lord Death, to explain.

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