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Kathopanisad

Adyaya 1 Valli 2 Mantra 13

Lecture

Mantra

eta̍c chrutvā sa̱mpa̍rigṛhya martyaḥ
pravṛ̍hya dha̱rmyam aṇum e̍tam āpya
sa mo̍date mo̱danī̍yaguṁ hi labdhvā
vi̱vṛtagu̍ṁ sadma na̱cike̍tasam manye

śrutvā = after hearing the teaching on; etat = that reality of the Self that I shall speak of; samparigṛhya = after intellectually grasping, comprehending (It) fully; pravṛhya = after separating; dharmyam = the essence, the true nature of it; āpya = after attaining, realizing; aṇum etam = this subtle thing – the Self; saḥ martyaḥ = that [enlightened] mortal; modate = rejoices; labdhvā = having obtained, reached; modanīyatṁ = that which causes great delight; manye = I consider; [that the] sadma = mansion – the experience of Brahman; vivṛtaṁ = is wide open; naciketasam = [to you] O Naciketas.

Hearing this and comprehending (it), separating the essence and realizing the subtle, one rejoices, having attained the source of supernal bliss. I know that such an experience is wide open unto you O Naciketa.

pravṛhya dharmyam — separating the essence. We must extract its essential nature, discern its real character and separate the real from the unreal, the permanent from the impermanent, wisdom from delusion.

Rāmānuja takes this to mean separation from the adjunct of the body and mind. Or it can also mean that the “mansion” of the body/mind complex is wide open and no longer confining as in the words of the Buddha upon enlightenment:

‘Never again shalt thou, O builder of houses, make a house for me; broken are all thy beams, thy ridgepole shattered.’

modanīyam: — the source of great joy. In the deepest space of our being is the highest beatitude. To attain That which is the Ultimate Reality  is to gain supernal, abiding bliss. It is not the merging in a negative, characterless Absolute, where all experience is extinguished.

vivṛtaṁ sadma: — the abode or true space of Being referred to as Brahman (the Immensity); it means our ultimate and true resting place or ontological experience is wide open to being personally realized by each and every one of us. The stress is placed upon our personal experience of the Ultimate Truth.

In this verse Yama mentions the three classical steps on the path of discipleship:

śravana (śrutva) — listening attentively to the teaching
manana (samparigṛhya) — reflecting rationally and developing discrimination and 
nididhyāsana (pravṛhya) — putting the teaching into practice and realizing personally the truth of the teaching.

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