Index…

Kathopanisad

Adyaya 1 Valli 2 Mantra 6

Lecture

Mantra

na sāṁparāyaḥ pra̱tibhāti bālaṁ
pramādyantaṁ vi̱tta-mohe̍na mūḍham
a̱yaṁ loko nāsti pa̱ra iti mānī
puna̍ḥ punarvaśam ā̱dyate me

sāmparāyaḥ = is the other world, and also any particular scriptural means leading to the attainment of that other world. And this (means) na pratibhāti = does not become revealed to, i.e., does not become serviceable to; bālam = a boy, a non-discriminating one; (who is) pramādyantaṁ = blundering; mūḍham = confounded, being totally immersed in ignorance: vitta-mohena = because of the delusion caused by wealth. ayaṁ lokaḥ = there is only this world that which is visible and abounds with sex, food, drink, etc.; na para asti = there is no other world; iti mānī = constantly thinking thus; (he) being born, punaḥ punaḥ = again and again; ādyate = becomes subject to; vaśam me = my control; that is, one remains involved in a succession of suffering in the form of birth, death, etc.

What lies beyond [death] is not apparent to the blundering simple-minded being deluded by the glamour of wealth. Thinking this world alone exists, there being no other, he falls again and again under my sway.

One who is obsessed with self-referent desires and attracted by worldly status and possessions performs acts to achieve those goals and thus becomes subject to the law of Karma. Accumulation of Karma leads to repeated rebirth, and so one is said to come repeatedly under the control of Yama.

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