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Kathopanisad

Adyaya 1 Valli 2 Mantra 7

Lecture

Mantra

śravaṇāyāpi ba̱hubhīr yo na labhyaḥ
śrṇvanto̍’pi ba̱havo yaṁ na vidyuḥ
āścaryaḥ vaktā ku̱śalo’sya labdhā
āścaryaḥ jñātā ku̱śalā̍nu-śiṣṭaḥ

yaḥ = that which; na labhyaḥ = is not attainable; bahubhiḥ = by many; śravaṇāya api = even by hearing; yaṁ = which; bahavaḥ = many (others); śṛṇvantaḥ api = even while hearing; na vidyuḥ = do not know; asya vaktā = Its expounder; (is) āścaryaḥ = wonderful, a rare one; kuśalaḥ = one who is proficient, skillful; labdhā = attainer. For āścaryaḥ = a wonder is the, jñātā = knower; kuśalānu-śiṣṭaḥ = being instructed by a skillful teacher.

That which cannot even be heard of by many; Many, upon even hearing do not comprehend; Very rare is one who can teach; Skillful is one who understands (It) and rare is one who knows (It) when instructed by the skillful.

Naciketas is being complimented by Yama because a sincere seeker of true spiritual knowledge is very rare indeed. The spiritual path is extremely difficult because the nature of the Self is so subtle. The hidden depths of our own personal being are a great mystery. Not many have the earnest determination to begin the quest and fewer still have the staying power to persevere in the practice. And of those that are sincere and determined, not many are able to find a proper skillful teacher.

āścaryavat paśyati kaścid enam āścaryavad vadati tathaiva cānyaḥ |
āścaryavac cainam anyaḥ śṛṇoti śātvāpy-enaṁ veda na caiva kaścit ||
One regards this Self as a wonder, likewise, another speaks of it as a wonder; still, another hears of it as a wonder; and even after hearing of it, one knows it not. (Bhagavad Gita 2:29)

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye |
yatatām-api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ ||
Among thousands of men, perhaps one strives for perfection; even among those who strive for perfection, one only may know Me; and among those who know Me, one alone perhaps knows Me in reality. (Bhagavad Gita 7:3)

In Vivekacuḍāmaṇi Śaṅkara says:—
These are three things which are rare indeed and are due to the grace of God – namely, a human birth, the longing for Liberation, and the protecting care of a perfected sage.

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