Katha Upanishad

अन्यत्र धर्मादन्यत्राधर्मा- दन्यत्रास्मात्कृताकृतात् । अन्यत्र भूताच्च भव्याच्च यत्तत्पश्यसि तद्वद

Apart from righteousness, apart from unrighteousness, apart from what has been done and not done, apart from what is and what is to be—what you see there, declare that.

सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्ति तपाँसि सर्वाणि च यद्वदन्ति । यदिच्छन्तो ब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति तत्ते पदँ संग्रहेण ब्रवीम्योमित्येतत्

That goal which all the Vedas declare, which all austerities proclaim, for which people practice celibacy desiring it—that goal I will tell you briefly: it is this—Om.

एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं परम् । एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा यो यदिच्छति तस्य तत्

This syllable alone is Brahman; this syllable alone is the supreme. Knowing this syllable, whatever one desires, that is his.

एतदालम्बनँ श्रेष्ठमेतदालम्बनं परम् । एतदालम्बनं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

This is the best support; this is the supreme support. Knowing this support, one is glorified in the world of Brahman.

न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन् नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् । अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे

The wise one is not born, nor does he die; he did not come from anywhere, nor did anyone come from him. He is unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient; he is not slain when the body is slain.

हन्ता चेन्मन्यते हन्तुँ हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतम् । उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायँ हन्ति न हन्यते

If one thinks he is the slayer, or if another thinks he is slain, both do not understand. He neither slays nor is slain.

अणोरणीयान्महतो महीया- नात्माऽस्य जन्तोर्निहितो गुहायाम् । तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुप्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः

Finer than the finest, greater than the greatest, the Self is hidden in the cave of the living being. One who is free from desire, sees, through the serenity of the senses, the majesty of the Self, being free from sorrow.

आसीनो दूरं व्रजति शयानो याति सर्वतः । कस्तं मदामदं देवं मदन्यो ज्ञातुमर्हति

Sitting, it travels far; lying down, it goes everywhere. Who other than myself can know that divine one, who is joyful and joyless?

अशरीरँ शरीरेष्वनवस्थेष्ववस्थितम् । महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति

Bodiless among bodies, stable among the unstable, considering the great, all-pervading Self, the wise one does not grieve.

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यः तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूँ स्वाम्

This Self is not attained by instruction, nor by intellect, nor by much hearing. He is attained only by the one whom he chooses; to such a one, the Self reveals his own form.

नाविरतो दुश्चरितान्नाशान्तो नासमाहितः । नाशान्तमानसो वाऽपि प्रज्ञानेनैनमाप्नुयात्

Not by one who has not ceased from evil conduct, not by one who is not tranquil, not by one who is not composed, not even by one whose mind is not at peace, can this be attained by knowledge.

यस्य ब्रह्म च क्षत्रं च उभे भवत ओदनः । मृत्युर्यस्योपसेचनं क इत्था वेद यत्र सः

For whom both Brahman and Kshatra are food, and death is the condiment—who can know where he is?

ऋतं पिबन्तौ सुकृतस्य लोके गुहां प्रविष्टौ परमे परार्धे । छायातपौ ब्रह्मविदो वदन्ति पञ्चाग्नयो ये च त्रिणाचिकेताः

Drinking the truth in the world of good deeds, entering the secret cave in the highest, in the supreme, those who know Brahman, and those who perform the five fires and the triple Naciketa sacrifice, call them the shadow and the light.

यः सेतुरीजानानामक्षरं ब्रह्म यत् परम् । अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं [https://puranastudy.000space.com/pur_index15/nachiketa.htm नाचिकेतँ] शकेमहि

That which is the bridge for those who know, the imperishable Brahman, the highest; for those who wish to cross to the shore of fearlessness, Nachiketa, may we be able to attain it.

आत्मानँ रथिनं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च

Know the self as the rider, the body as the chariot; know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as the reins.

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् । आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः

The senses are called the horses, and their objects are the paths they travel; the wise say that the self, joined with mind and senses, is the enjoyer.

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः

But whoever lacks understanding, whose mind is always unrestrained, his senses are uncontrolled, like unruly horses for a charioteer.

यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः

But whoever possesses understanding, whose mind is always restrained, his senses are controlled, like good horses for a charioteer.

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः । न स तत्पदमाप्नोति संसारं चाधिगच्छति

But whoever lacks understanding, whose mind is unsteady and impure, he does not attain that state; he enters into the cycle of rebirth.

यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः । स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते

But whoever possesses understanding, whose mind is steady and pure, he attains that state from which one is not born again.

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः । सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्

Whoever has understanding as the charioteer and the mind as the reins, he reaches the end of the path, that highest state of Vishnu.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः

Indeed, objects are higher than the senses; the mind is higher than the objects; the intellect is higher than the mind; and the great self is higher than the intellect.

महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः । पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा [https://sa.wikisource.org/s/3gst काष्ठा] सा परा गतिः

Higher than the great self is the unmanifest; higher than the unmanifest is the person; there is nothing higher than the person—this is the limit, this is the supreme goal.

एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा न प्रकाशते । दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया सूक्ष्मदर्शिभिः

This self, hidden in all beings, does not shine forth; but it is seen by those with sharp intellect, subtle vision, and subtle understanding.

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि । ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि

Let the wise restrain speech in the mind, restrain the mind in knowledge, restrain knowledge in the great self, and restrain the great self in the peaceful self.

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत । क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति

Arise, awake, having reached the wise, understand; the path is sharp, like the edge of a razor, difficult to traverse—so say the sages.

अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथाऽरसं नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत् । अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुच्यते

That which is soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying, tasteless, eternal, and scentless; without beginning, endless, higher than the great, steadfast—having realized that, one is freed from the mouth of death.

नाचिकेतमुपाख्यानं मृत्युप्रोक्तँ सनातनम् । उक्त्वा श्रुत्वा च मेधावी ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

Having told and heard the ancient story of Nachiketa, spoken by Death, the wise is honored in the world of Brahman.

य इमं परमं गुह्यं श्रावयेद् ब्रह्मसंसदि । प्रयतः श्राद्धकाले वा तदानन्त्याय कल्पते । तदानन्त्याय कल्पत इति

Whoever, with devotion, teaches this supreme secret in an assembly of Brahman, or at the time of the Śrāddha, is prepared for infinity; is prepared for infinity, indeed.