Katha Upanishad

शतायुषः पुत्रपौत्रान्वृणीष्वा बहून्पशून् हस्तिहिरण्यमश्वान् । भूमेर्महदायतनं वृणीष्व स्वयं च जीव शरदो यावदिच्छसि

Choose sons and grandsons who live a hundred years, many cattle, elephants, gold, and horses. Choose a vast domain on earth, and live yourself as many autumns as you desire.

एतत्तुल्यं यदि मन्यसे वरं वृणीष्व वित्तं चिरजीविकां च । महाभूमौ नचिकेतस्त्वमेधि कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि

If you consider any boon equal to this, choose wealth and long life. Become lord of great lands, Nachiketa; I will make you the enjoyer of all desires.

ये ये कामा दुर्लभा मर्त्यलोके सर्वान् कामाँश्छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व । इमा रामाः सरथाः सतूर्या न हीदृशा लम्भनीया मनुष्यैः । आभिर्मत्प्रत्ताभिः परिचारयस्व नचिकेतो मरणं माऽनुप्राक्षीः

Whatever desires are hard to obtain in the mortal world, ask for them all freely. Here are these beauties with chariots and musical instruments; such things are not gained by mortals. With these, given by me, enjoy yourself; Nachiketa, do not inquire about death.

श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत् सर्वेंद्रियाणां जरयंति तेजः । अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते

All that is mortal ends tomorrow; these consume the vigor of all the senses. Even all life is short; yours are the chariots, yours the dance and song.

न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यो लप्स्यामहे वित्तमद्राक्ष्म चेत्त्वा । जीविष्यामो यावदीशिष्यसि त्वं वरस्तु मे वरणीयः स एव

Man is not satisfied by wealth. We could obtain wealth if we saw you. We could live as long as you rule. But the boon I desire is that one alone.

अजीर्यताममृतानामुपेत्य जीर्यन्मर्त्यः क्वधःस्थः प्रजानन् । अभिध्यायन् वर्णरतिप्रमोदान् अतिदीर्घे जीविते को रमेत

Having approached the undecaying, the immortal, the decaying mortal, dwelling among perishable things, knowing this, who, reflecting on beauty and pleasure, would delight in a long life?

यस्मिन्निदं विचिकित्सन्ति मृत्यो यत्साम्पराये महति ब्रूहि नस्तत् । योऽयं वरो गूढमनुप्रविष्टो नान्यं तस्मान्नचिकेता वृणीते

That about which there is doubt, O Death, that great matter concerning the hereafter, tell us that. This boon, which is hidden and entered deep, Nachiketa chooses; he asks for no other.

अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेय- स्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँ सिनीतः । तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते

There is one thing called the good, another called the pleasant; both approach a person with different purposes. Among them, the one who chooses the good fares well; the one who chooses the pleasant falls away from the goal.

श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः । श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते

Both the good and the pleasant come to a person; the wise, after examining them, distinguishes. The wise chooses the good over the pleasant; the foolish chooses the pleasant for the sake of gain and preservation.

स त्वं प्रियान्प्रियरूपांश्च कामान् अभिध्यायन्नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः । नैतां सृङ्कां वित्तमयीमवाप्तो यस्यां मज्जन्ति बहवो मनुष्याः

You, Nachiketa, reflecting on desirable and attractive pleasures, have rejected them. You have not entered the chain of wealth, in which many people sink.

दूरमेते विपरीते विषूची अविद्या या च विद्येति ज्ञाता । विद्याभीप्सिनं नचिकेतसं मन्ये न त्वा कामा बहवोऽलोलुपन्त

Far apart, opposed, and diverging are ignorance and knowledge, as known. I consider you, Nachiketa, as one who desires knowledge; many desires have not tempted you.

अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः । दन्द्रम्यमाणाः परियन्ति मूढा अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः

Dwelling amid ignorance, thinking themselves wise and learned, the deluded wander, being led about, just as the blind are led by the blind.

न साम्परायः प्रतिभाति बालं प्रमाद्यन्तं वित्तमोहेन मूढम् । अयं लोको नास्ति पर इति मानी पुनः पुनर्वशमापद्यते मे

The hereafter does not appear to the childish, heedless, deluded by wealth. Thinking 'this world alone exists, there is no other,' again and again they fall under my control.

श्रवणायापि बहुभिर्यो न लभ्यः शृण्वन्तोऽपि बहवो यं न विद्युः । आश्चर्यो वक्ता कुशलोऽस्य लब्धा आश्चर्यो ज्ञाता कुशलानुशिष्टः

He is not easily heard of, even by many; many hear, but do not know him. Wonderful is the speaker, skilled is the receiver; wonderful is the knower, taught by the skilled.

न नरेणावरेण प्रोक्त एष सुविज्ञेयो बहुधा चिन्त्यमानः । अनन्यप्रोक्ते गतिरत्र नास्ति अणीयान् ह्यतर्क्यमणुप्रमाणात्

This is not easily understood when spoken by an inferior person, though considered in many ways. There is no way here except when taught by one who is different; it is subtler than subtle, beyond reasoning, measured by the smallest.

नैषा तर्केण मतिरापनेया प्रोक्तान्येनैव सुज्ञानाय प्रेष्ठ । यां त्वमापः सत्यधृतिर्बतासि त्वादृङ्नो भूयान्नचिकेतः प्रष्टा

This understanding cannot be attained through reasoning; it is taught by another, to one who is truly wise, dearest. You have received it, steadfast in truth you are indeed; may a questioner like you be found for us, O Naciketas.

जानाम्यहं शेवधिरित्यनित्यं न ह्यध्रुवैः प्राप्यते हि ध्रुवं तत् । ततो मया नाचिकेतश्चितोऽग्निः अनित्यैर्द्रव्यैः प्राप्तवानस्मि नित्यम्

I know that the treasure is impermanent; for the eternal cannot be obtained by what is not lasting. Therefore, O Naciketas, the fire you have established by impermanent means, I have attained as eternal.

कामस्याप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां क्रतोरानन्त्यमभयस्य पारम् । स्तोममहदुरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा धृत्या धीरो नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः

Having seen the fulfillment of desire, the foundation of the world, the endlessness of ritual, and the far shore of fearlessness, and having beheld the great praise and the foundation of prosperity, steadfast, you, O Naciketas, have renounced them.

तं दुर्दर्शं गूढमनुप्रविष्टं गुहाहितं गह्वरेष्ठं पुराणम् । अध्यात्मयोगाधिगमेन देवं मत्वा धीरो हर्षशोकौ जहाति

That divine being, difficult to see, deeply hidden, set in the secret cave, dwelling in the abyss, ancient—by attaining him through the discipline of the inner self, the wise person, having known, abandons joy and sorrow.

एतच्छ्रुत्वा सम्परिगृह्य मर्त्यः प्रवृह्य धर्म्यमणुमेतमाप्य । स मोदते मोदनीयँ हि लब्ध्वा विवृतँ सद्म नचिकेतसं मन्ये

Having heard this and comprehended it fully, a mortal, having discerned this subtle principle and attained it, rejoices, having obtained what is worthy of rejoicing. I think the house of Naciketas is open.

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.