Katha Upanishad

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.

पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भू- स्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् । कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्ष- दावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन्

The self-born has directed the senses outward; therefore one sees outward, not the inner self. Some wise person, desiring immortality, turns his gaze inward and beholds the inner self.

पराचः कामाननुयन्ति बाला- स्ते मृत्योर्यन्ति विततस्य पाशम् । अथ धीरा अमृतत्वं विदित्वा ध्रुवमध्रुवेष्विह न प्रार्थयन्ते

Children pursue outward desires and fall into the wide net of death; but the wise, knowing immortality, do not seek the permanent among impermanent things here.

येन रूपं रसं गन्धं शब्दान् स्पर्शाँश्च मैथुनान् । एतेनैव विजानाति किमत्र परिशिष्यते । एतद्वै तत्

By which one knows form, taste, smell, sounds, touches, and pleasures of union—by this alone one perceives; what remains here unperceived? This indeed is that.

स्वप्नान्तं जागरितान्तं चोभौ येनानुपश्यति । महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति

He who observes both the end of dreaming and the end of waking by that—having known the great, all-pervading Self, the wise one does not grieve.

य इमं मध्वदं वेद आत्मानं जीवमन्तिकात् । ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते । एतद्वै तत्

He who knows this Self, the enjoyer of sweetness, the living soul near at hand, the lord of what was and what will be, does not shrink away from anything. This indeed is that.

यः पूर्वं तपसो जातमद्भ्यः पूर्वमजायत । गुहां प्रविश्य तिष्ठन्तं यो भूतेभिर्व्यपश्यत । एतद्वै तत्

He who was born before ascetic practice, who was born before the waters, who, having entered the secret place, abides there—whom all beings perceive—this indeed is that.

या प्राणेन संभवत्यदितिर्देवतामयी । गुहां प्रविश्य तिष्ठन्तीं या भूतेभिर्व्यजायत । एतद्वै तत्

That which, as the goddess Aditi, composed of divinity, arises with the breath, which, having entered the secret place, abides there, which was brought forth by beings—this indeed is that.

अरण्योर्निहितो जातवेदा गर्भ इव सुभृतो गर्भिणीभिः । दिवे दिवे ईड्यो जागृवद्भिर्हविष्मद्भिर्मनुष्येभिरग्निः । एतद्वै तत्

Hidden in the woods is Jātavedas, well cherished like an embryo by pregnant women; day by day, to those awake and offering oblations, Agni is to be praised by men. This indeed is that.

यतश्चोदेति सूर्योऽस्तं यत्र च गच्छति । तं देवाः सर्वेऽर्पितास्तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वै तत्

From whom the sun rises and into whom it sets, in whom all the gods are established—no one goes beyond that. This indeed is that.

यदेवेह तदमुत्र यदमुत्र तदन्विह । मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति

Whatever is here, that is there; whatever is there, that is here. He who sees difference here goes from death to death.

मनसैवेदमाप्तव्यं नेह नानाऽस्ति किंचन । मृत्योः स मृत्युं गच्छति य इह नानेव पश्यति

This is to be attained only by the mind; here, there is no diversity at all. He who sees difference here goes from death to death.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो मध्य आत्मनि तिष्ठति । ईशानं भूतभव्यस्य न ततो विजुगुप्सते । एतद्वै तत्

The person of the size of a thumb stands in the middle within the self; the lord of what was and what will be—he does not shrink away from anything. This indeed is that.

अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ज्योतिरिवाधूमकः । ईशानो भूतभव्यस्य स एवाद्य स उ श्वः । एतद्वै तत्

The person of the size of a thumb, like a flame without smoke, the lord of what was and what will be—he is today, he is tomorrow. This indeed is that.

यथोदकं दुर्गे वृष्टं पर्वतेषु विधावति । एवं धर्मान् पृथक् पश्यंस्तानेवानुविधावति

As water poured on a rugged mountain runs off in various directions, so, seeing duties as separate, one follows them accordingly.

यथोदकं शुद्धे शुद्धमासिक्तं तादृगेव भवति । एवं मुनेर्विजानत आत्मा भवति गौतम

As pure water poured into pure becomes just so, so, Gautama, the self of the knower who knows becomes.

पुरमेकादशद्वारमजस्यावक्रचेतसः । अनुष्ठाय न शोचति विमुक्तश्च विमुच्यते । एतद्वै तत्

In the city with eleven gates, of the unborn, with crooked mind, having established himself, he does not grieve; being liberated, he is freed. This indeed is that.

हँसः शुचिषद्वसुरान्तरिक्षसद्- होता वेदिषदतिथिर्दुरोणसत् । नृषद्वरसदृतसद्व्योमसद् अब्जा गोजा ऋतजा अद्रिजा ऋतं बृहत्

The swan dwelling in purity, the Vasu abiding in the mid-region, the hotṛ on the altar, the guest in the house, dwelling among men, in the noble, in the right, in the sky, born of water, born of cows, born of truth, born of mountains—truth, the great.

ऊर्ध्वं प्राणमुन्नयत्यपानं प्रत्यगस्यति । मध्ये वामनमासीनं विश्वे देवा उपासते

He raises the breath upward, he sends the downward breath back; all the gods worship the dwarf seated in the middle.

अस्य विस्रंसमानस्य शरीरस्थस्य देहिनः । देहाद्विमुच्यमानस्य किमत्र परिशिष्यते । एतद्वै तत्

As this embodied one, while the body falls away, is released from the body—what remains here? This indeed is that.

न प्राणेन नापानेन मर्त्यो जीवति कश्चन । इतरेण तु जीवन्ति यस्मिन्नेतावुपाश्रितौ

No mortal lives by breath or by the downward breath; they live by another, on whom these two depend.