Katha Upanishad

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.

हन्त त इदं प्रवक्ष्यामि गुह्यं ब्रह्म सनातनम् । यथा च मरणं प्राप्य आत्मा भवति गौतम

Indeed, I shall declare to you this ancient, secret Brahman, and how, upon reaching death, the self becomes, O Gautama.

योनिमन्ये प्रपद्यन्ते शरीरत्वाय देहिनः । स्थाणुमन्येऽनुसंयन्ति यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतम्

Some embodied beings enter a womb for the sake of a body; others go into stationary forms, according to their deeds and according to their knowledge.

य एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कामं कामं पुरुषो निर्मिमाणः । तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते । तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वै तत्

That person who, creating desire after desire, remains awake among those who sleep—he alone is the pure one, he is Brahman, he is called the immortal; upon him all worlds rest, and none goes beyond him—this indeed is that.

अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव । एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च

As fire, one alone, having entered the world, takes on a form corresponding to every form, so too the inner self of all beings, one alone, takes on a form corresponding to every form, both within and without.

वायुर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव । एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च

As wind, one alone, having entered the world, takes on a form corresponding to every form, so too the inner self of all beings, one alone, takes on a form corresponding to every form, both within and without.

सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्षुः न लिप्यते चाक्षुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः । एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः

As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not tainted by external faults seen by the eye, so too the inner self of all beings, one alone, is not tainted by the sorrows of the world, being beyond them.

एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति । तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम्

The one ruler, the inner self of all beings, who makes the one form manifold—those wise ones who perceive him established in themselves, for them is eternal happiness, not for others.

नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानाम् एको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् । तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम्

The eternal among non-eternal things, the conscious among the conscious, the one who grants desires to the many—those wise ones who perceive him established in themselves, for them is eternal peace, not for others.

तदेतदिति मन्यन्तेऽनिर्देश्यं परमं सुखम् । कथं नु तद्विजानीयां किमु भाति विभाति वा

They think of that as this—indescribable, supreme bliss. How indeed may I know it? Does it shine or does it not shine?

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति

There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; these lightnings do not shine, how then this fire? That shining, all else shines after it; by its light, all this shines.