Katha Upanishad

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.

ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः । तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते । तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वै तत्

With roots above and branches below, this eternal aśvattha tree—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.

यदिदं किं च जगत् सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् । महद्भयं वज्रमुद्यतं य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति

Whatever is here, this whole world, moves as sent forth by prāṇa; a great terror, a raised thunderbolt—those who know this become immortal.

भयादस्याग्निस्तपति भयात्तपति सूर्यः । भयादिन्द्रश्च वायुश्च मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चमः

From fear of him, fire burns; from fear, the sun shines; from fear, Indra and Vāyu, and Death as the fifth, run their course.

इह चेदशकद्बोद्धुं प्राक्षरीरस्य विस्रसः । ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते

If one is unable to know him here, before the body falls away, then one becomes fit for embodiment in the worlds of creation.

यथाऽऽदर्शे तथाऽऽत्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके । यथाऽप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोरिव ब्रह्मलोके

As in a mirror, so in the self; as in a dream, so in the world of ancestors; as in water, so in the world of gandharvas; as in shadow and sunlight, so in the world of Brahman.

इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावमुदयास्तमयौ च यत् । पृथगुत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति

He who knows the distinctness of the senses, their rising and setting, and their separate origin—such a wise one does not grieve.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम् । सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा महतोऽव्यक्तमुत्तमम्

Beyond the senses is the mind; beyond the mind is the higher intellect; beyond the intellect is the great self; beyond the great is the unmanifest.

अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च । यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुरमृतत्वं च गच्छति

Beyond the unmanifest is the Person, all-pervading and without marks; knowing him, a living being is freed and attains immortality.

न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्य न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् । हृदा मनीषा मनसाऽभिक्लृप्तो य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति

His form does not stand within sight; no one sees him with the eye. He is grasped by the heart, by thought, by the mind. Those who know this become immortal.

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह । बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टते तामाहुः परमां गतिम्

When the five senses, together with the mind, come to rest, and the intellect does not stir, they call that the highest state.