Chapter 3: The chariot of the body and Arise, awake

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

ṛtaṃ pibantau sukṛtasya loke
guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe |
chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti
pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ

Two drink the fruit of their deeds in the world of good works, both entered into the cave of the heart, the highest seat. The knowers of Brahman call them shadow and light, and so do householders who keep the five fires and those who have kindled the Nachiketa fire three times.

यः सेतुरीजानानामक्षरं ब्रह्म यत् परम् ।
अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं नाचिकेतँ शकेमहि

yaḥ seturījānānāmakṣaraṃ brahma yat param |
abhayaṃ titīrṣatāṃ pāraṃ nāciketam̐ śakemahi

May we master the Nachiketa fire, a bridge for those who perform yajna, and also the imperishable Brahman, the supreme, the fearless far shore for those who wish to cross.

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

ātmānam̐ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīram̐ rathameva tu |
buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca

Know the Self as the lord of the chariot and the body as the chariot. Know the intellect, buddhi, as the charioteer and the mind as the reins.

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् ।
आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः

indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu gocarān |
ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

The senses, they say, are the horses, and the objects of sense the roads they run on. The Self joined with body, senses and mind, the wise call the enjoyer.

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः

yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā |
tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ

He who lacks understanding, whose mind is always unrestrained, has senses out of control, like the wild horses of a charioteer.

यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः

yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā |
tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ

But he who has understanding, whose mind is always restrained, has his senses under control, like the good horses of a charioteer.

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः ।
न स तत्पदमाप्नोति संसारं चाधिगच्छति

yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskaḥ sadā'śuciḥ |
na sa tatpadamāpnoti saṃsāraṃ cādhigacchati

He who lacks understanding, who is heedless and always impure, does not reach that goal but returns into the round of births, samsara.

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

yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ |
sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate

But he who has understanding, who is mindful and always pure, reaches that goal from which he is not born again.

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनः प्रग्रहवान्नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम्

vijñānasārathiryastu manaḥ pragrahavānnaraḥ |
so'dhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam

The man whose charioteer is understanding and who holds the reins of the mind reaches the end of the road, that highest abode of Vishnu.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः

indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca paraṃ manaḥ |
manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparaḥ

Beyond the senses are their objects; beyond the objects is the mind; beyond the mind is the intellect; beyond the intellect is the great Self (Mahat).

महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः ।
पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः

mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ |
puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ

Beyond the Mahat is the Unmanifest; beyond the Unmanifest is the Purusha. Beyond the Purusha there is nothing. That is the end; that is the highest goal.

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

eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho''tmā na prakāśate |
dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā sūkṣmadarśibhiḥ

This Self, hidden in all beings, does not shine forth. But it is seen by those of subtle sight through a sharp and subtle intellect.

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि ।
ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि

yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna ātmani |
jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani

The wise man should merge speech into mind, mind into the knowing self, the knowing self into the great Self, and the great Self into the Self that is peace.

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

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata
prāpya varānnibodhata |
kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā
durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti

Arise! Awake! Having found the great teachers, learn from them. The path is as hard to walk as the sharp edge of a razor, so the sages say.

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

aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ
tathā'rasaṃ nityamagandhavacca yat |
anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ
nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhāt pramucyate

Without sound, touch, form, taste or smell, undecaying and eternal, without beginning or end, beyond the Mahat and unchanging: knowing That, one is freed from the jaws of death.

नाचिकेतमुपाख्यानं मृत्युप्रोक्तँ सनातनम् ।
उक्त्वा श्रुत्वा च मेधावी ब्रह्मलोके महीयते

nāciketamupākhyānaṃ mṛtyuproktam̐ sanātanam |
uktvā śrutvā ca medhāvī brahmaloke mahīyate

The wise man who tells or hears this ancient story of Nachiketa, as told by Death, is honoured in the world of Brahman.

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

ya imaṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ śrāvayed brahmasaṃsadi |
prayataḥ śrāddhakāle vā tadānantyāya kalpate |
tadānantyāya kalpata iti

He who, being pure, recites this supreme secret before an assembly of brahmanas, or at the time of shraddha, gains endless reward. He gains endless reward.