इति काठकोपनिषदि द्वितीयाध्याये द्वितीया वल्ली ॥
15 verses · 5 of 6
The body is a city of eleven gates belonging to the unborn Self; he who tends it grieves no more and is freed. The Self is the swan in the sky, the guest at the hearth, the one seated in the heart. Yama tells Nachiketa what happens after death: some enter a womb, some a plant, according to their deeds and knowledge. As one fire entering the world takes the shape of each thing it burns, as one wind takes each form, so the one Self within all beings takes every form and stays outside. Sun, moon, stars and lightning do not shine there; by its light all this shines.
पुरमेकादशद्वारमजस्यावक्रचेतसः ।
अनुष्ठाय न शोचति विमुक्तश्च विमुच्यते ।
एतद्वै तत्
puramekādaśadvāramajasyāvakracetasaḥ |
anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaśca vimucyate |
etadvai tat
The body is a city with eleven gates belonging to the unborn Self, whose knowledge is straight and unchanging. Meditating on Him, one does not grieve; freed from bonds here, one is freed for ever. This is That.
हँसः शुचिषद्वसुरान्तरिक्षसद्-
होता वेदिषदतिथिर्दुरोणसत् ।
नृषद्वरसदृतसद्व्योमसद्
अब्जा गोजा ऋतजा अद्रिजा ऋतं बृहत्
ham̐saḥ śuciṣadvasurāntarikṣasad-
hotā vediṣadatithirduroṇasat |
nṛṣadvarasadṛtasadvyomasad
abjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtaṃ bṛhat
He is the swan, the sun dwelling in the bright sky; the Vasu, the air dwelling in the mid-region; the hota at the altar; the guest in the house. He dwells in men, in the devas, in truth, in the sky. He is born in water, from earth, from yajna, from the mountains. He is the Truth, the Great.
ऊर्ध्वं प्राणमुन्नयत्यपानं प्रत्यगस्यति ।
मध्ये वामनमासीनं विश्वे देवा उपासते
ūrdhvaṃ prāṇamunnayatyapānaṃ pratyagasyati |
madhye vāmanamāsīnaṃ viśve devā upāsate
He leads the out-breath upward and drives the in-breath downward. All the devas, the senses, worship that adorable one seated in the middle, in the heart.
अस्य विस्रंसमानस्य शरीरस्थस्य देहिनः ।
देहाद्विमुच्यमानस्य किमत्र परिशिष्यते ।
एतद्वै तत्
asya visraṃsamānasya śarīrasthasya dehinaḥ |
dehādvimucyamānasya kimatra pariśiṣyate |
etadvai tat
When this embodied one, dwelling in the body, slips away and is freed from the body, what remains here? This is That.
न प्राणेन नापानेन मर्त्यो जीवति कश्चन ।
इतरेण तु जीवन्ति यस्मिन्नेतावुपाश्रितौ
na prāṇena nāpānena martyo jīvati kaścana |
itareṇa tu jīvanti yasminnetāvupāśritau
No mortal lives by the in-breath or the out-breath. People live by another, on which these two depend.
हन्त त इदं प्रवक्ष्यामि गुह्यं ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
यथा च मरणं प्राप्य आत्मा भवति गौतम
hanta ta idaṃ pravakṣyāmi guhyaṃ brahma sanātanam |
yathā ca maraṇaṃ prāpya ātmā bhavati gautama
Now, O Gautama, I will tell you this secret, the eternal Brahman, and also what becomes of the soul after death.
योनिमन्ये प्रपद्यन्ते शरीरत्वाय देहिनः ।
स्थाणुमन्येऽनुसंयन्ति यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतम्
yonimanye prapadyante śarīratvāya dehinaḥ |
sthāṇumanye'nusaṃyanti yathākarma yathāśrutam
Some souls enter a womb to take a body; others go into unmoving things such as plants, each according to its deeds and according to its knowledge.
य एष सुप्तेषु जागर्ति कामं कामं पुरुषो निर्मिमाणः ।
तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते ।
तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन ।
एतद्वै तत्
ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāmaṃ kāmaṃ puruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ |
tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate |
tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana |
etadvai tat
The Purusha who stays awake in those who sleep, shaping one desire after another, that is the Pure, that is Brahman, that alone is called immortal. In It all worlds rest, and no one goes beyond It. This is That.
अग्निर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो
रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव ।
एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च
agniryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo
rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva |
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā
rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca
As fire, though one, having entered the world, takes the shape of every form it burns, so the one Self within all beings takes the shape of every form, and is also outside them.
वायुर्यथैको भुवनं प्रविष्टो
रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बभूव ।
एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपो बहिश्च
vāyuryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo
rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva |
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā
rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca
As air, though one, having entered the world, takes the shape of every form it enters, so the one Self within all beings takes the shape of every form, and is also outside them.
सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्षुः
न लिप्यते चाक्षुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः ।
एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः
sūryo yathā sarvalokasya cakṣuḥ
na lipyate cākṣuṣairbāhyadoṣaiḥ |
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā
na lipyate lokaduḥkhena bāhyaḥ
As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not stained by the faults of the eyes or of outer things, so the one Self within all beings is not stained by the sorrow of the world, being beyond it.
एको वशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा
एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति ।
तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः
तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम्
eko vaśī sarvabhūtāntarātmā
ekaṃ rūpaṃ bahudhā yaḥ karoti |
tamātmasthaṃ ye'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ
teṣāṃ sukhaṃ śāśvataṃ netareṣām
The one controller, the inner Self of all beings, makes His one form into many. The wise who see Him dwelling in their own self have lasting happiness, and no others.
नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानाम्
एको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् ।
तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः
तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम्
nityo'nityānāṃ cetanaścetanānām
eko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān |
tamātmasthaṃ ye'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ
teṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām
The eternal among the transient, the consciousness of the conscious, the One who fulfils the desires of many: the wise who see Him dwelling in their own self have lasting peace, and no others.
तदेतदिति मन्यन्तेऽनिर्देश्यं परमं सुखम् ।
कथं नु तद्विजानीयां किमु भाति विभाति वा
tadetaditi manyante'nirdeśyaṃ paramaṃ sukham |
kathaṃ nu tadvijānīyāṃ kimu bhāti vibhāti vā
'This is That,' so the wise know that supreme bliss which cannot be described. How shall I know It? Does It shine by Itself, or does It shine by another's light?
न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं
नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः ।
तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं
तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति
na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ
nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ |
tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ
tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti
There the sun does not shine, nor the moon and stars; these lightnings do not shine there, much less this fire. When He shines, everything shines after Him. By His light all this is lit.
1. "There is a town with eleven gates belonging to the Unborn (Brahman), whose thoughts are never crooked. He who approaches it, grieves no more, and liberated (from all bonds of ignorance) becomes free. This is that.
2. He (Brahman) is the swan (sun), dwelling in the bright heaven; he is the Vasu (air), dwelling in the sky; he is the sacrificer (fire), dwelling on the hearth; he is the guest (Soma), dwelling in the sacrificial jar; he dwells in men, in gods (vara), in the sacrifice (rita), in heaven; he is born in the water, on earth, in the sacrifice (rita), on the mountains; he is the True and the Great.
3. He (Brahman) it is who sends up the breath (prâna), and who throws back the breath (apâna). All the Devas (senses) worship him, the adorable (or the dwarf), who sits in the centre.
4. When that incorporated (Brahman), who dwells in the body, is torn away and freed from the body, what remains then? This is that.
5. No mortal lives by the breath that goes up and by the breath that goes down. We live by another, in whom these two repose.
6. Well then, O Gautama, I shall tell thee this mystery, the old Brahman, and what happens to the Self, after reaching death.
7. Some enter the womb in order to have a body, as organic beings, others go into inorganic matter, according to their work and according to their knowledge.
8. He, the highest Person, who is awake in us while we are asleep, shaping one lovely sight after another, that indeed is the Bright, that is Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds are contained in it, and no one goes beyond. This is that.
9. As the one fire, after it has entered the world, though one, becomes different according to whatever it burns, thus the one Self within all things becomes different, according to whatever it enters, and exists also without.
10. As the one air, after it has entered the world, though one, becomes different according to whatever it enters, thus the one Self within all things becomes different, according to whatever it enters, and exists also without.
11. As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not contaminated by the external impurities seen by the eyes, thus the one Self within all things is never contaminated by the misery of the world, being himself without.
12. There is one ruler, the Self within all things, who makes the one form manifold. The wise who perceive him within their Self, to them belongs eternal happiness, not to others.
13. There is one eternal thinker, thinking non-eternal thoughts, who, though one, fulfils the desires of many. The wise who perceive him within their Self, to them belongs eternal peace, not to others.
14. They perceive that highest indescribable pleasure, saying, This is that. How then can I understand it? Has it its own light, or does it reflect light?
15. The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings, and much less this fire. When he shines, everything shines after him; by his light all this is lighted."
Public-domain translation by F. Max Müller (1884).
Text source: Wikisource · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription of a public-domain text)
