Katha Upanishad — Chapter 6
KaU 6.1
ऊर्ध्वमूलो अवाक्शाख एषो ऽश्वत्थः सनातनः तद् एव शुक्रं तद् ब्रह्म तद् एवामृतम् उच्यते तस्मिंल् लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तद् उ नात्येति कश्चन । एतद् वै तत्
ūrdhvamūlo avākśākha eṣo 'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate tasmiṃl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana / etad vai tat
"There is that ancient tree, whose roots grow upward and whose branches grow downward; — that indeed is called the Bright that is called Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds are contained in it, and no one goes beyond. This is that.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.2
यद् इदं किंच जगत् सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् महद् भयं वज्रम् उद्यतं य एतद् विदुर् अमृतास् ते भवन्ति
yad idaṃ kiṃca jagat sarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam mahad bhayaṃ vajram udyataṃ ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti
Whatever there is, the whole world, when gone forth (from the Brahman), trembles in its breath. That Brahman is a great terror, like a drawn sword. Those who know it become immortal.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.3
भयाद् अस्याग्निस् तपति भयात् तपति सूर्यः भयाद् इन्द्रश् च वायुश् च मृत्युर् धावति पञ्चमः
bhayād asyāgnis tapati bhayāt tapati sūryaḥ bhayād indraś ca vāyuś ca mṛtyur dhāvati pañcamaḥ
From terror of Brahman fire burns, from terror the sun burns, from terror Indra and Vâyu, and Death, as the fifth, run away.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.4
इह चेद् अशकद् बोद्धुं प्राक्शरीरस्य विस्रसः ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते
iha ced aśakad boddhuṃ prākśarīrasya visrasaḥ tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate
If a man could not understand it before the falling asunder of his body, then he has to take body again in the worlds of creation.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.5
यथादर्शे तथात्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके यथाप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोके छायातपयोर् इव ब्रह्मलोके
yathādarśe tathātmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke yathāpsu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke chāyātapayor iva brahmaloke
As in a mirror, so (Brahman may be seen clearly) here in this body; as in a dream, in the world of the Fathers; as in the water, he is seen about in the world of the Gandharvas; as in light and shade in the world of Brahmâ.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.6
इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावम् उदयास्तमयौ च यत् पृथग् उत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति
indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvam udayāstamayau ca yat pṛthag utpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati
Having understood that the senses are distinct (from the Âtman), and that their rising and setting (their waking and sleeping) belongs to them in their distinct existence (and not to the Âtman), a wise man grieves no more.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.7
इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वम् उत्तमम् सत्त्वाद् अधि महानात्मा महतो ऽव्यक्तम् उत्तमम्
indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvam uttamam sattvād adhi mahānātmā mahato 'vyaktam uttamam
Beyond the senses is the mind, beyond the mind is the highest (created) Being, higher than that Being is the Great Self, higher than the Great, the highest Undeveloped.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.8
अव्यक्तात् तु परः पुरुषो व्यापको ऽलिङ्ग एव च यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुर् अमृतत्वं च गच्छति
avyaktāt tu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako 'liṅga eva ca yaṃ jñātvā mucyate jantur amṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati
Beyond the Undeveloped is the Person, the all-pervading and entirely imperceptible. Every creature that knows him is liberated, and obtains immortality.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.9
न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपम् अस्य न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् हृदा मनीषा मनसाभिकॢप्तो य एतद् विदुर् अमृतास् ते भवन्ति
na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpam asya na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam hṛdā manīṣā manasābhikḷpto ya etad vidur amṛtās te bhavanti
His form is not to be seen, no one beholds him with the eye. He is imagined by the heart, by wisdom, by the mind. Those who know this, are immortal.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.10
यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह बुद्धिश् च न विचेष्टति ताम् आहुः परमां गतिम्
yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha buddhiś ca na viceṣṭati tām āhuḥ paramāṃ gatim
When the five instruments of knowledge stand still together with the mind, and when the intellect does not move, that is called the highest state.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.11
तां योगम् इति मन्यन्ते स्थिराम् इन्द्रियधारणाम् अप्रमत्तस् तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ
tāṃ yogam iti manyante sthirām indriyadhāraṇām apramattas tadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau
This, the firm holding back of the senses, is what is called Yoga. He must be free from thoughtlessness then, for Yoga comes and goes.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.12
नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्षुषा अस्तीति ब्रुवतो ऽन्यत्र कथं तद् उपलभ्यते
naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā astīti bruvato 'nyatra kathaṃ tad upalabhyate
He (the Self) cannot be reached by speech, by mind, or by the eye. How can it be apprehended except by him who says: "He is?"
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.13
अस्तीत्य् एवोपलब्धव्यस् तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः अस्तीत्य् एवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति
astīty evopalabdhavyas tattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ astīty evopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati
By the words "He is," is he to be apprehended, and by (admitting) the reality of both (the invisible Brahman and the visible world, as coming from Brahman). When he has been apprehended by the words "He is," then his reality reveals itself.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.14
यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा ये ऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः अथ मर्त्यो ऽमृतो भवत्य् अत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते
yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye 'sya hṛdi śritāḥ atha martyo 'mṛto bhavaty atra brahma samaśnute
When all desires that dwell in his heart cease, then the mortal becomes immortal, and obtains Brahman.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.15
यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः अथ मर्त्यो ऽमृतो भवत्य् एतावद् ध्य् अनुशासनम्
yadā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ atha martyo 'mṛto bhavaty etāvad dhy anuśāsanam
Whean all the ties of the heart are severed here on earth, then the mortal becomes immortal — here ends the teaching.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.16
शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाड्यस् तासां मूर्धानम् अभिनिःसृतैका तयोर्ध्वम् आयन्न् अमृतत्वम् एति विष्वङ्ङ् अन्या उत्क्रमणे भवति
śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍyas tāsāṃ mūrdhānam abhiniḥsṛtaikā tayordhvam āyann amṛtatvam eti viṣvaṅṅ anyā utkramaṇe bhavati
There are a hundred and one arteries of the heart, one of them penetrates the crown of the head. Moving upwards by it, a man (at his death) reaches the Immortal; the other arteries serve for departing in different directions.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.17
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषो ऽन्तरात्मा सदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः तं स्वाच् छरीरात् प्रवृहेन् मुञ्जाद् इवेषीकां धैर्येण तं विद्याच् छुक्रम् अमृतं तं विद्याच् छुक्रम् अमृतम् इति
aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo 'ntarātmā sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ taṃ svāc charīrāt pravṛhen muñjād iveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtaṃ taṃ vidyāc chukram amṛtam iti
The Person not larger than a thumb, the inner Self, is always settled in the heart of men. Let a man draw that Self forth from his body with steadiness, as one draws the pith from a reed. Let him know that Self as the Bright, as the Immortal; yes, as the Bright, as the Immortal.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)
KaU 6.18
मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतो ऽथ लब्ध्वा विद्याम् एतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजो ऽभूद् विमृत्युर् अन्यो ऽप्य् एवं यो विद् अध्यात्मम् एव
mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo 'tha labdhvā vidyām etāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam brahmaprāpto virajo 'bhūd vimṛtyur anyo 'py evaṃ yo vid adhyātmam eva
Having received this knowledge taught by Death and the whole rule of Yoga (meditation), Nakiketa became free from passion and death, and obtained Brahman. Thus it will be with another also who knows thus what relates to the Self.
— tr. F. Max Müller (SBE, 1879/1884) (public domain)