KATHOUPANISHAD - 63. Swami Advayananda.
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KATHOPANISHAD
Chapter 1.3:
17 Mantras: THE JOURNEY AHEAD
THE GLORY OF THIS JOURNEY
Mantram - 1.3.14: A Wake-Up Call From the Wise
Post - 63.
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THE GLORY OF THIS JOURNEY:
Mantram - 1.3.14: A Wake-Up Call From the Wise
1
Uttishthata jaagrata = “Arise! Awake!
2
praapya varaan nibodhata; = Having reached the great ones, learn from them!
3
kshurasya dhaaraa nishitaa duratyayaa = Like the sharp edge of a razor, very difficult to cross,
4
durgam pathah tat kavayah vadanti. = and hard to tread is the Path!” So say the wise ones.
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The first half (1-2 ) of this mantram is not set in any meter. A command is hardly likely to
be sung – there is no music in it! It has to come through sharply with urgency and authority.
The second half (3-4 ) is a contrast to the first. It is gentle and melodious, set in
meter. Its primary message is to warn us that the path is difficult; it is like treading over the
edge of a sharp sword without any shoes. The hidden message is: The spiritual journey of
Sreyas is difficult in the beginning but the end is very sweet. In contrast, the path of Preyas
is pleasant during the journey, but its fruits are very bitter.
1
A rich insight from Pujya Gurudev explains why ‘arise’ has been placed before
‘awake’. One would expect to awake first and then arise. Here is Gurudev’s insight:
“In normal sleep we would awake first and then arise from bed. However, in the case
of very deep sleep, one actually gets out of bed, still sleepy, eyes half-opened. Then he goes
to the washroom and, only after splashing some water over the eyes, does he really
awaken. In the sleep in question, it is not just very deep sleep but the ‘sleep of ignorance’
which has been going on for ages. Can there be a deeper sleep than this? For this reason,
arise comes before awake.”
An interesting point, worth noting!
2
Awakening from the slumber of ignorance, what does one do first?
Approach the noble teachers – plural because there are different teachers for different types of seekers.
We must go to them and learn how to get out of ignorance once and for all.
3
Going to the teachers is also because it is very difficult to tread this path alone,
almost impossible. It is always advisable to walk with somebody who knows the pitfalls. The
path is very difficult, indeed, and that is perhaps another reason why it is called subtle.
4
And who says that it is tough? They are the wise ones, the saints, those who have
been through the grinding mill and know what it is like. Their words have to be taken
seriously. If we dismiss them, we do so at our own risk.
The Bhashya suggests a reason why the path is so difficult. It is due to the subtleness
of the knowledge of Truth. Because the Truth Itself is so subtle, the qualifications to grasp It
are also very subtle. It certainly needs the help of a realized sage to tread it with confidence.
Sri Shankaracharya is one of those “wise ones” to whom we can turn to for light on
the Path. His Bhashya says: “Do not take this lightly – it can make all the difference.”
The Love of Mother Sruti
The love that Mother Sruti (the scriptures) has for us is like that of a mother.
Acharyaji spoke very inspiringly to us of a mother’s love: “Shankaracharyaji loved his
mother very greatly. A mother’s love is pure selflessness. God could not reach all his
children, so He made mothers! The father may try to correct us once and then forget it, but
mother will go on correcting us. She is not concerned about what we think of her; she only
has our well-being at heart. That is how the scriptures are.”
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Next
Mantram - 1.3.15: Subtlety of the Supreme Self
Continued
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