KATHA UPANISHAD - 14. Swami Advayananda.

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Chinmaya Mission

Under the guidance of Swami Sivayogananda, Bhagavad Gita Chanting Competition and Prize distribution function was organized by Chinmaya Mission, Madurai on 6th November at Sethupathi Higher Sec School, Madurai. The competition has been organized consecutively for the past 23 years.

Around 12000 children from 38 schools have participated at the preliminary level, out of which 500 such young stars were shortlisted for the finals. 

The Best ones were bestowed with Gold and Silver Coins and special certificates. Notebooks, Stationery Kits certificates were presented to all the participants by Sri.Nagaraj Krishnan, Managing Director, Aparajitha Corporate Services.

Smt.Jamuna, Rajapalayam lighted the lamp. Sri.K.S. Pradeep, DeputyGeneral Manager, Canara Bank Circle Office, was the Chief Guest for the function and inaugurated the competition. 

The event ended with Swami Sivayogananda explaining the vision behind the competition and the greatness of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Karma Yoga and scrumptious Lunch!

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Wednesday, October 26,  2022, 06:30.

Chapter 1.Section-1: (29 Mantras) : The story of Nachiketas in the House of Death

(“A Leap Into the Beyond”) :  Bhashyam by Sri Swami Adi Shankaracharya ji.

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Chapter-1, Section-1.

THE SECOND BOON

Mantram - 1.1.15 : Detailed Knowledge is Taught

Post-14.

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Mantram - 1.1.15 : Detailed Knowledge is Taught & Translation

1 Lokaadim agnim tam uvaacha tasmai         =  The Source of the Worlds, the Fire Sacrifice,  was then explained to him (to Nachiketas);

2 yaah ishtakaah yaavateeh vaa yathaa vaa;  =  (Yama explained) the class of bricks are to be used, how many and how they are to be placed.

3 sah cha api tat pratyavadat  yatha uktam  =  He (Nachiketas) then actually repeated verbatim everything as it was explained!

4 atha asya mrityuh punah eva  aaha tushtah.=  Then Yama, being highly pleased at this, added more to what he had already said:

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Commentary :

1 The perfect sacrifice is explained by Yama. From it arises all that exists in the 

universe. Mastering it, one gains mastery over any field of human activity, and acquires 

whatever one desires in terms of worldly prosperity and power. However, it is all within the 

transitory realm; all gains here would be impermanent.

2 The very physical details explained here of the sacrificial altar give us some idea as 

to the nature of what these attainments are really worth. Any secular field of knowledge –

such as engineering, accounting, physics, chemistry, medicine, etc – require an enormous 

amount of numerical calculations due to the physical nature of the subject concerned. The 

empirical field requires mostly such type of knowledge of physical matter.

That is the significance of bricks in this line. Bricks and brick arrangements are what 

matter. The greatest comforts in this world are obtained by bringing together varieties of 

“bricks” in the right proportions and arrangements. All that Science produces eventually 

turns out to be a re-arrangement of materials found in nature.

Wars are fought on the same basis. Enormous efforts are made to put together the 

artillery of war – tanks, gunboats, fighter aircraft, machine guns, ammunition, etc. When 

sufficient numbers of these are assembled and managed, worldly dominance is gained over 

other less equipped nations. Political power boils down to merely a game of numbers and 

votes. The stronger country is the more equipped country, not the more righteous country.

Heaven for most people is where such power and material comforts are found in 

abundance, preferably without having to raise a finger! Such is the concept of heaven that 

attracts people towards them. It is covetable only because of the abundance of such 

ordinary desires. People who are satisfied by desires need look no further than Vedic rituals 

to obtain them. They have no interest in spirituality to raise themselves beyond this level. 

3-4 Nachiketas very attentively listened to all this information and was able to 

understand it as well as repeat it verbatim. Yama was greatly pleased with Nachiketas. He 

was prepared to grant him a special bonus boon.

Why would Yama have been so delighted over such a feat of Nachiketas? We have 

here the first hint that behind his apparent generosity with regard to such knowledge, he 

was really jealously guarding something else that was too valuable to give away. To give 

away worldly knowledge is a very simple matter for Yama; it is of trivial value to him. He can 

afford to give any amount of bonuses in this regard. It will keep people in his “business of 

Death” for ever! 

*****

Next-
Mantram - 1.1.16: An Additional Bonus is Thrown In!
To be continued

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