KATHA UPANISHAD - 47. Swami Advayananda.
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Tuesday, 16 Jan 2024 06:10.
Chapter 1. Section - 2: (25 Mantras): THE CHOICE:
Mantram -18: The Yoga of the Self
Post - 47.
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Mantram -18: The Yoga of the Self
1
Na jaayate mriyate vaa vipaschit = The intelligent Self is neither born nor does It die.
2
na ayam kutashchit = It does not originate from anything,
na babhoova kashchit; = nor does anything originate from It.
3
ajah nityah shaashvatah = It is birthless, eternal, undecaying,
ayam puraanah = and it is ancient.
4
na hanyate hanyamaane shareere. = It is not killed even when the body is killed.
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We now begin the answer to the boon in terms independent of any symbol. This is
the direct approach using first principles. Only the power of understanding of one’s intellect
is needed. This is considered to be the most efficient means of transmitting knowledge.
1
The words “is neither born nor does It die” are to be taken to refer to all the six
Vikriyas, namely, birth, existence, growth, decay, old age and death. All these Vikriyas apply
to the body only. Hence the Self is said here to be beyond the changing body.
2
The Self does not arise from anything different from It, nor does it produce
anything different from It. It is beyond Causation; it is not a cause, nor does it produce an
effect. Whatever appears different is a mere illusion, like water in a mirage. There is no
Reality other than the Self.
3
The Self is that which always has been, always is, and always will be. This Pada is
effectively stating the same thing as Pada 1. There are no Vikriyas (modifications) in the Self.
This is because the Self is a totally different transactional plane from the world we
know. When we see the Self, we do not see anything else. Everything is seen as the Self.
One needs to shift to another level of consciousness to become aware of the Self. That is the
key message Yama wishes to get across to his young disciple Nachiketas.
4
The last sentence directly answers Nachiketas’ original phrasing of the boon: “Does
It exist or not after the death of the body?” The answer is “Yes”. From the angle of the Self,
It alone exists, there is nothing else besides It. It is Non-dual.
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Next
Mantram - 19: What is Action & Inaction
To be continued
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