KATHA UPANISHAD - 52. Swami Advayananda.

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Friday 22, Mar 2024 06:05.

Chapter 1. Section - 2: (25 Mantras) 

THE CHOICE:

MANTRAM - 1.2.23: The Sole Condition: Choose the Self 

Post - 52.

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THE ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATION:

MANTRAM - 1.2.23: The Sole Condition: Choose the Self 

1 

Na ayam aatmaa = It is not possible for this Self  

pra-vachanena labhyah =  to be known through much study; 

2 

na medhayaa = nor through the intellect,  

na bahunaa shrutena; = nor through much hearing. 

3 

yam eva eshah vrinute = He alone who chooses the Self,    

tena labhyah =  attains It. 

4 

tasya eshah aatmaa = His attainment of the Self     

vivrinute tanoom svaam. = is through Its self-revelation of Its own true nature. 

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Here we have one of those mantras which a Sadhaka on the spiritual path has to hang on to throughout his Sadhana. It contains the essential spirit of all Sadhana. 

“The Self and Self alone has to be chosen by us, for no reason 

other than wanting It. Anything else that we do in the name of the Self, 

without keeping in mind the Self before us, will only be paraphernalia, 

and not bear any spiritual fruit.” 

1.  

If the Self is forgotten any amount of study is of no avail; 

2.

Forgetful of the Self, the most powerful and sharp intellect is of no use; any 

amount of lectures that we hear or knowledge that we obtain cannot help move us an inch 

closer to It. Study and hearing lectures have meaning only to take us closer to God. 

3

Only if we choose the Self, that is, if we really long for God from the bottom of our 

heart, can we attain Him.

Acharyaji on “Longing for God”

 3-4

 Acharyaji’s words on this Pada were awe-inspiring:  

“If the means are not right, we cannot know the Self. The right means is devotion to 

the absolute Truth. It is by the power of dedication, love or Bhakti that we can attain It. Our 

call must be for the Self, from the heart. Once we lose the heart for what we do, we lose our 

goal. Then it becomes a hunt for ‘I want to achieve’. One becomes a ‘Swami Achievananda’! 

“We have to choose to want God, then He will catch us and draw us to Him. Have we 

chosen Him or have we chosen just the Upanishads? When we choose the Upanishads, is it 

just the words? Mere head only guides; it is the heart that leads. Once we choose Him with 

our heart, only then the head can tell us ‘How’. 

“Sita symbolizes the Jiva in captivity in Lanka. She only yearned for Rama. That is all 

she could do. Her head did not care about the ‘How’. But that was enough to bring Rama, 

the Supreme Soul, to her. Rama did the rest – He crossed the mighty ocean, He destroyed 

the demons, He killed Ravana, and so on. She did only one thing – longed intensely for Him! 

“The Self is attained by the mere fact that we have chosen It. Once chosen, It reveals 

Itself to us in due course of time.  

“This is indeed a verse of great importance. It tells us what our inner fire should be in 

our quest. It shows the passion, the heart we have to bring into our quest for God. Many 

may be ‘good’ but they may not be ‘good enough’. ‘Good enough’ means wanting God and 

God alone for His sake!” 

Thus did Acharyaji teach us to love our studies for God’s sake alone! 

*****

Next

Mantram - 1.2.24:The Man of Sinful Conduct 

Continued

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