KATHA UPANISHAD - 57. Swami Advayananda.

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Thursday 30, May 2024 07:00.
Chapter 1.3:   17 Mantras:  THE JOURNEY AHEAD
Mantras - 1.3: 3&4- The Chariot Metaphor Introduced 
Post - 57.

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THE CHARIOT METAPHOR:

Mantras - 1.3: 3&4- The Chariot Metaphor Introduced 

1 Aatmaanam rathinam viddhi = Know the Jiva to be the master of the chariot; 

2 shareeram ratham eva tu; = and the body to be the chariot; 

3 buddhim tu saarathim viddhi = know the intellect as the charioteer; 

4 manah pragraham eva cha. = and the mind as verily the bridle. 

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5 Indriyaani hayaan aahuh = The senses they say are the horses; 

6 vishayaan teshu gocharaan; = and the sense objects are the roads; 

7 aatmaa-indriya-manah yuktam = The Self, associated with body, senses and mind, 

8 bhoktaa iti aahuh maneeshinah. = is the enjoyer – so say the wise ones.

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1 The Owner  - The Jiva, the individual soul, who rides in the chariot; 

2 The Chariot  - The physical body; 

3 The Charioteer - The intellect; 

4 The Bridle or Reins - The mind; 

5 The Horses  - The sense organs, 5 no; 

6 The Roads  - The sense objects; 

7-8 The Enjoyer - The conditioned Self, associated with body, etc; 

The Link Text between verses 2/3 in the Bhashya says that of the two selves, the Jiva 

is travelling in this body chariot. Where he goes depends on his state of knowledge or 

ignorance. The former takes him across Samsara; the latter, deeper into Samsara. 

Is the Jiva (Jivatma) a Samsari?  

The owner is the Jiva who simply sits in the back seat as the traveller. He engages 

others to take his chariot to its destination. They are employed by him, as it were. In reality, 

each Jiva gets the necessary intellect, mind, sense organs and body due to it in accordance 

with his Prarabdha. So he is responsible for training his ‘employees’. 

Emphasis is placed in the Bhashya on the fact that the Jiva is not really a Samsari by 

nature. He has a far greater purpose to fulfil. His real destination in this life is to unite 

himself to the Supreme Self, the Atman. Due to ignorance he has become ‘trapped’ into a

very limited existence in his physical and mental Upadhis he possesses. He really does not 

want to remain bound to the world, but that is his helpless situation. He searches for the 

knowledge to get out of this vicious cycle. 

The chariot metaphor helps us to grasp what is to be done to progress spiritually. It 

tells us the options available to the Jiva. The Jiva has to choose

 the right options. 

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Next

1.3.5 & 6: The Intellect: Avijnanavan and Vijnanavan 

Continued

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