KATHOUPANISHAD - 63. Swami Advayananda.

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Friday 23, Aug 2024 06:15.
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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