Verse 1
Part 2 – Canto 3ऊर्ध्वमूलोऽवाक्शाख एषोऽश्वत्थः सनातनः ।तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म तदेवामृतमुच्यते ।तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे तदु नात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वै तत् ॥ १॥
ūrdhvamūlo’vākśākha eṣo’śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ .tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate .tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana . etadvai tat .. 1..
1 This is that eternal Asvattha Tree with its root above and branches below. That root, indeed, is called the Bright; That is Brahman and That alone is the Immortal. In That all worlds are contained and none can pass beyond. This, verily, is That.
Verse 2
यदिदं किं च जगत् सर्वं प्राण एजति निःसृतम् ।महद्भयं वज्रमुद्यतं य एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥ २॥
yadidaṃ kiṃ ca jagat sarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam .mahadbhayaṃ vajramudyataṃ ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti .. 2..
2 Whatever there is-the whole universe-vibrates because it has gone forth from Brahman, which exists as its Ground. That Brahman is a great terror, like a poised thunderbolt. Those who know It become immortal.
Verse 3
भयादस्याग्निस्तपति भयात्तपति सूर्यः ।भयादिन्द्रश्च वायुश्च मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चमः ॥ ३॥
bhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāttapati sūryaḥ .bhayādindraśca vāyuśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamaḥ .. 3..
3 From terror of Brahman, fire burns; from terror of It, the sun shines; from terror of It, Indra and Vayu and Death, the fifth, run.
Verse 4
इह चेदशकद्बोद्धुं प्राक्षरीरस्य विस्रसः ।ततः सर्गेषु लोकेषु शरीरत्वाय कल्पते ॥ ४॥
iha cedaśakadboddhuṃ prākṣarīrasya visrasaḥ .tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate .. 4..
4 If a man is able to realise Brahman here, before the falling asunder of his body, then he is liberated; if not, he is embodied again in the created worlds.
Verse 5
यथाऽऽदर्शे तथाऽऽत्मनि यथा स्वप्ने तथा पितृलोके ।यथाऽप्सु परीव ददृशे तथा गन्धर्वलोकेछायातपयोरिव ब्रह्मलोके ॥ ५॥
yathā”darśe tathā”tmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke .yathā’psu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvalokechāyātapayoriva brahmaloke .. 5..
5 As in a mirror, so in the buddhi; as in a dream, so in the World of the Fathers; as in water, so Brahman is seen in the World of the Gandharvas; as in light and shade, so in the World of Brahma.
Verse 6
इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावमुदयास्तमयौ च यत् ।पृथगुत्पद्यमानानां मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ ६॥
indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvamudayāstamayau ca yat .pṛthagutpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati .. 6..
6 Having understood that the senses have their separate origin and that they are distinct from Atman and also that their rising and setting belong to them alone, a wise man grieves no more.
Verse 7
इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम् ।सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा महतोऽव्यक्तमुत्तमम् ॥ ७॥
indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvamuttamam .sattvādadhi mahānātmā mahato’vyaktamuttamam .. 7..
7 Beyond the senses is the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, higher than the intellect is the Great Atman, higher than the Great Atman is the Unmanifest.
Verse 8
अव्यक्तात्तु परः पुरुषो व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च ।यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यते जन्तुरमृतत्वं च गच्छति ॥ ८॥
avyaktāttu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako’liṅga eva ca .yaṃ jñātvā mucyate janturamṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati .. 8..
8 Beyond the Unmanifest is the Person, all-pervading and imperceptible. Having realised Him, the embodied self becomes liberated and attains Immortality.
Verse 9
न संदृशे तिष्ठति रूपमस्यन चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् ।हृदा मनीषा मनसाऽभिक्लृप्तोय एतद्विदुरमृतास्ते भवन्ति ॥ ९॥
na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasyana cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam .hṛdā manīṣā manasā’bhiklṛptoya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti .. 9..
9 His form is not an object of vision; no one beholds Him with the eye. One can know Him when He is revealed by the intellect free from doubt and by constant meditation. Those who know this become immortal.
Verse 10
यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह ।बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टते तामाहुः परमां गतिम् ॥ १०॥
yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha .buddhiśca na viceṣṭate tāmāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim .. 10..
10 When the five instruments of knowledge stand still, together with the mind and when the intellect does not move, that is called the Supreme State.
Verse 11
तां योगमिति मन्यन्ते स्थिरामिन्द्रियधारणाम् ।अप्रमत्तस्तदा भवति योगो हि प्रभवाप्ययौ ॥ ११॥
tāṃ yogamiti manyante sthirāmindriyadhāraṇām .apramattastadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau .. 11..
11 This, the firm Control of the senses, is what is called yoga. One must then be vigilant; for yoga can be both beneficial and injurious.
Verse 12
नैव वाचा न मनसा प्राप्तुं शक्यो न चक्षुषा ।अस्तीति ब्रुवतोऽन्यत्र कथं तदुपलभ्यते ॥ १२॥
naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā .astīti bruvato’nyatra kathaṃ tadupalabhyate .. 12..
12 Atman cannot be attained by speech, by the mind, or by the eye. How can It be realised in any other way than by the affirmation of him who says: “He is”?
Verse 13
अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धव्यस्तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः ।अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति ॥ १३॥
astītyevopalabdha vyastattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ .astītyevopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati .. 13..
13 He is to be realised first as Existence limited by upadhis and then in His true transcendental nature. Of these two aspects, Atman realised as Existence leads the knower to the realisation of His true nature.
Verse 14
यदा सर्वे प्रमुच्यन्ते कामा येऽस्य हृदि श्रिताः ।अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्यत्र ब्रह्म समश्नुते ॥ १४॥
yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye’sya hṛdi śritāḥ .atha martyo’mṛto bhavatyatra brahma samaśnute .. 14..
14 When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal becomes immortal and here attains Brahman.
Verse 15
यदा सर्वे प्रभिद्यन्ते हृदयस्येह ग्रन्थयः ।अथ मर्त्योऽमृतो भवत्येतावद्ध्यनुशासनम् ॥ १५॥
yadā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ .atha martyo’mṛto bhavatyetāvaddhyanuśāsanam .. 15..
15 When all the ties of the heart are severed here on earth, then the mortal becomes immortal. This much alone is the teaching.
Verse 16
शतं चैका च हृदयस्य नाड्य-स्तासां मूर्धानमभिनिःसृतैका ।तयोर्ध्वमायन्नमृतत्वमेतिविष्वङ्ङन्या उत्क्रमणे भवन्ति ॥ १६॥
śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍya-stāsāṃ mūrdhānamabhiniḥsṛtaikā .tayordhvamāyannamṛtatvametiviṣvaṅṅanyā utkramaṇe bhavanti .. 16..
16 There are one hundred and one arteries of the heart, one of which pierces the crown of the head. Going upward by it, a man at death attains immortality. But when his prana passes out by other arteries, going in different directions, then he is reborn in the world.
Verse 17
अङ्गुष्ठमात्रः पुरुषोऽन्तरात्मासदा जनानां हृदये संनिविष्टः ।तं स्वाच्छरीरात्प्रवृहेन्मुञ्जादिवेषीकां धैर्येण ।तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतं तं विद्याच्छुक्रममृतमिति ॥ १७॥
aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo’ntarātmāsadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ .taṃ svāccharīrātpravṛhenmuñjādiveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa .taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtaṃ taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtamiti .. 17..
17 The Purusha, not larger than a thumb, the inner Self, always dwells in the hearts of men. Let a man separate Him from his body with steadiness, as one separates the tender stalk from a blade of grass. Let him know that Self as the Bright, as the Immortal-yea, as the Bright, as the Immortal.
Verse 18
मृत्युप्रोक्तां नचिकेतोऽथ लब्ध्वाविद्यामेतां योगविधिं च कृत्स्नम् ।ब्रह्मप्राप्तो विरजोऽभूद्विमृत्यु-रन्योऽप्येवं यो विदध्यात्ममेव ॥ १८॥
mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo’tha labdhvāvidyāmetāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam .brahmaprāpto virajo’bhūdvimṛtyu-ranyo’pyevaṃ yo vidadhyātmameva .. 18..
18 Having received this wisdom taught by the King of Death and the entire process of yoga, Nachiketa became free from impurities and death and attained Brahman. Thus it will be also with any other who knows, in this manner, the inmost Self.
Verse 19
ॐ सह नाववतु । सह नौ भुनक्तु । सहवीर्यं करवावहै ।तेजस्विनावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥ १९॥ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥इति काठकोपनिषदि द्वितीयाध्याये तृतीया वल्ली ॥
saha nāvavatu . saha nau bhunaktu . saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai .tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai .. 19..oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ..iti kāṭhakopaniṣadi dvitīyādhyāye tṛtīyā vallī ..
19 Peace Chant:Om. May Brahman protect us both! May Brahman bestow upon us both the fruit of Knowledge! May we both obtain the energy to acquire Knowledge! May what we both study reveal the Truth! May we cherish no ill feeling toward each other!Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!