[Part – 12 (kaTha 3)]

Ignorance is nothing more than the perception of multiplicity — focusing on the “particulars” while overlooking the Universal. While our sensory perception is inherently inert, it is the inner Self that provides the illumination required to experience any object. As the kaTha Upanishad declares:

न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः ।

तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥           –  2.2.15, kaTha.

[Meaning: There the sun does not shine, neither do the moon and the stars; nor do these flashes of lightning shine. How can this fire? He shining, all these shine; through his lustre all these are variously illumined. (Trans: Swami Gambhirananda).]

Because Consciousness is beginningless, the Upanishad reveals that there is, in truth, no death—only the body perishes. While all forms eventually cease, the Formless remains. High-level seekers, like Prahlada or Kuchela, grasp this Truth instantly.

For the seeker of average competency, the method involves a systematic inward withdrawal:

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि ।
ज्ञानमात्मनि महतिनि यच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि ॥       —  1.3.13, kaTha.

[Meaning: Let the wise man merge speech in his mind, merge that (mind) into the intelligent self and the intelligent self into the Mahat. (Let him then) merge the Mahat into the peaceful Self. (Trans: V. Panoli).]

This seeker must learn to ignore the “percept” (the object) and instead dissolve the sensory powers into the mind. By making the mind steady and seeing it pervade all things, one abides in profound peace.

For those starting their journey, the Katha Upanishad offers the famous analogy of the chariot:

आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव तु ।
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥        —  1.3.3, kaTha.

(Meaning: Know the (individual) Self as the master of the chariot, and the body as the chariot. Know the intellect as the charioteer, and the mind as verily the bridle. (Trans: Sw-G))

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयांस्तेषु गोचरान् ।
आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥  –     1.3.4, kaTha

(Meaning: They call the senses the horses; the senses having been imagined as horses, (know) the objects as the ways. The discriminating people call that Self the enjoyer when It is associated with the body, senses, and mind. (Trans: Sw-G))

It is wise for most of us to begin here. The beginner is often pulled outward by the “horses” (senses) toward “objects.” In this spiritual drama, the intellect must act as a disciplined driver. Shankara emphasizes that you are not the body, mind, or horses; you are the Rider. When we lose control, we become captives of our own equipment. But, as Mantra 1.3.9 promises:

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ – 1.3.9, kaTha

(Meaning: The man, however, who has, as his charioteer, a discriminating intellect, and who has under control the reins of the mind, attains the end of the road; and that is the highest place of ViSNu. (Trans: Sw-G).)

True realization cannot be “bought” through intellectual gymnastics or mere scholarship. The kaTha Upanishad cautions:

नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन ।
यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूंस्वाम् ॥ – 1.2.23, kaTha

(Meaning: This Self cannot be known through much study, nor through the intellect, nor through much hearing. It can be known through the Self alone that the aspirant prays to; this Self of that seeker reveals Its true nature. (Trans: Sw-G).)

This “choosing” is essentially a call for total, single-minded dedication. One must cultivate a “thought-modification” (vRtti) that is constantly aligned with the Self. As the Bhagavad Gita notes:

ज्योतिषामपि तज्ज्योतिस्तमसः परमुच्यते ।
ज्ञानं ज्ञेयं ज्ञानगम्यं हृदि सर्वस्य विष्ठितम् ॥ – 13.17, BG.

(Meaning: “Knowledge, the Knowable, and the Goal of Knowledge are implanted in the heart of everyone.”)

For the infinite to shine, the triad of Knower, Known, and Knowing must merge into Oneness. As long as you believe you are a separate “knower” looking at a separate “object,” duality remains. When they merge, the world is no longer perceived as fragmented matter, but as Knowledge itself—your own intrinsic nature.

The path is notoriously difficult. The Upanishad issues a clarion call:

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ – 1.3.14, kaTha.

[Meaning: Arise, awake, and learn by approaching the exalted ones, for that path is sharp as a razor’s edge, impassable, and hard to go by, say the wise.]

Note the order: Arise, then Awake. We often live in a state of “waking sleep,” lost in routine. It exhorts us to be fully aware after sleep. We have to then go to the learned and learn the Non-dual truth.

An earnest seeker should approach a proper teacher only. Many in the market pretend to teach but only misguide the seeker either telling mythical stories or handing out some palliatives.

न नरेणावरेण प्रोक्त एष सुविज्ञेयो बहुधा चिन्त्यमानः ।
अनन्यप्रोक्ते गतिरत्र नास्ति अणीयान्ह्यतर्क्यमणुप्रमाणात् ॥ – 1.2.8, kaTha.

[Meaning: The Self is not certainly adequately known when spoken of by an inferior person; for It is thought of variously. When taught by one who has become identified with It, there is no further cogitation with regard to It. For It is beyond argumentation, being subtler even than the atomic quantity. (Trans: Sw-G).]

A teacher who by himself had not realized the Self may mislead the seeker to lull him to a false belief that s/he had understood brahman. One should not, therefore, go to all and sundry seeking Self-knowledge. Shankara explains in four different ways in his commentary on the above mantra that true teaching can be given:

ब्रह्मात्मभूतेनाचार्येण — only by a teacher who has become one with brahman;
अपृथग्दर्शिनाचार्येण — only by a teacher who is free from the notion of duality;
आगमवताचार्येण — only by a teacher who is well versed in the scripture;
स्वात्मभूते — only by a teacher who has realized that brahman is none other than his own Self.

Ultimately, the Self is realized through a sharp, subtle mind (agryayA buddhyA).

दृश्यते त्वग्र्ययाबुद्ध्या सूक्ष्मया सूक्ष्मदर्शिभि: | —  1.3.12, kaTha.

Meaning: By seers of subtle and pointed intellect capable of perceiving subtle things, ‘That’ can be seen.
[Please note that both words subtle and sharp (pointed) are used in the mantra.]

To escape the cycle of samsAra, one must cease seeing “differences.” As Mantra 2.6.13 suggests, the seeker must first recognize the Self as certainly existing — “asti brahma.” Once this firm understanding arises, the true nature of that Reality gradually reveals itself.

अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धव्यस्तत्त्वभावेन चोभयोः ।
अस्तीत्येवोपलब्धस्य तत्त्वभावः प्रसीदति ॥ – 2.6.13, kaTha.

[Meaning: The Self is (first) to be realised as existing, and (then) as It really is. Of these two (aspects), the real nature of the Self that has been known as merely existing, becomes favourably disposed (for self-revelation). (Trans: Sw-G).]

One has to keep apprehending that he IS forever. Hence one should perceive all the percepts as ‘Beingness.’ When we see a thing, we say that it is; when we do not see it, we say that it is not. When there is sorrow, we complain that there is no happiness. As long as we are in duality, we say that a thing exists when it is present and conceive that its opposite is not present. One must be able to understand that both – what is and what is not – are present and thus dissolve all objects into ‘Beingness.’ Only Beingness is present everywhere. In that realization, the Non-dual Oneness will reveal itself.

यदेवेह तदमुत्र यदमुत्र तदन्विह ।
मृत्योः स मृत्युमाप्नोति य इह नानेव पश्यति ॥ – 2.4.10, kaTha.

[Meaning: What indeed is here is there; what is there is here again. Whoso here sees as though different, passes from death to death.]

The Reality that is here is the very same Reality that is everywhere; he who sees multiplicity here goes from death to death.

यथोदकं शुद्धे शुद्धमासिक्तं तादृगेव भवति ।
एवं मुनेर्विजानत आत्मा भवति गौतम ॥ – 2.4.15, kaTha.

[Meaning: As pure water poured into pure water remains the same only, so does the Self of the thinker who knows thus become, O’ Gautama.]

A seeker who sees the Self everywhere will dissolve into that Reality even in this life like pure water gets mixed indistinguishably with pure water. His intellect will be like a clean mirror showing the Self everywhere. Death will then not be as per the destiny but as per the seeker’s intent. That is immortality. S/he will not end when the body dies.

Thus ends the teaching of kaTha Upanishad.

(To Continue … (Part – 14 (prashna 1))