Brahman

kaṭhopaniṣad - adhyāya 2, vallī 2

(Kathopanishad - Chapter 2, Valli 2 in English (IAST))

From Veda (attributed to Maharishi Veda Vyasa)

This text is the second Valli of the second chapter of the Kathopanishad, a principal Upanishad associated with the Krishna Yajurveda. It features the dialogue between young Nachiketa and Yama, the Lord of Death. The verses explore the nature of the Supreme Self, describing the human body as an eleven-gated city and the divine reality as the luminous indweller of all beings. Chanting or contemplating these profound philosophical insights facilitates the realization of the imperishable Atman, granting the seeker liberation from the cycles of grief and rebirth while fostering deep spiritual wisdom.

adhyāya 2

vallī 2
puramekādaśadvāramajasyāvakracetasaḥ|
anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaśca vimucyate| etadvai tat ||1||
haṃsa-śśuciṣadvasurantarikṣasaddhotā vediṣadatithirduroṇasat|
nṛṣadvarasadṛtasadvyomasadabjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛta-mbṛhat ||2||
ūrdhva-mprāṇamunnayatyapāna-mpratyagasyati|
madhye vāmanamāsīnaṃ-vi~śve devā upāsate ||3||
asya visraṃsamānasya śarīrasthasya dehinaḥ|
dehādvimucyamānasya kimatra pariśiṣyate| etadvai tat ||4||
na prāṇena nāpānena martyo jīvati kaścana|
itareṇa tu jīvanti yasminnetāvupāśritau ||5||
hanta ta ida-mpravakṣyāmi guhya-mbrahma sanātanam|
yathā ca maraṇa-mprāpya ātmā bhavati gautama ||6||
yonimanye prapadyante śarīratvāya dehinaḥ|
sthāṇumanye-'nusaṃ​ya~nti yathākarma yathāśrutam ||7||
ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāma-ṅkāma-mpuruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ|
tadeva śukra-ntad brahma tadevāmṛtamucyate|
tasmiṃ​llo~kā-śśritā-ssarve tadu nātyeti kaścana| etadvai tat ||8||
agniryathaiko bhuvana-mpraviṣṭo rūpaṃ rūpa-mpratirūpo babhūva|
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā rūpaṃ rūpa-mpratirūpo bahiśca ||9||
vāyuryathaiko bhuvana-mpraviṣṭo rūpaṃ rūpa-mpratirūpo babhūva|
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā rūpaṃ rūpa-mpratirūpo bahiśca ||10||
sūryo yathā sarvalokasya cakṣurna lipyate cākṣuṣairbāhyadoṣaiḥ|
ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā na lipyate lokaduḥkhena bāhyaḥ ||11||
eko vaśī sarvabhūtāntarātmā ekaṃ rūpa-mbahudhā yaḥ karoti|
tamātmasthaṃ-ye~-'nupaśyanti dhīrāsteṣāṃ sukhaṃ śāśvata-nnetareṣām ||12||
nityo-'nityānā-ñcetanaścetanānāmeko bahūnāṃ-yo~ vidadhāti kāmān|
tamātmasthaṃ-ye~-'nupaśyanti dhīrāsteṣāṃ śānti-śśāśvatī netareṣām ||13||
tadetaditi manyante-'nirdeśya-mparamaṃ sukham|
katha-nnu tadvijānīyā-ṅkimu bhāti vibhāti vā ||14||
na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratāraka-nnemā vidyuto bhānti kuto-'yamagniḥ|
tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarva-ntasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ-vi~bhāti ||15||

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