KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 21

                                               आसीनो दूरं व्रजति शयानोयाति सर्वतः । 

                                               कस्तं मदामदं देवं मदन्योज्ञातुमर्हति ॥ २1

                             ASINO DURAM VRAJATI SHAYANO YATI SARVATAH|

              KASTAM MADAMADAM DEVAM MADANYO DNYATUM AHARTI ||21

WHILE SITTING, IT CAN GO FARTHER  AND WHILE SLEEPING IT CAN BE EVERYWHERE. 

  WHO ELSE (OTHER THAN ME)CAN KNOW THAT WHICH CAN BE HAPPINESS OR NOT||21

     This one is again a talk from God of Death . This one has been interpreted differently also. So my understanding which is related to the previous SHLOKAS, is that God of Death continues to talk to Nachiket. So in this one he is describing the ATMAN or GOD or the ultimate CONSCIOUNESS . So the YAMARAJ is telling Nachiket, The consciousness is pervading everything  and so it is far even when the physical body is sitting and still and not moving . When the physical body is sleeping the consciousness is EVERYWHERE. So HE is telling that the physical body is not the ATMAN and the physical body has limitation as is said in past -PRADESH-KAL-CASTU which is location-time-identity or Object. So when one looks at anything it has these 3 limitations. The computer that I am writing this blog. It is on my table in may home . So it is not in library or in your house or not even in my family room. This is limitation by place  and it is here now  and may not be there tomorrow  and was certainly not there 2 years ago - this is limitation by time  and it is computer and not a glass or pen etc. is the limitation by VASTU or Object or identity. But we mortal being are not aware of THIS ATMAN OR CONSCIOUSNESS as long as we have physical body and we think this is the SELF. So the Lord of DEATH is telling that who else HIMSELF or DEATH know this fact or the ATMAN. The death destroys the physical body  and then we still have existence and so DEATH is the teacher who knows about this fact. The part about happiness or sorrow - I feel that it is related to DEATH of human body also. The people who have lost  love one , will be very unhappy  and the person whose physical body died can be happy or unhappy . The other meaning is that when THE SAME SELF is limited to PHYSICAL BODY due to ignorance , it can be happy at one time  and unhappy at other time as now we are talking about pleasure  and happiness of physical body .

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA -20

                                  अणोरणीयान्महतोमहीयानात्माऽस्य जन्तोर्निहितोगुहायाम् । 

                                  तमक्रतुः पश्यति वीतशोको धातुप्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः ॥ २0

             ANORNIYAN MAHATO MAHIYAN ATMA ASYA JANTOR NIHITO GYHAYAM |

TAM AKRATUH PASHYATI VITASHOKO DHATUPRASADAT MAHIMANAM ATMANAH ||20

THE ATMAN IS SUBTLER THAN SUBTLE (ATOM),GREATER THAN GREATEST, IS SEATED 

        IN  CAVE OF HEART.ONE WHO IS FREE FROM DESIRES OF MIND AND SENSES 

                   SEES THE GREATNESS OF THIS BECOMES FREE OF SORROW.||20

  This Shloka is interesting as it has certain things that physical science can ot explain and also as the interpretation of this Shloka can be different for different people. The ordinary science which deals with matter can not explain the first part . Something can not be smallest of small and at the same time largest of large. But when we think of non=matter things this is possible. Say a mother has one child  and her love for that child is 100%. She gets second child. Would her LOVE -not attention- be 50% for each child? The answer is NO. So the rules that apply to matter, do not apply to nonmatter things. The ATMAN is also consciousness and that pervades everything. So it can be in any small place and it also can be in any large place . One may take an example of water . The waves are water but the water is not wave . The water in a glass will be glass of water . The water in ocean is also water in ocean. As one can see the water can be a drop or even H2O But one difference is that the ATMAN or Consciousness is not limited by DESH-KAL-VASTU-  (Limitation by space-time  and identity).And it is in the cave of heart in the living being. I think this  has different meaning than physically in the cave of heart. I think when we ACT we have either Brain or Heart as 2 main areas that make decision  and in this Shloka it is stated that this in NOT MATTER FOR INTELECT OR BRAIN.

    The question may arise as to if the Atman is smaller than smallest how can one get it ?So we are told that we can achieve it. One can get get to the ATMAN when one has no physical or mental desires The word DHATU means Elements and that means mind  and intellect and physical senses etc. .But the other meaning of DHATU PRASADAT is BLESSINGS of GOD. So either way or may be by doing both -control of mind and senses  and blessing of God one can get it or perceive it. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA -19

                                                     हन्ता चेन्मन्यतेहन्तुँहतश्चेन्मन्यतेहतम् ।  

                                                   उभौतौ न विजानीतोनायँहन्ति न हन्यते ॥ १9

                                                   HANTA CHET MANYATE HANTU

                                                    HATAS CHET MANYATE HATAM |

                                                          UBHAU TAU N VIJANITO

                                                     NAYAM HANTI N HANYATE ||19

                  IF KILLER FEELS HE KILLED  AND THE VICTIM FEELS HE IS KILLED 

                     BOTH OF THEM DON'T KNOW THERE IS NO KILLER OR KILLED ||19

   This SHLOKA is similar to one that is in Bhagavat Geeta., where the Lord Krishna is making a statement which he states that the ATMAN is indestructible. It can not be altered by 5 Mahabhuta the 5 Great Elements. Does not get wet, does not get killed .burned etc So what we are told here by The Lord of Death that when some one is killed by someone, the killer can not say that he killed the person (Atman0 nor the killed is killed as people feel . This is due to the reasoning that the ATMAN can not be killed . So at time of death the ATMAN continues to pass from on body to another. So he is telling us that the DEATH does not kill Atman. If you remember that Nachiketa had asked a question to Lord Of Death as what happens at the time of death - some say he is there and some say he is gone. So Yama is answering the question 

    Just to refresh the concept of the human body , we have 3 bodies , the physical(external covering called STHULA SHARIR) and inner one ASTRAL or SUKSHMA SHARIR AND INNERMOST CALLED KARAN SHARIR or causal body . The Atman is limited to these bodies by ignorance. And so it is carried from one Physical Body to other with the same package of CAUSAL BODY AND ASTRAL BODY though the physical body has dies . The ATMAN is still there . But the ATMAN is not KILLED but continues . This is somewhat easy to understand but the statement that is made here is little difficult to understand , The Yama is telling that the ATMAN as such is NEVER killed even when the Causal Body or the Astral Body is not there . So we all know that Physical body decays  and we can see that . But since we don't see Causal Body and the Astral Body , one may think that they also don't die or ever destroyed .One may also think that Atman may be destroyed when these bodies are destroyed But the reality is that the ATMAN IS NEVER KILLED . 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 18

                                                      न जायतेम्रियतेवा विपश्चिन्

                                                       नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् ।

                                                       अजोनित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो

                                                         न हन्यतेहन्यमानेशरीरे ॥ १7

                                         NA JAYATE MRIYATE VA VIPASHITAT

                                 NAYAM KUTSCHINNA BABHUVA KASHCHIT|

                                   AJO NITYAAH SHASHVATOYAM PURANO

                                     NA HANYATE HANYAMANE SHARIRE ||17 

  THE INTELLIGENT SELF IS NOT BORN NOR DOES IT DIE ,IT DID  NOT COME FROM 

                            ANYTHING AND NOTHING COMES OUT OF IT

             UNBORNE,ETERNAL,EVERLASTING,ANCIENT ,IT IS NOT SLAINED 

                                    THOUGH THE BODY IS SLAINED ||17

 In this Shloka the Lord of Death is explaining the qualities of ATMAN. We all know about the qualities of Atman that are described in this Shloka. The similar Shloka is also in Bhagavat Geeta where the Lord Krishna also states the same thing as the qualities of Atman. At the time of death, it is the body that dies and not the Atman.The Atman is not born though the Physical body is born when a child is born . The Physical body comes out of 5 great elements - MAHABHUTA or PANCH MAHABHUTA , namely space ,air, energy, water and earth (PRUTHVI-AAP,TEJ-VAYU-AKASH)There are other things also in it but the ATMAN is not born when a child is born. The Physical body does not come out of ATMAN nor Atman comes out of physical body. The Atman is unborn and so it is eternal , it does not die and so it is ever lasting  and it is there -so Ancient.

   The Atman is not limited by TIME, SPACE OR FORM  and so it is ancient , but there would not be a time when it was not there .One of the example that I have seen been given is that of space - though in my mind there is no perfect example to explain the Atman. But SPACE could be close to it . When a house is built, there is a living room and family room and kitchen and bathroom etc So when we refer to say living room we refer to a SPACE CONFINED BY 4 WALLS OF THE ROOM  and same with every other room. But Is the space CREATED by building 4 walls? The answer is NO.The SPACE WAS THERE  and Space is not limited by 4 walls  and when the walls are destroyed, the space will still be there . So the ATMAN may appear to be Limited by physical body  and it may appear to die with the death of physical body (the living room SPACE is GONE when the house is destroyed) but in reality the Atman does not die with death of physical body just like space does not die when house is destroyed.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2- SHLOKA 17

                                                   एतदालम्बनँश्रेष्ठमेतदालम्बनं परम् । 

                                               एतदालम्बनं ज्ञात्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते ॥ १7

              ETAD ALAMBANAM SHRESHTAM ETAD ALAMBANAM PARAM|

               ETAD ALAMBANAM DNYATVA BRAHMALOKE MAHIYATE ||17

               THIS SUPPORT IS SUPERIOR THIS SUPPORT IS HIGHEST,ONE 

      WHO KNOWS ABOUT THIS (SUPPORT ) IS ADORED IN BRAHMALOKA ||17

    This is continuation of what we are told in past . The Yama, the God of Death is telling that the knowledge that one gets with -THIS ,is highest and greatest  and one who has it is adored even in BRAHMALOKA . In Hindu concept there are different LOKA or different plains . The earth is BHU Loka  and there are some which are bellow this level and there are some which are Higher than this earth level. So the highest Loka is SATRY LOKA OR BRAHMA LOKA . 

   We all want to be in that Loka or plain This is considered the highest achievement when one does meditation and then has achieved closest place to the BRAHMA or may be BRAHMAN. Once we reach this plain,, there is no cycle of birth and death. So Yama is telling Nachiketa that this is the highest achievement and once you have the knowledge , you will be there and will be respected there.

    I am not sure why he is talking about SUPPORT. I think it may have to do with the Human being concept of what is higher . If a ball is thrown in air , it will come down. So in our human mind we have 7 plains ABOVE THE EARTH LEVEL  and there are 6 BELLOW THE EARTH LEVEL . So with continuation of practice of meditation and getting the KNOWLEDGE, one goes to HIGHER planes  and if one does not BEHAVE then he /she will FALL down to lower plain. So one has a support in this plain and one does not fall from there.