KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKKA 25

                                                                 यस्य ब्रह्म च क्षत्रं च 

                                                                उभेभवत ओदनः । 

                                                               मृत्युर्यस्योपसेचनं क

                                                              इत्था वेद यत्र सः ॥ २5

                                        YASHYA BRAHM CH KSHATRAM CH

                                                 UBHEBHAVAT ODANAH|

                                       MRYUTUR YASYA UPASECHANM  KA

                                                ITTA VEDA YATRA SAHA||25

TO WHOM BRANHA(BRAHMAN)ASWELL AS KKSHATRIYA) BOTH ARE ONLY 

   RICE COOKED IN MILK, DEATH IS JUST AN ADDED SPRINKLE (OF SPICES?) 

                                         THUS WHO  KNOWS WHERE HE IS ||25

  This Shloka is somewhat difficult even though it looks like continuation of last 4 shlokas. We are told that for someone Brahmin and Kshatriya are nothing more that rice cooked in milk. What does this mean? The rice is cooked in water and when there is special  occasion, then the host cooks the rice in milk and adds sugar and other thing .This is an Indian desert called KHIR. To make it more tasty one adds spices like saffron and nuts  and raisins etc. We consider Brahmins and Kshatriya to be higher achieving people n spiritual knowledge . So they re like rice - not ordinary rice cooked in water but cooked in milk and made more tasty. To such a person the Death is nothing more that adding spices , sugar ,nuts to this rice. -definitely made better but still rice only . For such a person he understands the ATMAN  and for him the Death is just added layer to life. May be like cream on the top of milk. When one attains such an attitude towards everything is like ,then he will know where the Atman is. 

   We have seen in life how we get impressed by big name politicians or movie starts or religious leaders. We flock to see them ,even if it is from thousands of feet  and may be just glimpse only. We are told that when on looks at theses people as nothing more than special rice - KNIR, then we will know the Atman - may be. No doubt we should appreciate anyone who has attained something in this life - sport or acting or music etc. . But they are not to be worshiped as they are all mortals  and only way to have some understanding of Atman is to be STHITPRADNYA - ONE WHO DOES NOT GET DISCOURAGED BY ADVERSITIES OR GETS ELATED BY ACHIEVEMENTS. With that kind of life only one will have a chance to know Atman.

       

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 24

                                                                नाविरतोदुश्चरितान   

                                                               नाशान्तोनासमाहितः । 

                                                                नाशान्तमानसोवाऽपि 

                                                              प्रज्ञानेनैनमाप्नुयात् ॥ २4

                                                  NAVIRATO DUSHACHARITAN 

                                                    NASHATO  NASAMAHITAH|

                                                    NASHANTA MANASO VAPI

                                           PRADHYANEN ANAM APNYUYAT ||24

ONE WHOS HAS BAD CONDUCT AND WHOSE SENSES ARE NOT SUBDUCED  AND WHOSE 

MIND IS NOT QUIETENED AND CONCENTRATED,VAN NOT GET THIS BY KNOWLEDGE||24

    This is continuation of the previous shloka . Th Yama is telling Nachiketa as to why some people may not get to know the real SELF. So to start with he states that those who have bad behavior will not be able to get to know SELF. There are 2 reasons for that . If someone has had bad character - stealing infidelity ,then he will have the fear of getting caught  and so he cannot concentrate  his mind . So when he or she will try t concentrate his mind will be disturbed by the possibility of being caught. But he may also doing bad things to satisfy sense organ satisfaction or pleasures. So one who continues to be caught in the prisn of senses , he will not get any freedom . When one is attached to senses  and their pleasures, he is mistaking the physical body as SELF and does not understand that the SELF is different from the physical body and is not affected by physical bogy.

   So this is the chain reaction. Indulging in to sense organ pleasures , one is never satisfier  and the demad will continue to be there  and the same holds ue for wandering mind. When you are thinking od senses , one cannot concentrate . So unless and until the senses  and mind is not steady , we will never perceive the SELF . Just reading about it will not give us the real thing.

     The truth that is told here is not new. We all know that mediation and following the Yam and the Niyam in day to day life will lead to the ultimate goal being achieved. The reason for Yam and Niyama-which have been discussed in my PATANJALISUTRAYOGA .BLOGSPOT.COM, are to have better concentration and less distraction. If one indulges in sense pleasure may it be food , music, sex, alcohol or achieving great position or money - he will be thinking about the ways to get them  and the mind will be wavering and will  not be in position to concentrate . So here we are told that one will not get to SELF if he has not controlled or  subduced  senses and mind . 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 23

                                                         नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो 

                                                          न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । 

                                                           यमेवैष वृणुतेतेन लभ्यः 

                                                  तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुतेतनूꣳ स्वाम् ॥ २3

                                    NA AYAM ATMA PRAVACHANEN LABHYO

                                       NA MEDHAYA NA BAHUNA SHRUTEN|

                                   YAM EVA YEISH VRUNUTE TEN LABHYAH

                                    TASYESH ATMA  VIVRUNUTE TANUM ||23  

THIS ATMA CAN NOT BE ATTAINED BY DISCOURSE  NOR BY SHEAR INTELEGENCE,

                                                 NOR BY JUST LISTENING, 

            TO HIM ATMA REVEALS IT'S TRUE NATURE WHO CHOOSES IT ALONE ||23

   In this Shloka Yama raj is telling us how to achieve the ATMA or realize it . There are certain points that are told to us in this one . So many of us believe that if I would listen to the PRAVACHAN or the discourse  given by some learned person on this topic, we will KNOW Atman. The discourse is good but it will not make us realize the ATMA. This is may be like doing brain surgery after attending lecture on how to do brain surgery. One can certainly KNOW the anatomy and also the TECHNIQUE, but one will not be successful in doing surgery unless and until he has done some under guidance. Some may feel that they are smart  and inelegant and they can KNOW Atman by help of intelligence. In certain religion the devotee READ textbook of their religion and feel that will take them to GOD  and that is not possible. Yes that may improve our social behavior or we may become better person . But it will not get us to the ultimate goal. The MIND,INTELECT AND PHYSICAL BODY can not perceive on own ATMAN ,unless it itself REVEALS IT TO US . So we are told that when we CHOOSE NOTHING but Atman , then it itself will reveal it's real nature 

    I feel that at lower level of mediation we DO perceive part of it with our SENSE organs  and then at little higher level , it is MIND  and then at higher level intellect and still at higher level with EGO . These are different levels of SAMADHI. But the highest level is on PERCEPTION WITHOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS INVOLVED -BODY-MIND-INTELECT-EGO. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA-22

                                                   अशरीरँ शरीरेष्व-नवस्थेष्ववस्थितम् । 

                                             महान्तं विभुमात्मानं मत्वा धीरो न शोचति ॥ २2

                       ASHARIRAM SHARIRESHU ANAVASHTYETU AVASHTHITAM |

                 MAHANTAM VIBHUM ATMANAM MATVA DHIRO NA SHOCHATI ||22

THE WISE MAN - OR ENLIGHTENED MAN WHO KNOWS THAT THE ATMAN AS WITHOUT 

   BODY BUT FIRMLY SEATED IN PERISHABLE BODY IS GREAT AND ALL PERVADING

                                -(SO THE WISW MAN)DOES NOT GRIEVE||22

     In this SHLOKA, the Lord of DEATH is teaching the principle of death and mortality. If you recollect ,Nachiketa had asked Yama as to what is the truth when some say he is gone - dead and other say not gone .So the answer is the body is perishable  and gone at the time of death but the Atman is not -The  question may arise as to what is body -Is it it just the physical body or the mind, intellect and ego  and CHITTA -are also perishable. The answer is not in this Shloka. But as I understand it, the mind, intellect  and are part of PRAKRUTI  and not part os PYRUSHA  and so are in that way perishable. But the main conclusion is that the Atman is not perishable  and it not only stays in perishable body but also pervades everything. So this is difficult to understand as if something can be limited by physical body, how can it pervades everything or be limitless . But it is . Also the ego is ignorance ridden Atman that confines or confuses the physical body to be the SELF or Atman. 

     In Hindu philosophy we have 2 main groups. In one the Purusha is the only reality and Prakruti is not .In other group the Purusha and Prakruti are both independent Realities .But one can not do without other.

   But the main understanding of this Shloka is that ATMAN is Immortal an is All pervading and does not die when the physical body dies.