KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 3 SHLOKA 5

                                                         यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्य 

                                                          युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।

                                                          तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि 

                                                          दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ५

                                        YASTU AVIDNYANVAN BHAVATI 

                                             AYUKTEN MANASA SADA |

                                          TASYA INDRIYANI AVASHYANI 

                                     DUSHTA ASHVA IVA SARATHEHA||5    

ONE WHOSE MIND IS UNEDUCATED AND HAS UNRESTRAINED MIND 

HIS SENSES ARE UNCONTROLLED, LIKE VICIOUS HORSES OF A CHARIOTEER ||5

   In these Shlokas the example of chariot continues . We have seen that in human body things gets gross, subtle and subtler So the sense organs - which include DNYANENDRIYAS AND KARMENDRIYAS - the  sense organs which bring in the information  and the organs that do the Action are gross. The Eyes and smell and touch  and hearing  and taste - these organs are gross  and the organs of action namely hands-legs-procreation- excretion and speech - they are also gross. But these organs - INDRIYAS do not act on their own . They get order from the MIND  and one certainly can not see mind. But the mind still takes orders -at least some of the orders from Intellect .Let us take an example . We are in a store  and we like a shirt or a dress . But we don't have money to buy it . The mind wants it  and so do we take it with us - steel it and walk out ? No because the intellect tells us that if we do that we will be caught and then there will be  case and we will be arrested and put in prison .I  had also given example of going for a part where we have some food that we love but we don't start eating till it is offered by the host . The mind may want to eat it but intellect tells us to wait. But dog or a child will walk in and grab whatever they like. So in this Shloka we are told that when the sense organs act UNCONTROLLED by uneducated  and so unrestrained mind, it is like horses of a chariot that will be going allover if the horses are wild and not controlled .  

     

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 3 SHLOKA 4

                                                                  इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहु 

                                                                   र्विषयाँस्तेषुगोचरान् । 

                                                                  आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं 

                                                                 भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४

                                                       INDRIYANI HAYAN AHUR

                                                   VISHAYAM TESHU GOCHRAN |

                                                    ATMENDRIY MANO-YUKTAM

                                               BHOKTA ITY AHUR MANISHINAH ||4

    THE SENSE ORGANS ARE THE HORSES ON THE ROADS TO SENSE OBJECTS ,

                                              THE WISE CALL THE ATMAN 

    THE ENJOYER WHEN IT IS UNITED WITH THE BODY - SENSES AND MIND ||4

     This Shloka is one which most of have been told in past many a times . We have 5 organs of perception -DNYANEDRIYE - One which give DNYAN -knowledge. These are Eyes, Nose - smell , touch, taste and hearing., and there are 5 organs of action- -KARMENDRIYE. These are hand  and legs  and speech and procreation and excretion. These are given to us as without them we can not survive. If we did not see then we can not protect from attacks by preditors and same with other organs , we need to use hands for defence or action  and legs to run iin case of attack  and need procreation and excreation for surviving.The sense organs must have union with objects of pleasures  and that union leads to impression. These impressions will lead to desires  and then the desires lead to action and we try to get to the object of pleasre. So if we enjoy a special something special food, then we have desire to get to it  and then we look for it or do efforts to get it . This is the road that the senses run on  and so the senses are compared to the horses  and the road that we run on is the efforts that we try to get the objets of our pleasure and run on the road. Once we get it then the PLEASURE or enjoyement that one gets is done by ATMAN. The Jiva is is the ATMAN which is bound to the BODY AND SENSE ORGANS. So the Jiva feels that ATMA is enjoying but in fact the Jiva is the Atma attached to the mortal body. This is what this Shloka is telling us . 

 

KATHOPNISHAD CHPTER 3 SHLOKA 3

                                                              आत्मानँरथितं विद्धि 

                                                                 शरीरँरथमेव तु। 

                                                              बुद्धिं तुसारथिं विद्धि 

                                                               मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३

                                                 ATMANAM RATHITAM VIDDHI 

                                                   SHARIRAM RATHAMEV TU|

                                              BUDHHIM TU SARATHIM VIDDHI 

                                               MANAH PRAGRAHAM EV CHA ||3 

KNOW THE ATMAN AS THE LORD OR IN CHARGE OF THE CHARIOT, THE BODY AS THE 

      CHARIOT, THE INTELLECT AS THE CHARIOTEER AND THE MIND AS THE REINS ||3

    This SHLOKA is one where the analogy that is given is often repeated in all Hindu scriptures. The picture that many of the Hindus have seen related to the war in Mahabharata.The picture is of lord Krishna in a chariot which has 5 horses  and Arjuna is sitting in side . The physical body is compared to the Chariot  and in this Shloka we are told that the ATMAN is the ultimate Controler  and the Intellect is the assigned charioteer  and the rein is the MIND  and the sense organs are the horses. 

    Let us take an example to explain this comparison. We are in a party where number of people are invited.The host has appetizers  and the food on the table, The appetizers is the one that we love. So as soon as we SEE IT, we want to grab it and eat it . The sense organ want the pleasure of eating it . The mind wants to have the satisfaction of eating it But the intellect tells that you can not have it till it is offered by the host . So the senses are controlled by the mind with the order from intellect. So the senses - the hoses of the chariot, are controlled by mind the REINS are instructed to not eat by charioteer -the intellect. But as one can imagine we are not just physical body - mind - intellect and have much higher authority  and that is ATMAN the ultimate LORD of this chariot.  . 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 3 SHLOKA 2

                                                             यः सेतुरीजानानामक्षरं 

                                                                 ब्रह्म यत् परम् । 

                                                             अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं 

                                                             नाचिकेतँशकेमहि ॥ २

                                                       YAH SETUR JANANAM

                                         AKSHARAM BRAHMA YATPARAM|

                                         ABHAYAM TITIRSHATAM PARAM

                                             NACHIKETAM SHAKEMHI||2

         THE BRIDGE OF SACRIFICE THAT WILL TAKES US ACROSS TO THE BRAMHAN,

           WHICH IS IMMORTAL,HIGHEST,FEARLESS,NACHIKETA WE MAY MASTER ||2

  In this shloka we are told that there are two different worlds ,one is Mortal  and Other is Immortal. In  usual Hindu scripture, the mortal world is called SAUNSAR and it is compared to ocean. In many devotional songs  and in other religious scripters , this is also called BHAVASARAR. On one side is the mortal world and other side is immortal world. And so if we have to go from one side to other  and if the gap we consider is ocean, then we have to have bridge to go from one side to other .(In some of the devotional songs they compare this to  a boat  and the captain of the boat is the GOD) So the bridge is of sacrifices .In many places the sacrifice is considered ad Yadnya . In my thought process when we do Yadnya and offer sacrifices, it is not the Ghee and SAMIDHA  and other things that are offered , but it is sacrifice of out desires and attachments  and out ego. So the Yama is telling us that if we want to cross the ocean of this mortal SAUNSAR, then we have a bridge of sacrifices to use and help us get to the side of IMMORTALITY or BRAHMAN which is the highest goal  and which is fearless and also immortal. (Nachiket wanted to know on the Death and Immortality)So unless we MASTER this sacrifice we will not become IMMORTAL. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 3 SHLOKA 1

                                                        ऋतं पिबन्तौसुकृतस्य लोके

                                                           गुहां प्रविष्टौपरमेपरार्धे । 

                                                          छायातपौब्रह्मविदोवदन्ति 

                                                       पञ्चाग्नयोयेच त्रिणाचिकेताः ॥ १

                                        RHUTAM PIBANTO SUKRUTASHY LOKE 

                                     GUHAM PRAVISHTAU PARAME PARARDHE|

                                       CHHAYA TAPAU BRAHMAVIDOVADANTI

                                       PANCHAGNYO YECH TRINACHEKETAH||1

THE TWO WHO ARE SITTING IN THE CAVE (OF HEART)  SEAT OF BRAHMAN, ENJOY THE 

FRUITS OF GOOD DEEDS,ARE CONSIDERED TO BE LIKE LIGHT AND SHADOW BY THOSE 

               WHO HAVE DONE FIVE FOLD FIRE AND 3 TIMES NACHIKETA FIRE ||1

    The shloka is in relation to previous shlokas .We were told that a particular fire worship would be called Nachiket Yagnya . The person who is doing it would be knowledgeable  and some what advanced in the process of achieving the goal of knowing BRAHMA. So we are told in this shloka that those who are knowledgeable , understand that the BRABMAN and the JIVA both sit in the physical body and and enjoy the fruits of the good action. And they are like Light and Shadow . 

  There are couple of confessional statements in this shloka . The Jivatma  and Paramatma are the two who are in the body and they both are enjoying the fruits of the good deed -this statement can not be correct as we are often told that the SELF is independent observer and does not enjoy nor feel sorry nor is destroyed or dies . So how can it enjoy? The answer is in next word . We are also told that the SELF or the ATMA  and Jiva or Jivatma are like light and the shadow . The shadow can not exist without Light . If the room is peached dark with no light there won't be any shadow. The light is needed to have any shadow . So when the Reflection of the SELF or ATMA is confined to Physical body  and when it confuses it to be physical body then it certainly enjoys  and feels sad etc . But it is a shadow and not the real ATMAN that enjoys  and so we are told that BOTH enjoy when in reality the Jiva enjoys  and not Atman  and since Jiva can exist without Atman or Self , we are told that both enjoy. 

  The main message in this shloka is that SELF or ATMAN  and EGO or Ignorant reflection of the SELF have together existence  and Jiva can not be there without SELF  and they are like LIGHT AND THE SHADOW - ONE REAL AND ONE FAKE .