KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 6 SHLOKA 9

                                                       न संदृशेतिष्ठति रूपमस्य

                                                     न चक्षुषा पश्यति कश्चनैनम् । 

                                                   हृदा मनीषा मनसाऽभिक्लृप्तो 

                                                     य एतद्विदुरमृतास्तेभवन्ति ॥ ९

                                         NA SANDASHE  TISHTATI  RUPAMASHYA

                                 NA  CHAKSHUSHA  PASHYATI  KASCHNA  ENAM |

                                         HRUDA  MANISHA  MANASABHIKIUPTO

                                  YA  ETAD   VIDOOR  AMRUTASTE  BHAVANTI  ||9

                    HIS FORM CAN NOT BE SEEN, NOONE HOLDS HIS FORM IN EYES

                HE IS REVEALED BY (CONTROLLING ) MIND , INTELLECT AND (DEVELOPING

                           INTUITIONTHROUGH )HEART   (THROUGH MEDITATION) , 

                          THOSE WHO KNOW THIS BRAHAMAN,BECOME IMMORTAL||9

     This Shloka is continuation of the same thought process and education  that Yamaraj is giving to Nachiketa. When the Lord of Death says that one cannot see the Brahman, it is meant to be all the sense organs. So it means we cannot see it or hearing it or smell it or touch it or taste it. So the meaning is that sense organs cannot perceive it. But then the question come in as to how do we perceive it? The answer is given in next line. When we quiet the mind and the intellect, then we can perceive with heart. The mins and intellect are not good instrument for perceiving Brahman. But one needs intuition and when on acts based on 'heart', it is not mind or intellect ,but it is with intuition . Also we have seen in some of the previous Shlokas, that IT resides in the cave of heart . 

   So, to perceive it , one has to take mind and intellect out of the equation and also take out the senses  and that can ne done by mediation only. So when one starts doing mediation, one has to stop the activity of senses (this is done with engaging them with light, perfume, calming music etc ) and then the mind and also get intellect out of the process, and then the intellect develops. With that one can perceive the Brahman. 

KATHOPANISHADA CHAPTER 6 SHLOKA 8

                                                                 अव्यक्तात्तुपरः पुरुषो

                                                                 व्यापकोऽलिङ्ग एव च । 

                                                                 यं ज्ञात्वा मुच्यतेजन्तुर

                                                                 मृतत्वं च गच्छति ॥ ८

                                                           AVYAKTAT  TU  PURUSHO

                                                          VYAPKO - LINGA  EVA  CHA |

                                               YAM  DNYANTWA  MUCHYATE JANTUR

                                                     MRUTATVAM  CHA GACHHATI  ||8

BEYOND THE UNMANIFESTED IS THE ALL PERVADING PURUSHA DEVOID OF ALL OR ANY CHARECTERS - DISTICTIVE MARKS (LINGAVASTA )WHEN THE TINY CREATURE (JANTU)                      KNOWS THIS HE IS EMANSIPATED AND ATTAINS IMMORTALITY  ||8

     This one has same meaning or similar meaning as one before and it sounds like repetition. The Un- manifested  and Lingavasta and Alinga are the words that are used to described the origin of Universe . When the Universe started from singularity there was some disturbance and that was related to the imbalance in the 3 qualities or the Gunas The manifested Universe came out of UNMAIFESTED state. This was due to the Stavic,Rajasic and Tamasic Gunas. But in the state before that there was no QUALITIES or MARKSA that can identify the un- manifested . So we are told that beyond that is the PURUSHA which has no identifiable marks  and when i=one KNOWS THAT he is free of birth and death cycle and is immortal  .    

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 6 SHLOKA 7

                                                             इन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनो

                                                            मनसः सत्त्वमुत्तमम् ।

                                                            सत्त्वादधि महानात्मा

                                                         महतोऽव्यक्तमुत्तमम् ॥ ७

                                             INDRIYEBHYAH  PARM  MANO

                                           MANASAH  SATTVAM  UTTAMAM |

                                            SATVADATHI  MAHAN  ATMA 

                                           MAHATO  VYAKTAM UTTAMAM ||7

BEYOND  (SUBTLER THAN) SENSES IS MIND,,BEYOND MIND (SUBTLER THAN )IS

 INTELLECT,BEYOND THE INTELLECT (SUBTLER THAN ) IS THE GREAT ATMAN 

                   SUPERIOR TO THE GREAT ATMAN IS UNMANIFEST.||7

   This Shloka is taken along with Shloka 8. But a brief explanation here will help. We all know that the senses are gross, the eyes and the skin and the nose and the ear - all the DNYANENDRIAS  and the 5 Karmendriyas - the 5 organs of Action - the hand -legs and speech etc. are gross  and we can see them easily . But the Mind is subtler and we can  not SEE the Mind. Our SENSES need Mind  to act  and there Mind is needed . But the Mind is guided by Intellect. The mind may want to DO certain things as the senses want it , but the Intellect tells the the mind that the time is not right The example is simple. One goes to a store to bye some sweets or some food  and that may be on display . So the senses want to eat it . But then mind may want  grab and eat it . But the Intellect tells the mind that the time is not right . He has to pay and buy and then only he can eat it . So this is simple . We are now told that the ATMAN is beyond it This also is easy to understand .The Atman is not seen and not affected by senses or mind or intellect. So it is beyond them . Now we are told that the UNMANIFESTED is even beyond the Great Atman. The manifested is beyond our usual understanding and when that UNMANIFESTED becomes MANFESTED ,then the universe comes to exitance.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 6 SHLOKA 6

                                                           इन्द्रियाणां पृथग्भावं 

                                                           उदयास्तमयौच यत् ।

                                                           पृथगुत्पद्यमानानां

                                                           मत्वा धीरोन शोचति ॥ ६

                                             INDRIYANAM  PRUTHAG BHAVAM

                                               UDAYAASTAMAYAU CHA  YAT |

                                              PRUTHAK UTPADYAMANANAM

                                              MATVA  DHIRO  NA SHOCHATI ||6

              THE SENSE ORGANS HAVE DIFFERENT NATURE AND HAVE UPS AND DOWN 

                      AND ARE SEPERATE FORM THE ATMAN - HAVING UNDERSTOOD 

                                         THIS WISE MAN DOES NOT GRIEVE ||6

      This Shloka is simple and easy to understand but difficult to practice . We all know that the senses are different  and have ups and down . Our eyesight  and hearing  and many other faculties go down when we get old So there is up and down with age . But we also have up and down when we are looking at certain things . If I am Indian and I see Indian food or sweets, I get excited  and if I eat it I enjoy it . But then when I see beef and if am vegetarian then I have no excitement . The exactly opposite happens when an American meat eating person sees Indian spicy food  and Beef. So the senses are different and have ups and down One can see this with every sense organ. Hearing classical Indian Music or Opera will have different reaction or ups and down with different people  and same with ALL THE SENSES.. So the senses have UPS AND DOWN. They are separate than the ATMAN, as the ATMAN is eternal and UNCHANGING and the senses are CHANGING with age and environment etc. The ATMAN does not change . So, the ATMAN is separate from senses. 

   Once the wise man knows this he does not grieve. Ordinary person is not happy that he cannot use or enjoy his senses as he could when he was younger . Can not chew well as the teeth may be gone or cannot eat same food due to diet restrictions related to diseases or cannot enjoy sex as much and so on  and that makes him unhappy and may be mad. But the wise man understands that the NATURE od senses is to change  and have ups and down and so he knows that only thing unchanging is ATMAN and so he does not feel sorrow with changing senses.  

  This is repeated Shloka.