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. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 16

                                                एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं ब्रह्म एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं परम् ।

                                            एतद्ध्येवाक्षरं ज्ञात्वा योयदिच्छति तस्य तत् ॥ १6

               ETAD HI EVA AKSHARAM BRAHM ETAD HI EVA  AKSHARAM PARAM |

               ETAD HI EVA AKSHARAM DNYATWA TO YADI ICHHANTI TASYA TAT ||16

                             BRAHMAM IS IMMORTAL BRAHMAM IS HIGHEST 

                 HE WHO KNOWS THIS , WILL OBTAIN WHATEVER HE DESIRES ||16

In this Shloka we are told about the secrete or so called secrete . We are told that every SEEKER wants to Know about Brahma or wants to get to Brahma. We know this  and what it states further that when one gets to that BRAHMAM is IMMORTAL and there is nothing beyond  and it is highest achievement .If we look at any thing in mortal world, we know that there are gradations . One may be  physician but then there is Internist who has 3 years of training after medical school  and then there is specialist and there is subspecialist . And then there are professors  and Chair of the department and then there are heads that are in Ivy League schools  and so on . The same thing in any profession. There is a mayor of the town and then there is Governor  and then senator and the president . The same is  in religious hagiarchy. So we are told that the Brahmam is highest and everyone's spiritual goal when we talk about spiritual seekers.

     The second point this Shloka makes is that once we KNOW Brahmam, we know EVERYTHING . This is also stated in Patanjali sutra yoga. When one has perfected mediation and experienced the Brahmam, he will know everything about everything in this world. (Please see my blog PATANJALISUTRAYOGA.BLOGSPOT.COM for details of SIDHHIS)

    Just a foot note to one word in this  and many Shlokas is on AKSHAR. The word is used for immortal  as AKSHAR means one which does not change or is destroyed . So everything that we think is permeant is not AKSHAR as everything CHANGES  and also gets destroyed - as in it's original form. But BRAHMAM does not .Brahmam has no form and is infinite. 

        

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA -15

                                                         सर्वे वेदा यत्पदमामनन्ति 

                                                     तपा सि सर्वाणि च यद्वदन्ति । 

                                                        यदिच्छन्तोब्रह्मचर्यं चरन्ति 

                                                 तत्तेपद संग्रहेण ब्रवीम्योमित्येतत् ॥ १5

                                         SAEVE VEDA TAT PADAM AMANANTI

                                          TAPANSI SARVANI CH YAD VADANTI |

                            YADICHHANTO BRAHMYACHARYAM  CHARANTI 

                          TAT TE PAD DANGRAHEN BRAVIMI OM ITI ETAT ||15

THE GOAL THAT ALL VEDAS TALK ABOUT AND PEOPLE DO PENANNCE FOR (ACHIEVING 

           THAT GOAL) AND LEAD THE LIFE OF BRAHMYACHARI , I WILL TELL YOU ||15

  This SHLOKA  as such seems to be the beginning of the discourse of the Lord of Death -YAMA to Nachiket. He is telling the student that he is going to tell Nachiket what everyone craves for. There are 2 kinds of people in this world. One group is where that want to SEE God  and their life  and Dharma is based on the GOD . Most of the religions of the world are based on existence of the GOD. Without GOD theses people will have nothing to talk about or achieve. They do everything to please God  and also their goal is to achieve the GOD. But then in sanatan Dharma or Vedic Dharma , that is not the goal. This is second type of people. They do meditation and TAPAS or penance to achieve the merger with ultimate SPIRIT .The first kind of people ask God to help them in THIS Mortal life  and also to some extent have heavenly life after death , But the second kind of people do not care about the life on earth - the mortal world , but want no separate existence from the God or spirit. They do fasting and practice meditation and have followed celibacies and do penance. So Yama is telling that what people are craving for , working for many lives as a goal, I will tell you .  

   If you remember ,Nachiket asked a question to Yama ,What happens after Death, and this the beginning of the answer that Lord of Death is going to give . 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA- 14

                                                          अन्यत्र धर्मादन्यत्राधर्मा-

                                                          दन्यत्रास्मात्कृताकृतात् । 

                                                           अन्यत्र भूताच्च भव्याच्च  

                                                           यत्तत्पश्यसि तद्वद ॥ १4

                                ANYATRA DHARMAT ANYATRA ADHARMAT

                                      ANYATRA ASMAT KRUTA AKRUTAT|

                                      ANYATRA BHUTAT CH BHAVYAT CH

                                           TAT TAT PASHYASI TAD VAD ||14

(NACHIKETA SAID ) TELL ME THAT WHICH IS OTHER THAN VIRTUE AND VICE, AS RIGHT AND WRONG, OTHER THAN CAUSE AND EFFECT,OTHER THAN PAST AND FUTURE ||14

        This SHLOKA is the question from Nachiketa. But in reality it is the description of the REALITY . So he is asking Yama to tell him about something which is described in the adjectives in this Shloka. So in this world we have DUALITY  and RALATIVITY. When we say someone is tall we are comparing that person who is less in height that the one that we are looking at. Without the reference to someone or something else , we can not state tall or short. In this shloka Nachiketa wants to know something which not considered as Virtue or Non virtue - or vice. He wants to know THAT which is neither Right nor Wrong. And also the one which is not cause or effect. and also one that does not have past or future. 

    These pairs of opposite  qualities show all the things that are in this universe. When someone says that BRANHAM is REAL and the Universe is not, it does not mean that there is no Universe. It means that that in this Universe, everything is CHANGING. Everything has past and future . Everything has cause and effects . Water comes from ice or vice - versa . Yogurt comes from milk and so on. This type of questioning can go on as one can ask where does milk come from and the answer is cow and then where does cow comes from or what causes the milk to be formed  and the chain of such questions can be unchanging. But in our religion the GOD or the REALITY is SWAYANBHU , which means it had no cause or parents. 

   So Nachiketa knows that the reality is beyond these worldy qualities  and the so in this shloka we are reminded of the mortal universal qualities and told that Reality or God is beyond it.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 -SKLOKA -13

                                                        एतच्छ्रुत्वा सम्परिगृह्य मर्त्यः 

                                                         प्रवृह्य धर्म्यमणुमेतमाप्य । 

                                                        स मोदतेमोदनीयँहि लब्ध्वा

                                                      विवृतँसद्म नचिकेतसं मन्ये॥ १3

                               ETAT SHRUTVA SAMPARIGRUHYA  MARTYAH 

                                PRAVYUHYA DHARMAM ANUMETAM APYA|

                                   SA MODATE MODANIYAM KI LABDHVA 

                            VIVRUTAM SADNA NACHIKETASAM MANYE ||13

AFTER HAVING HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD AND ATTAINED THE SUBTLE AND VIRTIOUS 

ATMAN OR SELF , MORTALS REJOICE AS IT(SELF) IS THE CAUSE OF ALL JOY I THINK THE                       

                        HOME OF BRAHAMAN IS WIDE OPEN TO NACHIKET||13

    This shloka tells us something that we have heard before  and we know about it but have not experienced it . We have heard all sorts of things about Knowing the SELF  and how do you feel when you achieve the goal. So Lord of Death is using the language that we all know very well. If I ask someone who loves sweet deserts as to how you feel when you eat it, He will answer that it is most joy that I can imagine or it is like as if you are in heavens. So we all know the Joy and happiness. We all do EVERYTHING in life to be happy or get Joy . One can look at our behaviors, we are always trying to be Happy and seek comfort . We sit not on a hard surface as we want to be comfortable. We have temperature control with Air Conditioning or heat so we have comfortable temperature  and we cook only that food that we like  and every other thing that we do is for comfort. But as mentioned in past these all things that cause happiness are not permanent . Her we are told that when once we have understood the ATMAN or the SELF  and experienced it, we have most joyous experience  and the SELF is the source of all joy. 

     We are also told that not only the experiencing the SELF is joyous , but IT is the source of Joy. One can think of this as 2 different way. One is that without the ATMAN or SELF ,which is different that physical body mind intellect - all part of PRAKRUTI, we can not experience the JOY . The second way is that the SELF has created everything that gives us the JOY (and also the things that give us sorrow)But please remember that the SELF is independent witness  and the JIVA which is limited to Body feel that it is part of the body and is ENJOYING all the pleasures. 

   He is also telling that once you have this you have wide open the house of Brahaman This is like getting in to exclusive club where you have to fulfill all the requirements for the admission to the club and once you pass all the tests, you can enjoy all the things that the club offers - golf ,tennis , dinning room and many other . So here we are told that Nachiket, now the entire home of BRAMAN is open to you . 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA -12

                                                       तं दुर्दर्शं गूढमनुप्रविष्टं 

                                                     गुहाहितं गह्वरेष्ठं पुराणम् । 

                                                     अध्यात्मयोगाधिगमेन देवं 

                                                  मत्वा धीरोहर्षशोकौजहाति ॥ १2

                                      TAM DURDASHAM GUDHAM ANUPRAVISHTAM

                                          GUHAHITAM GAVHYRESHTAM PURANAM |

                                             ADHYTMAYOGA ADHIGAMEN DEVAM

                                            MATVA DHIRO HARSHSHOKAU JAHATI ||12

THE SAGE WHO MEDITATES ON SELF RECOGNISES THE ANCIENT , DIFFICULT ONE 

HIIDDEN IN THE CAVE OF HEART,AND DWELLS IN AS IF BOTTOMLESS PIT,

                                RENOUNCES BOTH JOY AND SORROW.||12

 This is the shloka where the Lord of Death is telling the truth about the KNOWLEDGE or achieving the goal. In this Shloka it is made very clear that this understanding of SELF is not easy. The Self is not  easy to see - Difficult to see and not even seen by the usual eye. It is hidden and it lies deep inside - Some feel that it is hidden in the heart cavity. But this is very difficult  and it is hidden  and may feel like it is in a pit without the bottom. When one tries to go deeper to get to it the path or the pit may feel like bottomless. But as much as this is very difficult , it is not impossible. One can do mediation and GIVE UP both joy and sorrow.. Again the message is repeated . 

    One has to see without eyes and feel without touching and anything that can be seen by ordinary eyes can not be SELF . Anything that can be perceived by PRAKRUTI PRODUCED SENSE ORGANS, can not be SELF. So one has to do mediation and get to it , but when I say GET it ,it may sound like I am not separate from SELF. But the Self is all pervading  and so it is not separate from us. 

   Second message is that as long as we continue to have feeling of Joy and Sorrow, which are related to everything that comes out of Prakruti or the matter ,we will not get to Self . So when one gives up that feeling of Joy or Sorrow  and one does mediation and looks INSIDE OURSELF , then only we can get it or get to it or perceive it . 

  (one can reflect reflection of SUN in a mirror back to the SUN in the sky , that can be the closest I can describe as to how to SEE SELF with self)

     

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 - SHLOKA 11

                                                           कामस्याप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां 

                                                           क्रतोरानन्त्यमभयस्य पारम् । 

                                                          स्तोममहदुरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा 

                                                         धृत्या धीरोनचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः ॥ 11

                                            KAMASYA APTI JAGATAH PRATISHAM

                                         KRATORANANTYAM ABHAYASYA PARAM|

                               STOM MAHAD URUGYAM PRATISHTAM DRUSHTVA 

                                 DHRUTYA DHIRO NACHIKETE TYASTRAKSHIH ||11

THE WORLD IS BASED ON FULFILLMENT OF ALL DESIRES,ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SHIRE ,THERE IS ENDLESS REWARDS FOR THE SACRIFICE WHICH ARE PRAISEWORTHY,(WHICH IS BASIS OF THAT WORLD) YOU HAVE REJECTED BOTH OH NACHIKETA ||11

    This one is continuation of the last few of them , But some have interpreted it differently. I will tell what I make of this one. We all know the physical universe.  and we all also have some imagination of the 'other world' which is called heaven in many religions. As a concept -that is accepted by all- the heven is where one gets all the pleasures. So we are usually told to NOT ENJOY in THIS world  and sacrifice  and then we will GET all the pleasures in OTHER WORLD or Heaven. So don't get attach to sweets or good tasting food , don't drink alcohol even though you may feel High  and happy , don't have sex etc . So we do all these sacrifices  and certainly in old time we did Yadnya  - which is also one way of sacrifice. So with all the PUNYA  that we have collected by doing all the sacrifices , we will go to heaven - other side of the shores. And in Heaven we have endless pleasures -we can eat whatever we want and drink and we will have this and that. In old time we had SURA which which was alcoholic drink of heaven and we had APSARAS , beautiful ladies dancing etc as the description of heaven - in the time where it was mail dominant society. So in any case we sacrifice so called pleasures in this worls so we can get pleasures which are endless - contrast to pleasures that end in this physical world as was told in some of the previous shlokas . Nachiketa does not want any such things in this world or the other world - so called heaven . He wants something bigger and better and may be eternal.