KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA-6

                                            अनुपश्य तथा पूर्वे प्रतिपश्य तथाSपरे

                                             सस्यमिव मर्त्यः पच्यते मिवाSSजायते  पूनः --६
      REMEMBER HOW OUR FOREFATHERS BEHAVED AND HOW OTHERS BEHAVE

          ALL MORTAL BEINGS LIKE CORN, DECAYS AND THEN IS BORN AGAIN

    As I understand this statement is by Nachiket to his father or it may be his own thought. This kind of thought can only arise in those whose soul is evolved or who has understood the mortality of human life. We normally tend to justify what we do even when we know that our acts are not moral or ethical. The standard statement is 'everyone does it' or 'If I don;t do it someone will do it.' We all know that we are all mortal beings  and we are going to die. but the way in which we act is as if we are going to live for ever. I have known elderly -more than 85 years ole not selling their property  and hold on to it so as to get higher price, only to die before enjoying the money that they would have gotten by selling earlier.
      There is a poem in Marathi language which states that we are all like grains going in grinder but we do not realize  and even though Death is imminent we wish we want to try to stop what is inevitable.
     In this SHLOKA , Nachiket thins or tells to his father that think what our forefather did, or what other (of your age ) do.They donate as charity things that are of value or utility.Like grain - corn the physical body will die -decay and then we will be born again.
    In Patanjali Yoga Sutra we are told that there are different types of 'proofs' Some are 'direct' and some are 'indirect' We conclude that there must be fire when we see smoke . This is indirect. While actually seeing fire is direst proof. But both of these can be deceptive. We see Moon  and think it is not that far  and we can cover with our palm in front of our eyes , so it must not be big .But our conclusion is wrong .The same is true of indirect, smoke could be fog  and there may be no fire . The only 100% proof is what is told to us by reliable evolved souls or sages. So when we are told to think about how our ancestor behaved , we should not think of learned , evolved enlightened ones not just those who were related to us by blood.
  The principal of life cycle or birth-death- reborn- reincarnation is also stated here.

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA-5

                                             बहूनामेमि  प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः

                                         किं स्विद्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाSद्य करिष्यति  -5

(NACHIKET THOUGHT) OF MANY I AM THE FIRST (OR) THE MIDDLE (BUT CERTAINLY 

    NOT THE LAST)BUT WHAT IS PURPOSE OF MY FATHER TO GIVE ME TO THE YAMA-5

       So this shloka tells us what Nachiket must have thought of what his father said. Many a times elders make a statements in state of rage, and we do not expect it to be followed by the kids . But here the CHILD is not ordinary child . He is mature , learned  and devoted . He is also capable. So he is thinking to himself that there must be some purpose for my father giving me to the God of Death - YAMA. He is learned  and he is my Guru  and his words can not be spoken in vain.The shloka starts with Nachiket thinking that I must be first of the people who was offered to God of death or may be there were some before me , but certainly I can not be the last, so true. He wants to fulfill the words or the command of his Father and also Guru . But he does not understand as to what must be the reason and what is it that my father wants me to get it done by Yama
    This is very interesting shloka to me. There are couple of things out of ordinary understanding of average people.The common part is all adults when they are mad will say things that they don't mean . The uncommon thing is that the Son - CHILD takes his father's word very seriously . He wants to obey the father's wish-command . Not only he feels that way but he also has ability to go to YAMA.
He is serious about  and he does it . 

KATHOPANISHAD CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA-4

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA -4

                                               स ह उवाच पितरं तत कस्मै मां दास्यतीति

                                             द्वितीयं तृतीयं तं होवाच मृत्यवे त्वाम ददाभीति -४

                            HE (NACHIKET) ASKED SECOND AND THIRD TIME,

                                    "FATHER WHOM WOULD YOU GIVE ME TO?"

                 (AND FATHER)ANSWERED 'TO DEATH (YAMA-GOD OF DEATH)'
So when the son Nachiketa saw what his father was doing he was not happy. The father was giving things that were useless and would actually be burden. The cows that do not produce milk still need food and water and care if they get sick . So there is no 'return' on them, but just expense. Nachiket is exceptional son . He is learned  and honest  and at the same time polite. He did not want to question the behavior of his father, but at the same time he wanted to remind his father whom he respected ,that what he was doing was wrong.So indirectly he was telling him without questioning his behavior.
So he asked him repeatedly as to WHOM He would give his own son to?'This implies that at the time of this Yadnya,one is suppose to give up EVERYTHING,including attachment to all mortal things including own son. So the material objects are to be Given Up , but also the attachment to family. This is the state that one has to be detached to such an extent that he should own NOTHING.Once one gets in to this mind frame then and then only one can do the meditation to achieve God.
       The Father was not any different than today's fathers.He did not liked to be questioned by young son. So when the son asked him same question over and over again, he was mad . So in anger he answered that"he is going to offer him the son to Death or God of death',.The God of death in Hindu philosophy is called Yama.
         In Vedic religion the Gods are Humanized. So they are not the ultimate reality or PURUSHA. But they are 'functioning 'Gods . So the creator of the Universe is Brahma (not BRAHMAM)  and his wife is Saraswati . He does rest and sleeps. To create anything - to build big mansion one would need Knowledge,and so the Goddess SARSWATI is the Goddess of KNOWLEDGE. The universe once created has to be maintained . So we have VISHNU ,one who does that function and his wife is LAKSHMI . To maintain anything one needs money. So the goddess LAKSHMI is the Goddess of money.Once the universe is created  and maintained, there are going to be bad elements  and so we have a God who takes care of bad element - SHANKAR .His wife is PARWATI or DURGA .To take care of bad elements one needs POWER.So the Durga is the Goddess of power. So in the same way it is the law of universe that anyone who is borne is going to die. So we have God of Death .He is called YAMA  and he has his agents  and they 'take away' the life. This Yama is a central figure in this Upanishad and so the father tells Nachiket that he is going to give 'him' to Yama.

KATHPANISHAD ADHYAY 1 -CHAPTER 1- SHLOKA 2 AND 3

KATHOPANISHADA - CHAPTER 1 -SHLOKA 2 AND 3

          तं ह कुमारं सन्तं दक्षिणासु नीयमानसु श्रद्धा आविवेश सः अमन्यत ----२ 

                        TAM HA KUMARAM SANTAM DAKSHINASU NIYAMANASU 

                                       SHRADHHA  AVIVESH SAH AMANYAT ----2

 

           पीतोदका जग्घतृणा दुग्धदोहा निरीन्द्रियाः अनन्दा नाम ते लोकास्तान्स गच्छति ता ददत ---३ 

   

             PITODAKA JAGGHATRUNA DUDGHDOHA  NIRINDRAYAH ANANDA NAM TE 

                                                 LOKASTANS GACHHATI TA DADAT 

              WHEN HIS FATHER STARTED GIVING DAKSHINA (PRESENTS)  
      
                                           HE(NACHIKET) WAS CONCERNED  ---2   

                                                        AND HE THOUGHT

THESE COWS HAVE DRANK WATER FOR AND COMPLETED GIVING MILK AND,HAVE 

EATEN  GRASS FOR LAST TIME  AND ARE BARREN AND ONE GIVES THEM AS   

                           DAKSHINA IN YADNYA ATTAIN THE JOYLESS WORLDS----3

     This the beginning of the story. As mentioned in past all the Upanishads there is story and question answers. So we are told of a story in this one . The Nachiketa is the young boy who is not an ordinary boy who spends time in playing and wasting time in childhood mischief He has studies the scriptures  and he is evolved  and has basic understandings and also has Faith in scriptures  and so he is not happy with the behaviour of the father The father is not a fool.But he is man of ordinary thoughts. We all behave in this way many a times. When we donate to charity, we tend to not donate Good things . We donate things that are not useful to us or have some defects etc. So this father is suppose to Donate or give up things that he owns and are USEFUL.Instead he is donating the cows that have lost the usefulness -they are barren and are not going to produce calf  and will not give milk . But they will need food and water . The idea of doing YADNYA is to give up or sacrifice what we own . So we are suppose to give up things that are valuable  and are useful to us. In Fire ceremony  or Yadnya the host or THE YAJAMAN says इदं न मम। This means 'This does not belong to me ".So we need to have the feeling that this universe was created by the God  and so It Came out of God  and so it all belongs to HIM.So we are offering HIS things to HIM  and so the things that we are offering are not truly belonging to us . But it is difficult to have that kind of thought . So this Fatjher is doing what most of us do. But the son who is observing the whole things is not ordinary. So he is concerned of the welfare of the father . He is not going to get any credit for such an action and he will not be in BETTER world..

KATHOPNISHAD-ADHYAY 1-VALLI-1

KATHOPANISHAD - ADHYAY 1- VALLI-1

                                                     KATHOPANISHAD
                                                     ADHYAY 1 VALLI -1


                      USHAN HA WAI  VAJASHRAVASAH  SARWVEDASAM  DADAU

                               TASHA HA NACHIKETA NAM PUTRA AS

ONCE (UPON A TIME)SON OF VAJASHAVAS DESIROUS (OF HEAVEN) GAVE ALL THAT                 
                     HE PASSED (IN YAGNYA).HE HAD A SON NAMED NACHIKETA


    This is the first VALLI or first Shloka. There are 5 sections or Adhyay. The  Upanishads start with prayer and has a story and the story has a teaching . So in this beginning Shloka we are told that there was Brahman who wanted to do Yadnya. The Yadnya is sacrificial ceremony in which the Host or the Yajaman does a SANKALP. The Sankalp is the reason for which the Yadnya is done . The true meaning of the Yadnya is not just the ritual but also the sacrifice . So one has to not just put in Ghee and some food  and other stuff but to do it with 'FEELING' that THIS IS NOT MINE - IDAM NA MAM. But most of the time people do the ceremony. They have desires to GET MORE material things  and the attention is somewhere else. Sometimes people have invited people for dinner  and so the attention is in the management of the part that follows the YADNYA .I am not sure if in past how these things were done.
      So in this starting we are told that the Host or the YAJAMAN is VAJASHRAV .He has desire to be in heaven after the death and so he is doing the Yadnya . In past the life was divided in 4 parts.Child has a period of 'learning'  and that is called BRAMHACHARASHRAM .(ASHRAM is a compartment of life or a place where one stays . Brahmacharya is celibacy)Then when he is capable of making money he marries  and that part is called GRUHASTASHRAM . Then he has family and then he enters VANAPRASTHASHRAM - semi retitement where he is spending more time in devotion to GOD  and less in day to day activity of making money and taking care of family. Then further down the road he enters SANYASHRAM . In this last stage he owns NOTHING  and he gives up  or is suppose to leave all the material things.
     So in this SHLOKA we are told that a person named Vajashrav decides to do ritual or Yadnya , so that he goes to heaven  and that he has a son named Nachiket.

KATHOPANISHAD KATHA UPANISHAD 1

KATHOPANISHAD KATHA UPANISHDA 1

        Since the PATANJALI SUTRA YOGA was completed , I decided to continue the same blog  and not changing the name . But I want to start on UPANISHADS. There more than 100 Upanishads  and some are considered very important . There are 10 or 12 Upanishads that are considered very important  and the Katha Upanishads is one of them . It is also very popular and has been discussed  and critique by many and one of the first one that I read many years ago. I have told the story of the Kathopanishada to many including non-Indians  and it is impressive . There are several reasons why I like it  and I will try to tell them in this first Blog.

     The meaning of the Upanishad is 'sitting next to '.The typical format of the Upanishads is to start with a prayer  and then there is a story and the story has the 'teaching ' by the teacher. This is a conversation between the GURU or Teacher  and the SHISHYA or disciple or student. The story itself has teaching and that is the way it differs from the ISAP NITI OR PANCHTANTRA. (For those who are not familiar with the Isap Niti -Isap was a slave  and he has these famous stories where he could Understand the language of the animals  and that created the story  and at the end of the story was 'moral teaching. In Panchtantra there were animal stories  and that had again the moral teaching)
   In Upanishads we have knowledge of  BRAHMAN-so it is Brahma Vidya.The scriptures are always complicated  and written in mystic form. This is true for the Vedic religion and also for the other Abrahamic religions , namely Christianity , Islam and Judaism. From Adam and Eve story to statements like You chop off your arms  and then I will receive you to I am the only God that you should worship - are all the examples of things that are open to interpretation and misunderstandings and then the fights.  So this Upanishad is straight forward . It also deals with Life and Death.We do not know what happens to us after the death (of physical body) and so we are concerned and we are curious  and afraid. But the Death as we know is death of physical body  and not our True Nature or SELF. So this Upanishad addresses it as to what happens after the so called DEATH.
    We have had discussions on reincarnation and so Vedic religion believes that we have several lives  and we are reborn and the BIRTH AND DEATH ARE CYCLES  and there is o end to it unless---?.
So this Upanishad does affirms the idea of reincarnation.
    We have also heard in our life about the Gods doing this  and that  and we often give HUMAN qualities to the Gods . The God is merciful and God will forgive  and God will get mad  and God will punish etc. But then on other hand we also talk about the PURUSHA which has no Gunas  and he is independent observer . So what is the Truth . Is there a God of that has these qualities . Is there a GOD OF DEATH the YAMA or YAMARAJ ? This Upanishad has the answer  and the YAMA the God of death is teaching about LIFE  AND LIFE AFTER DEATH !
    So I will try to start the real verses in my next blog .