KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOKA 13

                                                    नित्योऽनित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानाम् 

                                                    एकोबहूनां योविदधाति कामान् । 

                                                      तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः 

                                                  तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम् ॥ १3

                                NITYA  ANITYANAM  CHETANAH  CHETANANAM 

                                     EKA  BAHUNAM  YAH  VIDADHAT  KAMAN |

                               TAM ATMASTHAM YE  ANUPASHYNTI  DGIRAH

                            TESHAM  SHANTIH SHASHVATI  NA ITARESHAM ||13

THE ETERNAL AMONG TRANSIENT,THE CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG CONSCIOUS, ONE

 AMONG MANY,WHO GRANTS THEIR DESIRES.TO THEM WHO PERCEIVES HIM IN SOUL 

                                                       ,IS ETERNAL PEACE ||13

     This is Shloka appears to be similar to the previous ones , but this has something different . The Yamaraj is telling us that the SELF id nonchanging. We were told that in past .Everything in his MORTAL world changes even when we do not perceive the change . The chair that I am sitting on is CHANGING even though I do not see any change from day to day . But if I would see the same chair after year, I will seethe change. So the everything in this world is changing, but the SELF or BRAHMAN is note changing. The second one in this Shloka is that that this is CHETANA in those who have CHETANA. The word CHETANA is translated by different people in different ways. One could say Chetana is LIFE or the Consciousness . Some call it Intelligence  and I don't agree with that. So what makes us ALIVE is what Lord Yama is referring to when he says that this is LIFE in those who are ALIVE or this is CONSCIOUSNESS among those who are Conscious. Without this - the BRANHAN one would not be alive. The next one is related to the same. Yamaraj states that one can fulfill his desires due to THIS BRAHMAN. This is related to life . If there is physical body but no LIFE - dead body- it can not fulfill the desires of the MIND or the subtle body . So when there is connection between the SELF- BRAMHAN- LIFE then and then only the desires of subtle body can be fulfilled and so stated that THIS grants the desires. And lastly Yamaraj states that when one perceives this SELF -CONSCIOUSNESS- BRAHMAN-CHETANA etc. then he becomes eternal - immortal and gets the eternal peace 

   So the BRAHMAN is eternal and it is the cause of life  and due to the Brahman only the physical and subtle bodies can function and when one realizes this he has the peace.

KATHOPANISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOKA 12

                                                            एकोवशी सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा 

                                                           एकं रूपं बहुधा यः करोति । 

                                                          तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीराः

                                                        तेषां सुखं शाश्वतं नेतरेषाम् ॥ १2

                                         EKO  VASHI  SARVABHUTA   ANTARATMA

                                         EKAM  RUPAM  BAHUDHA  YAH  KAROTI |

                                      TAM-ATMASYA  YE ANUPASHYANTI DHIRAH 

                            TESHAM  SUKHAM SHASHRUTAM NA  ITARESHAM ||12

THE ONE(SUPREME) RULER OF ALL BEINGS  WHO BECOMES MANY IN ALL THE BHUTAS -

WISE MEN WHO PERCEIVE  HIM AS EXISTING  IN THEIR  OWN SELF TO THEM BELONGS

                                       ETERNAL  HAPPINESS AND TO NONE ELSE ||12

    This is a Shloka is interesting. It is difficult to fully understand. We are taught to perceive the outer world with out 5 senses and then analyses with mind and intellect and that is done based on our previous experiences .In reality the Intellect is nothing more that analyzing the situation or current experience based on on our previous experiences . But here we are asked to not look OUTSIDE of our body - external world but look inside . The soul or the Atman is limited to our physical body as we understand it ,but it is the ultimate ruler or the BRAHMAN which is one but appears as many in many living beings. So we have to perceive our ATMA as nothing but the BRAHMAN. It is almost like we looking in the mirror to see our own face or eyes. So we are told in this Shloka that the one who perceives own soul as nothing but the Brahman or Universal soul is the Wiseman and has eternal happiness. 

    The problem with this thought process is that we SEE things with sens organs  and we think with mind  and analyze with Intellect. The soul or Atman is just a witness to all theses things So how do you perceive the Atman as part of Brahman ?This is the problem or the difficulty with the solution that is provided. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOK 11

                                                          सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्षुः

                                                          न लिप्यतेचाक्षुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः ।

                                                           एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा

                                                       न लिप्यतेलोकदुःखेन बाह्यः ॥ 11

                                       SURYO TATHA  SARVLOKASYA  CHAKSHUR  

                                     NA LIPYATE  CHAKSHUSHYAR  BAHYDOSHIH |

                                      EKAS THATA  SARVABHUTA  ANTARATMA 

                                      NA LIPYATE  LOKA DUHYENA  BAHYAH ||11   

AS THE SUN -THE EYE OF THE WHOLE WORLD IS NOT COVERED (CONTAMINATED-

OBSCURED ) BY THE DEFECT OF THE EXTRENAL EYE, THE THE ATMAN WHICH IS

 INNERMOST ESSENCE OF ALL BEINGS, IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE SORROWS

                                                                OF THE WORLD||11

In this Shloka we are given some information on the ATMAN .The Yama is comparing the Atman to the Sun . The Sun provided light and life for the living beings on the Earth. We see things due to the light from the Sun. If there was no light from the Sun then we - in spite of having the EYE could not see . And at the same time the Sun is not affected weather we see things or not - if we have defective eye  and could not see clearly or could not see at all, the Sun light will continue to illuminate the earth. But if there is not Sunlight we could not see the moon and we could not see anything on the earth itself even though we have eyes. The life may not be there if there was no Sun. But here we are told that that the Atman is like the Sun. If the Atman is  not there we could not be alive  and we could not perceive anything. But like the the Sun is not affected by the defects of the external eye , the Atman is  not affected by the sorrows of the human beings. In the modern day we can take an example of the electricity. The electricity is needed to run a computer and ACA unit or a Heater or a light bulb or TV. But the out put from theses different things is not affecting electricity. In fact the out put of AC unit is entirely different than that of a heater -one cools the air the other heats the air in the room. So the electricity is not affected by the the function or effects of the things that it is providing energy. But the electricity is NEEDED for theses different things to function.  Similarly the Atman is needed for the function of living beings but it is not affected by their life - pleasure or sorrow etc.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOK 10

                                                             वायुर्यथैकोभुवनं प्रविष्टो

                                                            रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपोबभूव ।

                                                            एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा

                                                         रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपोबहिश्च ॥ १0

                                       VAYUR  YARHO  BHUVANAM  PRAVISHTO

                                         RUPAM  RUPAM  PRATIRUPO  BABHUV |

                                     EKAS  TATHA  SARVABHUTA  ANTARATMA 

                                RUPAM  RUPAM  PRATIRUPAM  BAHISCHA ||10

AS THE ONE AIR, AFTER IT ENTERS THE WORLD, TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS  ACCORDING 

                                                          TO WHATEVER IT ENTERS,  

THOUGH ATMA OF DIFFERENT BHUTA IS ONE , TAKES DIFFERENT FORMS WHEN IT

                         ENTERS DIFFERENT LIVING THINGS -OUTSIDE ALL FORMS ||10

      This is similar on in the past. The air in my home is same as the air in garden or outside air . We make these manmade compartments and then talk like air is different inside the house  and out side the house The air feels different due to added things or characters like cooler or hot or humid or smells nice etc. But the air itself does not have any qualities but it acquires these qualities. And then we think of air being different outside the house than inside the house . So in this Shloka we are told that like the air appears different inside airconditioned home than out side in hot summer the air is the same. The qualities that we attribute to air are borrowed and are not that if Air . The same holds true about the Atman. The Atman is same in everyone of the living things, but when it enters different physical bodies it APPERAS different . But the Atman is same . When it is encased in physical and Astral and Causal bodies it APPEARS different. The Atman is same in every living body. But since it is encased in physical body and Astral body and feels that is what it is , it feels like the Atman is different in different living beings . The air inside and outside is same but it appears different due to qualities that are acquired  with it - hot - cold, humid and dry and bad odor or smelling great . These are are all acquired  and sometimes we get confused and feel that the air is different . But the Air is same  and same is with the ATMAN. 

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOK 9

                                                         अग्निर्यथैकोभुवनं प्रविष्टो 

                                                        रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपोबभूव ।

                                                        एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा

                                                     रूपं रूपं प्रतिरूपोबहिश्च ॥ ९

                                        AGNIR  YATHA  EKO BHUVANAM  PRAVISHTO

                                              RUPAM  RUPAM  PRATIRUPO  BABHUV |

                                          EKASTTATHA  SARVBHUTAN  ANTARATMA

                                          RUPAM  RUPAM  PRIATIRUPO BAHISCHA  ||9

AS THE FIRE WHEN IT ENTERS THE WORLD HAS DIFFERENT FORMS DEPENDING UPON

 WHAT IT BURNS, SO DOES THE ETERNAL ATMANOF ALL LIVING BEINGS TAKES THE

 FORM ACCORDING TO THE FORM IT ENTERS, AND IT IS OUTSIDE THE FORMS ALSO  ||9

      This Shloka is similar to others and tells us same message in first half. that the Atman in all the living things is same . So the Atman in dog or cat or human beings is same  and we don't have different Atman for different living beings. The dog and cat and human beings all have the same Atman. The example given here is that of Fire. The fire in old days was used to cook food and have light in house and generate heat when we had cold temperatures. So the same fire did look different . The modern day we can look at electricity. The fan that works with electricity or the light bulb that gives us light with same electricity  and the cooking range that helps us cook food and so on. The electricity is the same but it looks different if you look at what theses DORMS or RUPA that it comes through. The electricity does not do anything as a function- fan -cooking range or night production. It does not care about the function. So it is independent observer , but washout the electricity none of these things could function without the electricity . The electricity does and can  exist outside of fan - cooking range or bulb.

    So the ATMAN is similar. ( There are some differences but they are not mentioned here ) The Atman helps mind intellect and physical body to function and without the Atman none of these things will work - look at dead body. The Atman is same but with different physical body and astral or subtle body it appears to be different . This is same as electricity and the instruments that it powers and make them function. The Atman or universal consciousness does pervade EVERYTHING  and when it enters or gets confined to one unit of physical body with subtle body , it acts as that individual and appears different. So the Atman is inside and outside too.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOKA 8

                                                            य एष सुप्तेषुजागर्ति

                                                     कामं कामं पुरुषोनिर्मिमाणः ।

                                                             तदेव शुक्रं तद्ब्रह्म 

                                                            तदेवामृतमुच्यते।

                                                        तस्मिँल्लोकाः श्रिताः सर्वे

                                                 तदुनात्येति कश्चन । एतद्वैतत् ॥ ८

                                              YA  ESH  SUPTESHUJAGARTI

                                       KAMAM KAMAM PURUSHONIRMIMANAH  |

                                              TADEV  SHUKRAM  TAD BRAHM

                                                 TADEV  AMRUTAM UCHYATE  |

                                             TASMIN  LOKAH SHRITHAH  SARVW

                                                  TADU  NANTYETI KASCHAN  |

                                                            ETAD  VAI  TAT || 8

                   THAT WHICH IS AWAKE EVEN WHEN WE SLEEP AND IS SHAPING 

ALL SORTS OF OBJECTS-DESIRES, IS PURE , THE BRAHMAN, AND IS IMMORTAL. IN THAT

                     RESTS ALL THE WORLD AND NONE CAN TRANSDEND THAT ||8 

                                                         THIS IS VEILY THAT .

      This Shloka is very interesting and separates the CONSCIOUSNESS from the REST. The rest is what we know  and consciousness is what we know about but not KNOW it. The Consciousness or also the PURUSHA as it is called in Vedic religion, is there everywhere. It itself does not do anything . But without it we cannot do anything. So we experience the various Objects which arouse various reactions , emotions. We do have them in waking state - which we all know  and also in sleep when we are dreaming. In dreamless deep sleep, we still have an experience of NOTHING. So nothingness is also an experience. So the physical body  and the subtle body or astral body with its mind and intellect , and the causal body - the KARAN SHARIR all is the REST, It cannot function without consciousness  or the PURUSHA , But The PURUSHA cannot do or do anything without the REST . But it is PURE as it does not get affected by the actions of physical body or the the thought process of the astral or subtle body. So if I see a fruit that I love and have a desire to eat it , the mind and physical body will not function without Purusha being there. But Purusha neither has desire nor it enjoys the fruit. It can be compared to Sunlight which shine and we can see . Some may be exercising and some may be happy and some may be unhappy , some may be doing good deeds and some bad deeds . The Sunlight is not affected ,not it does any of the deeds  and so in that sense it is pure. The PURUSH IS PURE AND THAT IS BRAHMAN. 

   One can see an object -the fruit that I see an object, I am seeing it so the eyes are the organ of perception and the mind that gets the desire is the subtler that the eyes . But when we reach the PURUSHA , there is NOTHING BEYOND IT. So one can not go beyond it. 

   The physical body will die but the Brahman never dies  and is Immortal. 

    The BRANMAN IS PURE, IMMORTAL AND THERE IS NOTHING BEYOND IT.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 5 SHLOKA -7

                                                                 योनिमन्येप्रपद्यन्ते

                                                               शरीरत्वाय देहिनः । 

                                                              स्थाणुमन्येऽनुसंयन्ति

                                                             यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतम् ॥ ७

                                                 YONIM  ANYE  PRAPADYANTE 

                                                    SHARIRATVAYA  DEHINAH |

                                               STHANUM  ANYE  ANUSNYANTI

                                              YATHA   KARM  YATHA  SRUTAM ||7

                        SOME  SOULS  ENTER  THE  WOMB  TO  HAVE    A  BODY ,

 OTHERS  IMMOVABLE  ACCORDING   TO THEIR  KARMA  AND  KNOWLEDGE ||7

   In this Shloka, we are told about 2 principles which are main in Vedic religion and may be different that Abrahamic religion, namely Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The Vedic religion has Law of Karma and Reincarnation. So we are told in this Shloka ,that the 'SOULS' will enter wombs to be reborn with Body or may be STEADY - UNMOVABLE according to their Karma and Knowledge. This is the principle of Vedic religion . Most of the people will be reborn in another body  and the selection is based on Karma - desires  and KNOWLEDGE. How much we have evolved as a soul. Do we still have intense desires for satisfying sense organs -this will decide as to what kind of body we will get. So the improvement in out detachment from sense organs and our Knowledge in union with God or universal consciousness will be carried from one life to other  and that will determine which womb we enter . 

    One of the things that we know is there are 8400000 different species in Vedic religion and they do have a count in detail if one is interested in knowing it precisely as to which are these 8400000 species. I am not sure if the word 'STANUM' which means immovable -describes plant kingdom or it means that some souls DO NOT MOVE . This may happen if one has no desires and have  achieved significant Knowledge but not yet 100% to get MUKTI or Nirvana. Most of the authors who have done commentary on this Shloka, sates this as entering plant. I am not convinced . I also feel that most of the Human beings will come back as Human beings ,unless they have so much bad Karmas that they need to exhaust their DESIRES - VASANAS that they have to go back to Animal kingdom where the Karma or Actions are done with Instinct.