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Kaṭha Upaniṣad — Kṛṣṇayajurveda (120 mantras)

Kaṭha upaniṣad

oṃ saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu | sahavīryaṃ karavāvahai |

tejasvi nāvadhītamastu | mā vidviṣāvahai ||

oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ ||

Part I

Canto I

oṃ uśan ha vai vājaśravasaḥ sarvavedasaṃ dadau |

tasya ha naciketā nāma putra āsa

||1||

tam̐ ha kumāram̐ santaṃ dakṣiṇāsu

nīyamānāsu śraddhāviveśa so'manyata

||2||

pītodakā jagdhatṛṇā dugdhadohā nirindriyāḥ |

anandā nāma te lokāstān sa gacchati tā dadat

||3||

sa hovāca pitaraṃ tata kasmai māṃ dāsyasīti |

dvitīyaṃ tṛtīyaṃ tam̐ hovāca mṛtyave tvā dadāmīti

||4||

bahūnāmemi prathamo bahūnāmemi madhyamaḥ |

kim̐ svidyamasya kartavyaṃ yanmayā'dya kariṣyati

||5||

anupaśya yathā pūrve pratipaśya tathā'pare |

sasyamiva martyaḥ pacyate sasyamivājāyate punaḥ

||6||

vaiśvānaraḥ praviśatyatithirbrāhmaṇo gṛhān |

tasyaitām̐ śāntiṃ kurvanti hara vaivasvatodakam

||7||

āśāpratīkṣe saṃgatam̐ sūnṛtāṃ

ceṣṭāpūrte putrapaśūm̐śca sarvān |

etadvṛṅkte puruṣasyālpamedhaso

yasyānaśnanvasati brāhmaṇo gṛhe

||8||

tisro rātrīryadavātsīrgṛhe me-

'naśnan brahmannatithirnamasyaḥ |

namaste'stu brahman svasti me'stu

tasmātprati trīnvarānvṛṇīṣva

||9||

śāntasaṃkalpaḥ sumanā yathā syād

vītamanyurgautamo mā'bhi mṛtyo |

tvatprasṛṣṭaṃ mā'bhivadetpratīta

etat trayāṇāṃ prathamaṃ varaṃ vṛṇe

||10||

yathā purastād bhavitā pratīta

auddālakirāruṇirmatprasṛṣṭaḥ |

sukham̐ rātrīḥ śayitā vītamanyuḥ

tvāṃ dadṛśivānmṛtyumukhāt pramuktam

||11||

svarge loke na bhayaṃ kiṃcanāsti

na tatra tvaṃ na jarayā bibheti |

ubhe tīrtvā'śanāyāpipāse

śokātigo modate svargaloke

||12||

sa tvamagnim̐ svargyamadhyeṣi mṛtyo

prabrūhi tvam̐ śraddadhānāya mahyam |

svargalokā amṛtatvaṃ bhajanta

etad dvitīyena vṛṇe vareṇa

||13||

pra te bravīmi tadu me nibodha

svargyamagniṃ naciketaḥ prajānan |

anantalokāptimatho pratiṣṭhāṃ

viddhi tvametaṃ nihitaṃ guhāyām

||14||

lokādimagniṃ tamuvāca tasmai

yā iṣṭakā yāvatīrvā yathā vā |

sa cāpi tatpratyavadadyathoktaṃ

athāsya mṛtyuḥ punarevāha tuṣṭaḥ

||15||

tamabravīt prīyamāṇo mahātmā

varaṃ tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ |

tavaiva nāmnā bhavitā'yamagniḥ

sṛṅkāṃ cemāmanekarūpāṃ gṛhāṇa

||16||

triṇāciketastribhiretya sandhiṃ

trikarmakṛttarati janmamṛtyū |

brahmajajñaṃ devamīḍyaṃ viditvā

nicāyyemām̐ śāntimatyantameti

||17||

triṇāciketastrayametadviditvā

ya evaṃ vidvām̐ścinute nāciketam |

sa mṛtyupāśān purataḥ praṇodya

śokātigo modate svargaloke

||18||

eṣa te'gnirnaciketaḥ svargyo

yamavṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa |

etamagniṃ tavaiva pravakṣyanti janāsaḥ

tṛtīyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva

||19||

yeyaṃ prete vicikitsā manuṣye-

'stītyeke nāyamastīti caike |

etadvidyāmanuśiṣṭastvayā'haṃ

varāṇāmeṣa varastṛtīyaḥ

||20||

devairatrāpi vicikitsitaṃ purā

na hi suvijñeyamaṇureṣa dharmaḥ |

anyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva

mā moparotsīrati mā sṛjainam

||21||

devairatrāpi vicikitsitaṃ kila

tvaṃ ca mṛtyo yanna sujñeyamāttha |

vaktā cāsya tvādṛganyo na labhyo

nānyo varastulya etasya kaścit

||22||

śatāyuṣaḥ putrapautrānvṛṇīṣvā

bahūnpaśūn hastihiraṇyamaśvān |

bhūmermahadāyatanaṃ vṛṇīṣva

svayaṃ ca jīva śarado yāvadicchasi

||23||

etattulyaṃ yadi manyase varaṃ

vṛṇīṣva vittaṃ cirajīvikāṃ ca |

mahābhūmau naciketastvamedhi

kāmānāṃ tvā kāmabhājaṃ karomi

||24||

ye ye kāmā durlabhā martyaloke

sarvān kāmām̐śchandataḥ prārthayasva |

imā rāmāḥ sarathāḥ satūryā

na hīdṛśā lambhanīyā manuṣyaiḥ |

ābhirmatprattābhiḥ paricārayasva

naciketo maraṇaṃ mā'nuprākṣīḥ

||25||

śvobhāvā martyasya yadantakaitat

sarveṃdriyāṇāṃ jarayanti tejaḥ |

api sarvaṃ jīvitamalpameva

tavaiva vāhāstava nṛtyagīte

||26||

na vittena tarpaṇīyo manuṣyo

lapsyāmahe vittamadrākṣma cettvā |

jīviṣyāmo yāvadīśiṣyasi tvaṃ

varastu me varaṇīyaḥ sa eva

||27||

ajīryatāmamṛtānāmupetya

jīryanmartyaḥ kvadhaḥsthaḥ prajānan |

abhidhyāyan varṇaratipramodān

atidīrghe jīvite ko rameta

||28||

yasminnidaṃ vicikitsanti mṛtyo

yatsāmparāye mahati brūhi nastat |

yo'yaṃ varo gūḍhamanupraviṣṭo

nānyaṃ tasmānnaciketā vṛṇīte

||29||

Part I

Canto II

anyacchreyo'nyadutaiva preya-

ste ubhe nānārthe puruṣam̐ sinītaḥ |

tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhu

bhavati hīyate'rthādya u preyo vṛṇīte

||1||

śreyaśca preyaśca manuṣyametaḥ

tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ |

śreyo hi dhīro'bhi preyaso vṛṇīte

preyo mando yogakṣemādvṛṇīte

||2||

sa tvaṃ priyānpriyarūpāṃśca kāmān

abhidhyāyannaciketo'tyasrākṣīḥ |

naitāṃ sṛṅkāṃ vittamayīmavāpto

yasyāṃ majjanti bahavo manuṣyāḥ

||3||

dūramete viparīte viṣūcī

avidyā yā ca vidyeti jñātā |

vidyābhīpsinaṃ naciketasaṃ manye

na tvā kāmā bahavo'lolupanta

||4||

avidyāyāmantare vartamānāḥ

svayaṃ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṃmanyamānāḥ |

dandramyamāṇāḥ pariyanti mūḍhā

andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ

||5||

na sāmparāyaḥ pratibhāti bālaṃ

pramādyantaṃ vittamohena mūḍham |

ayaṃ loko nāsti para iti mānī

punaḥ punarvaśamāpadyate me

||6||

śravaṇāyāpi bahubhiryo na labhyaḥ

śa‍ṛṇvanto'pi bahavo yaṃ na vidyuḥ |

āścaryo vaktā kuśalo'sya labdhā

āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ

||7||

na nareṇāvareṇa prokta eṣa

suvijñeyo bahudhā cintyamānaḥ |

ananyaprokte gatiratra nāsti

aṇīyān hyatarkyamaṇupramāṇāt

||8||

naiṣā tarkeṇa matirāpaneyā

proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha |

yāṃ tvamāpaḥ satyadhṛtirbatāsi

tvādṛṅno bhūyānnaciketaḥ praṣṭā

||9||

jānāmyahaṃ śevadhirityanityaṃ

na hyadhruvaiḥ prāpyate hi dhruvaṃ tat |

tato mayā nāciketaścito'gniḥ

anityairdravyaiḥ prāptavānasmi nityam

||10||

kāmasyāptiṃ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ

kratorānantyamabhayasya pāram |

stomamahadurugāyaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dṛṣṭvā

dhṛtyā dhīro naciketo'tyasrākṣīḥ

||11||

taṃ durdarśaṃ gūḍhamanupraviṣṭaṃ

guhāhitaṃ gahvareṣṭhaṃ purāṇam |

adhyātmayogādhigamena devaṃ

matvā dhīro harṣaśokau jahāti

||12||

etacchrutvā samparigṛhya martyaḥ

pravṛhya dharmyamaṇumetamāpya |

sa modate modanīyam̐ hi labdhvā

vivṛtam̐ sadma naciketasaṃ manye

||13||

anyatra dharmādanyatrādharmā-

danyatrāsmātkṛtākṛtāt |

anyatra bhūtācca bhavyācca

yattatpaśyasi tadvada

||14||

sarve vedā yatpadamāmananti

tapāgͫsi sarvāṇi ca yadvadanti |

yadicchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti

tatte padagͫ saṅgraheṇa bravīmyomityetat

||15||

etaddhyevākṣaraṃ brahma etaddhyevākṣaraṃ param |

etaddhyevākṣaraṃ jñātvā yo yadicchati tasya tat

||16||

etadālambanam̐ śreṣṭhametadālambanaṃ param |

etadālambanaṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate

||17||

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaści-

nnāyaṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit |

ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yaṃ purāṇo

na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

||18||

hantā cenmanyate hantum̐ hataścenmanyate hatam |

ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyam̐ hanti na hanyate

||19||

aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyā-

nātmā'sya jantornihito guhāyām |

tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko

dhātuprasādānmahimānamātmanaḥ

||20||

āsīno dūraṃ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvataḥ |

kastaṃ madāmadaṃ devaṃ madanyo jñātumarhati

||21||

aśarīram̐ śarīreṣvanavastheṣvavasthitam |

mahāntaṃ vibhumātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati

||22||

nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo

na medhayā na bahunā śrutena |

yamevaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyaḥ

tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūgͫ svām

||23||

nāvirato duścaritānnāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ |

nāśāntamānaso vā'pi prajñānenainamāpnuyāt

||24||

yasya brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ |

mṛtyuryasyopasecanaṃ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ

||25||

Part I

Canto III

ṛtaṃ pibantau sukṛtasya loke

guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe |

chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti

pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ

||1||

yaḥ seturījānānāmakṣaraṃ brahma yat param |

abhayaṃ titīrṣatāṃ pāraṃ nāciketam̐ śakemahi

||2||

ātmānam̐ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīram̐ rathameva tu |

buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca

||3||

indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu gocarān |

ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

||4||

yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā |

tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ

||5||

yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā |

tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ

||6||

yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskaḥ sadā'śuciḥ |

na sa tatpadamāpnoti saṃsāraṃ cādhigacchati

||7||

yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ |

sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate

||8||

vijñānasārathiryastu manaḥ pragrahavānnaraḥ |

so'dhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam

||9||

indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca paraṃ manaḥ |

manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparaḥ

||10||

mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ |

puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ

||11||

eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho''tmā na prakāśate |

dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā sūkṣmadarśibhiḥ

||12||

yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna ātmani |

jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani

||13||

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata

prāpya varānnibodhata |

kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā

durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti

||14||

aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ

tathā'rasaṃ nityamagandhavacca yat |

anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ

nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhāt pramucyate

||15||

nāciketamupākhyānaṃ mṛtyuproktam̐ sanātanam |

uktvā śrutvā ca medhāvī brahmaloke mahīyate

||16||

ya imaṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ śrāvayed brahmasaṃsadi |

prayataḥ śrāddhakāle vā tadānantyāya kalpate |

tadānantyāya kalpata iti

||17||

Part II

Canto I

parāñci khāni vyatṛṇat svayambhū-

stasmātparāṅpaśyati nāntarātman |

kaściddhīraḥ pratyagātmānamaikṣa-

dāvṛttacakṣuramṛtatvamicchan

||1||

parācaḥ kāmānanuyanti bālā-

ste mṛtyoryanti vitatasya pāśam |

atha dhīrā amṛtatvaṃ viditvā

dhruvamadhruveṣviha na prārthayante

||2||

yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdān sparśāgͫśca maithunān |

etenaiva vijānāti kimatra pariśiṣyate | etadvai tat

||3||

svapnāntaṃ jāgaritāntaṃ cobhau yenānupaśyati |

mahāntaṃ vibhumātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati

||4||

ya imaṃ madhvadaṃ veda ātmānaṃ jīvamantikāt |

īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat

||5||

yaḥ pūrvaṃ tapaso jātamadbhyaḥ pūrvamajāyata |

guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantaṃ yo bhūtebhirvyapaśyata | etadvai tat

||6||

yā prāṇena saṃbhavatyaditirdevatāmayī |

guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantīṃ yā bhūtebhirvyajāyata | etadvai tat

||7||

araṇyornihito jātavedā garbha iva subhṛto garbhiṇībhiḥ |

dive dive īḍyo jāgṛvadbhirhaviṣmadbhirmanuṣyebhiragniḥ | etadvai tat

||8||

yataścodeti sūryo'staṃ yatra ca gacchati |

taṃ devāḥ sarve'rpitāstadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat

||9||

yadeveha tadamutra yadamutra tadanviha |

mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyumāpnoti ya iha nāneva paśyati

||10||

manasaivedamāptavyaṃ neha nānā'sti kiṃcana |

mṛtyoḥ sa mṛtyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati

||11||

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati |

īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat

||12||

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo jyotirivādhūmakaḥ |

īśāno bhūtabhavyasya sa evādya sa u śvaḥ | etadvai tat

||13||

yathodakaṃ durge vṛṣṭaṃ parvateṣu vidhāvati |

evaṃ dharmān pṛthak paśyaṃstānevānuvidhāvati

||14||

yathodakaṃ śuddhe śuddhamāsiktaṃ tādṛgeva bhavati |

evaṃ munervijānata ātmā bhavati gautama

||15||

Part II

Canto II

puramekādaśadvāramajasyāvakracetasaḥ |

anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaśca vimucyate | etadvai tat

||1||

ham̐saḥ śuciṣadvasurantarikṣasad-

hotā vediṣadatithirduroṇasat |

nṛṣadvarasadṛtasadvyomasad

abjā gojā ṛtajā adrijā ṛtaṃ bṛhat

||2||

ūrdhvaṃ prāṇamunnayatyapānaṃ pratyagasyati |

madhye vāmanamāsīnaṃ viśve devā upāsate

||3||

asya visraṃsamānasya śarīrasthasya dehinaḥ |

dehādvimucyamānasya kimatra pariśiṣyate | etadvai tat

||4||

na prāṇena nāpānena martyo jīvati kaścana |

itareṇa tu jīvanti yasminnetāvupāśritau

||5||

hanta ta idaṃ pravakṣyāmi guhyaṃ brahma sanātanam |

yathā ca maraṇaṃ prāpya ātmā bhavati gautama

||6||

yonimanye prapadyante śarīratvāya dehinaḥ |

sthāṇumanye'nusaṃyanti yathākarma yathāśrutam

||7||

ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāmaṃ kāmaṃ puruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ |

tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate |

tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat

||8||

agniryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo

rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva |

ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā

rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca

||9||

vāyuryathaiko bhuvanaṃ praviṣṭo

rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo babhūva |

ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā

rūpaṃ rūpaṃ pratirūpo bahiśca

||10||

sūryo yathā sarvalokasya cakṣuḥ

na lipyate cākṣuṣairbāhyadoṣaiḥ |

ekastathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā

na lipyate lokaduḥkhena bāhyaḥ

||11||

eko vaśī sarvabhūtāntarātmā

ekaṃ rūpaṃ bahudhā yaḥ karoti |

tamātmasthaṃ ye'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ

teṣāṃ sukhaṃ śāśvataṃ netareṣām

||12||

nityo'nityānāṃ cetanaścetanānām

eko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān |

tamātmasthaṃ ye'nupaśyanti dhīrāḥ

teṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām

||13||

tadetaditi manyante'nirdeśyaṃ paramaṃ sukham |

kathaṃ nu tadvijānīyāṃ kimu bhāti vibhāti vā

||14||

na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ

nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto'yamagniḥ |

tameva bhāntamanubhāti sarvaṃ

tasya bhāsā sarvamidaṃ vibhāti

||15||

Part II

Canto III

ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ |

tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate |

tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat

||1||

yadidaṃ kiṃ ca jagat sarvaṃ prāṇa ejati niḥsṛtam |

mahadbhayaṃ vajramudyataṃ ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti

||2||

bhayādasyāgnistapati bhayāttapati sūryaḥ |

bhayādindraśca vāyuśca mṛtyurdhāvati pañcamaḥ

||3||

iha cedaśakadboddhuṃ prākṣarīrasya visrasaḥ |

tataḥ sargeṣu lokeṣu śarīratvāya kalpate

||4||

yathā''darśe tathā''tmani yathā svapne tathā pitṛloke |

yathā'psu parīva dadṛśe tathā gandharvaloke

chāyātapayoriva brahmaloke

||5||

indriyāṇāṃ pṛthagbhāvamudayāstamayau ca yat |

pṛthagutpadyamānānāṃ matvā dhīro na śocati

||6||

indriyebhyaḥ paraṃ mano manasaḥ sattvamuttamam |

sattvādadhi mahānātmā mahato'vyaktamuttamam

||7||

avyaktāttu paraḥ puruṣo vyāpako'liṅga eva ca |

yaṃ jñātvā mucyate janturamṛtatvaṃ ca gacchati

||8||

na saṃdṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasya

na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam |

hṛdā manīṣā manasā'bhiklṛpto

ya etadviduramṛtāste bhavanti

||9||

yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha |

buddhiśca na viceṣṭate tāmāhuḥ paramāṃ gatim

||10||

tāṃ yogamiti manyante sthirāmindriyadhāraṇām |

apramattastadā bhavati yogo hi prabhavāpyayau

||11||

naiva vācā na manasā prāptuṃ śakyo na cakṣuṣā |

astīti bruvato'nyatra kathaṃ tadupalabhyate

||12||

astītyevopalabdhavyastattvabhāvena cobhayoḥ |

astītyevopalabdhasya tattvabhāvaḥ prasīdati

||13||

yadā sarve pramucyante kāmā ye'sya hṛdi śritāḥ |

atha martyo'mṛto bhavatyatra brahma samaśnute

||14||

yadā sarve prabhidyante hṛdayasyeha granthayaḥ |

atha martyo'mṛto bhavatyetāvaddhyanuśāsanam

||15||

śataṃ caikā ca hṛdayasya nāḍya-

stāsāṃ mūrdhānamabhiniḥsṛtaikā |

tayordhvamāyannamṛtatvameti

viṣvaṅṅanyā utkramaṇe bhavanti

||16||

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo'ntarātmā

sadā janānāṃ hṛdaye saṃniviṣṭaḥ |

taṃ svāccharīrātpravṛhenmuñjādiveṣīkāṃ dhairyeṇa |

taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtaṃ taṃ vidyācchukramamṛtamiti

||17||

mṛtyuproktāṃ naciketo'tha labdhvā

vidyāmetāṃ yogavidhiṃ ca kṛtsnam |

brahmaprāpto virajo'bhūdvimṛtyu-

ranyo'pyevaṃ yo vidadhyātmameva

||18||

saha nāvavatu | saha nau bhunaktu | saha vīryaṃ karavāvahai |

tejasvināvadhītamastu mā vidviṣāvahai

||19||