Dr KK Aggarwal
The Katha Upanishad is the legendary
story of a little boy, Nachiketa (the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama
(the Hindu deity of death) and their conversation, which is a discussion of the
nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Soul, Self) and moksha (liberation). It has
six sections (Vallis).
The third Valli of Katha Upanishad
presents the analogy of the chariot, to highlight how Soul or Atman, body,
mind, senses relate to a human being.
As per the Upanishad, one should know the
Atman soul as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the
charioteer, the mind as the reins, the senses as the five horses and the roads
as the samsara representing the objects of the senses or the desires.
The path of Katha Upanishad therefore
is to control your desires through control of the senses by tightening the
reins of the mind using the power of discrimination or the intellect with soul
as the observer.
The common Vedic teaching directs one a
control from Bahi Karan or outward direct senses (five gross elements, five
Karmendriyas and five Gnanendriyas) to Antar Karan (Mind, intellect cum ego,
Chitta or consciousness).
So, one should use the power of
discrimination or Viveka to take all the decisions in life with soul as the
observer.
But in Bhagavad Gita we see a
difference. Here, Arjuna is the rider in the Chariot and Krishna the
Charioteer.
Before understanding this, we must know
the difference between the teachings of Yoga Vasishta and Bhagavad Gita. In the
first Rama got a preventive teaching from Sage Vasishta as to how to live life
and prevent anxieties. And in Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna takes on-field guidance
from Krishna in an anxiety state and gets guided for the battle.
So, there are two paths. The preventive
path of Chariot Katha Upanishad and the treatment path of Krishna Arjuna
chariot; hence, the difference.
·
The
path of Katha Upanishad: Take intellect-guided decisions with soul as observer
·
The
path of Gita: Take soul-guided decisions
The
Shlokas
Know that the Atman is the rider in the
chariot, and the body is the chariot,
Know that the Buddhi (intelligence, ability to reason) is the charioteer, and
Manas (mind) is the reins. (1.3.3)
The senses are called the horses,
the objects of the senses are their paths,
Formed out of the union of the Atman, the senses and the mind,
him they call the "enjoyer". (1.3.4)
Katha Upanishad
1.3.3
आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु।
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनःप्रग्रहमेव च॥
ātmānam̐ rathitaṃ viddhi śarīram̐
rathameva tu |
buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca
1.3.4
इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान्।
आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः
indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu
gocarān।
ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा।
तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः॥
Yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā
sadā |
tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ ||
5. But of him who is not possessed of
discrimination, and whose mind is always uncontrolled, the senses are not
controllable as vicious horses of a driver.
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाणि
वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥
yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā
sadā |
tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ ||
6. But of him who knows and has a mind
always controlled, the senses are always controllable as the good horses of the
driver.
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः ।
न स तत्पदमाप्नोति सँ सारं चाधिगच्छति ॥
yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskaḥ
sadā'śuciḥ ।
na sa tatpadamāpnoti sam̐ sāraṃ cādhigacchati ॥ 7 ॥
7. But he, whose intellect has no
discrimination and whose thind is not under control and who is always unclean,
does not reach that goal and falls into Samsâra.
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः ।
स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते ॥ ८ ॥
yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskaḥ sadā
śuciḥ |
sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate || 8 ||
8. But he, who knows, who has his mind
always under control and who is clean, reaches that goal from which he is not
born again.
विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९ ॥
vijñānasārathiryastu
manaḥpragrahavānnaraḥ |
so'dhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam || 9 ||
9. But the man who has a discriminating
intellect for the driver and a controlling mind for the reins, reaches the end
of the road, i.e., that highest place of Vishnu.
इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः ॥ १० ॥
indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca
paraṃ manaḥ |
manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparaḥ || 10 ||
10. Beyond the senses, are the
rudiments of its objects; beyond these rudiments is the mind; beyond the mind
is âtman known as Mahat (great).
महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः ।
पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः ॥ ११ ॥
mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ
paraḥ |
puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ || 11 ||
Beyond the great Ātman is the
Unmanifested; beyond the Unmanifested is the Puruṣa (the Cosmic Soul); beyond
the Puruṣa there is nothing. That is the end that is the final goal.
एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा न प्रकाशते ।
दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्श्मया सूक्श्मदर्शिभिः ॥ १२ ॥
eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho''tmā na
prakāśate |
dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkśmayā sūkśmadarśibhiḥ || 12 ||
12. This Ātman (Self), hidden in all
beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through keen and
subtle understanding
यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि ।
ज्ञानमात्मनि
महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि ॥ १३ ॥
yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna
ātmani |
jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani || 13 ||
13. Let the intelligent man sink speech
into mind, sink that into intelligence and intelligence into the
great âtman and sink that into the peaceful âtman.
उत्तिष्ठतजाग्रतप्राप्यवरान्निबोधत।
क्शुरस्यधारानिशितादुरत्ययादुर्गंपथस्तत्कवयोवदन्ति॥१४॥
uttiṣṭhatajāgrataprāpyavarānnibodhata
|
kśurasyadhārāniśitāduratyayādurgaṃpathastatkavayovadanti || 14 ||
उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्शुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४ ॥
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata |
kśurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti || 14
14. Arise, awake; having reached the
great, learn; the edge of a razor is sharp and impassable; that path, the
intelligent say, is hard to go by.
अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथाऽरसन्नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत् ।
अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १५ ॥
aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ
tathā'rasannityamagandhavacca yat |
anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate || 15 ||
15. Which is soundless, touchless,
formless, undecaying, so tasteless, eternal and scentless, beginningless,
endless, beyond the Mahat, and constant, knowing that, man escapes from
the mouth of death?
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
