topics: |  philosophy | religion | hinduism | india

swami paramAnanda in 1910, at age 26.  this is the year he established the
vedanta center of boston. 

swami paramAnanda, an early disciple of swami vivekAnanda, came from an elite family in barishAl, where he had been well-educated. subsequently, he studied with swAmI rAmakriShNAnanda who had opened the maTh at madras.

after vivekAnanda's death, he accompanied swami abhedAnanda to the USA, where he went on to found the vedAnta center in boston and another in california.

paramAnanda prepared this translation for western readers, after he met an american disciple who was sad that he could not understand the sanskrit text he had on his shelf.

paramAnanda's then prepared some discourses on these upanishads; these were transcribed and the translations appeared in the magazine of the vedanta center of boston in 1913-14. the preface mentions how the swAmi-jI "throughout his translation has sought to eliminate all that might seem obscure and confusing to the modern mind."

the particular edition that i have was purchased in 1989 december during a visit to india. it is a small hardbound book, some 10cm x 18cm.

the layout is exceptionally pleasant.  the main translations run
across the small pages in large fonts, with old-fashioned large cap
"initium"s at the start of every stanza.  every now and then there are some
notes that appear under the main text in much smaller font, so the
reader interested in the main narrative can easily skip these.

the getup is very pleasant and lightweight, with no footnotes or
other intrusions.

sometimes you do want more, you want to see the original text.  but that is
not for the fainthearted.  in my excerpts, i have given the sanskrit text in
places.

the book is definitely worth having.  as of 2014, it is available for rs.40
at http://www.chennaimath.org/istore/product/four-upanishads/.

excerpts: kaTha upanishad कठोपनिषत्

the kaTha-upaniShad is probably the most widely known of all the
upanishads. it was early translated into persian and through this rendering
first made its way into europe.  later rAjA rAm mohun roy brought out an
english version.

there is no consensus of opinion regarding the place of this upanishad in
vedic literature. some authorities declare it to belong to the yajur-veda,
others to the sAma-veda, while a large number put it down as a part of the
atharva-veda. the story is first suggested in the rig-veda; it is told more
definitely in the yajur-veda; and in the kaTha-upanishad it appears fully
elaborated and interwoven with the loftiest vedic teaching.

the text presents a dialogue between an aspiring disciple, nachiketas, and
the ruler of death regarding the great hereafter.

Peace Chant

ॐ सह नाववतु | सह नौ भुनक्तु | सहवीर्यं करवावहै |
तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु | मा विद्विषावहै ||
	  ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ||

may he (the supreme being) protect us both, teacher
and taught. may he be pleased with us. may we acquire
strength. may our study bring us illumination. may there
be no enmity among us.
	  oM! peace! peace! peace!


opening lines of the kaTha-upaniShad

Part First

I
vAjashrava, being desirous of heavenly rewards (at the viswajit sacrifice),
made a gift of all that he possessed.  he had a son by the name of
nachiketas.

II
when the offerings were being distributed, faith
(shraddhA) entered (the heart of) nachiketas, who, though
young, yet reflected:

III
these cows have drunk water, eaten grass and given milk
for the last time, and their senses have lost all vigour. he
who gives these undoubtedly goes to joyless realms.

		note: nachiketa's thought here is "by merely giving these
		useless cows, my father cannot gain any merit. If he has
		vowed to give all his possessions, then he must also give
		me. Otherwise his sacrifice will not be complete and
		fruitful.”

IV
he said to his father: dear father, to whom wilt thou give
me? he said it a second time, then a third time. the
father replied: i shall give thee unto death.

V
nachiketas thought: among many (of my father’s pupils)
i stand first; among many (others) i stand in the middle
(but never last). what will be accomplished for my father
by my going this day to yama?

VI
[nachiketas to his his father]
look back to those who lived before and look to those
who live now. like grain the mortal decays and like grain
again springs up (is reborn).

[then nachiketas went to the abode of death, but yama was absent and the boy
waited without food or drink for three days. on yama’s return
one of his household said to him:]

VII
like fire a brahmana guest enters into houses. that fire
is quenched by an offering. (therefore) o vaivaswata,
bring water.

VIII
the foolish man in whose house a brahmana guest remains
without food, all his hopes and expectations, all
the merit gained by his association with the holy, by his
good words and deeds, all his sons and cattle, are destroyed.

IX
yama said: o brAhmaNa! revered guest! my salutations to
thee. as thou hast remained three nights in my house
without food, therefore choose three boons, o brAhmaNa.

X
nachiketas said: may gautama, my father, be free from
anxious thought (about me). may he lose all anger (towards
me) and be pacified in heart. may he know and
welcome me when i am sent back by thee. this, o death,
is the first of the three boons i choose.

XI
yama replied: through my will auddAlaki AruNi (thy father)
will know thee, and be again towards thee as be
fore. he will sleep in peace at night. he will be free from
wrath when he sees thee released from the mouth of death.

[second boon: yama teaches him the three-fold sacrifice ritual to ascend to
heaven.  then yama says: ]
ask the third boon, nachiketas.

XX
nachiketas said: there is this doubt regarding what becomes
of a man after death. some say he exists, others
that he does not exist. this knowledge i desire, being
instructed by thee. of the boons this is the third boon.

XXI
yama replied: even the devas (bright ones) of old doubted
regarding this. it is not easy to know; subtle indeed is
this subject. o nachiketas, choose another boon. do not
press me. ask not this boon of me.

XXII
nachiketas said: o death, thou sayest that even the devas
had doubts about this, and that it is not easy to know.
another teacher like unto thee is not to be found. therefore
no other boon can be equal to this one.

XXIII
yama said: ask for sons and grandsons who shall live a
hundred years, many cattle, elephants, gold and horses.
ask for lands of vast extent and live thyself as many autumns
as thou desirest.

XXV
whatsoever objects of desire are difficult to obtain in the
realm of mortals, ask them all as thou desirest; these
lovely maidens with their chariots and musical instruments,
such as are not obtainable by mortals—be served
by these whom i give to thee. o nachiketas, do not ask
regarding death.

XXVI
nachiketas said: o death, these are fleeting; they weaken
the vigour of all the senses in man. even the longest life
is short. keep thou thy chariots, dance and music.

XXVII
man cannot be satisfied by wealth. shall we possess wealth
when we see thee (death)? shall we continue to live as
long as thou rulest? therefore that boon alone is to be
chosen by me.

XXVIII
what man dwelling on the decaying mortal plane, having
approached the undecaying immortal one, and having reflected
upon the nature of enjoyment through beauty
and sense pleasure, would delight in long life?

XXIX
o death, that regarding which there is doubt, of the great
hereafter, tell us. nachiketas asks for no other boon than
that which penetrates this hidden secret.

Part Second

		With this second part, the Ruler of Death begins his
		instructions regarding the great Hereafter.

	अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेय-
	    स्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँ सिनीतः |
	तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु
	    भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयो वृणीते ||१||

I
yama said: the good is one thing and the pleasant another.
these two, having different ends, bind a man. it is
well with him who chooses the good. he who chooses the
pleasant misses the true end.

[this is a widespread principle - the dichotomy between preyas
प्रेयस - the pleasant, and shreyas श्रेयस, the good]

[sitarama sastri:
(death said) one is good while another is pleasant.
these two, serving different ends, bind men ; happiness
comes to him, who, of these, chooses the good ;
whoso chooses the pleasant forfeits the true end,]

	श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः
	    तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः |
	श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते
	    प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद्वृणीते ||२||

II
the good and the pleasant approach man; the wise examines
both and discriminates between them; the wise
prefers the good to the pleasant, but the foolish man
chooses the pleasant through love of bodily pleasure.

III
o nachiketas after wise reflection thou hast renounced the
pleasant and all pleasing forms. thou hast not accepted
this garland of great value for which many mortals perish.

IV
wide apart are these two, — ignorance and what is known
as wisdom, leading in opposite directions. i believe
nachiketas to be one who longs for wisdom, since many
tempting objects have not turned thee aside.

	अविद्यायामन्तरे वर्तमानाः
	    स्वयं धीराः पण्डितंमन्यमानाः |
	दन्द्रम्यमाणाः परियन्ति मूढा
	    अन्धेनैव नीयमाना यथान्धाः ||५||

V
fools dwelling in ignorance, yet imagining themselves
wise and learned, go round and round in crooked ways,
like the blind led by the blind.


VI
the hereafter never rises before the thoughtless child
(the ignorant), deluded by the glamour of wealth. “this
world alone is, there is none other”: thinking thus, he
falls under my sway again and again.

[...]
IX
o dearest, this atman cannot be attained by argument;
it is truly known only when taught by another (a wise
teacher). o nachiketas, thou hast attained it. thou art
fixed in truth. may we ever, find a questioner like thee.

XIV
nachiketas said: that which thou seest, which is neither
virtue nor vice, neither cause nor effect, neither past nor
future (but beyond these), tell me that.

XV
yama replied: that goal which all the vedas glorify, which
all austerities proclaim, desiring which (people) practice
brahmacharya (a life of continence and service), that
goal i tell thee briefly—it is aum.

XVI
this word is indeed brahman. this word is indeed the
supreme. he who knows this word obtains whatever he
desires.

[...]

		न जायते म्रियते वा विपश्चिन्
		    नायं कुतश्चिन्न बभूव कश्चित् |
		अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
		    न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||१८||
	na jAyate mriyate vA vipashchin.h
	    nAyaM kutashchinna babhUva kashchit .
	ajo nityaH shAshvato.ayaM purANo
	    na hanyate hanyamAne sharIre ||18||

XVIII
this self is never born, nor does it die. it did not spring
from anything, nor did anything spring from it. this ancient
one is unborn, eternal, everlasting. it is not slain
even though the body is slain.


	हन्ता चेन्मन्यते हन्तुँ हतश्चेन्मन्यते हतम् |
	उभौ तौ न विजानीतो नायँ हन्ति न हन्यते ||१९||

XIX
if the slayer thinks that he slays, or if the slain thinks
that he is slain, both of these know not. for it neither
slays nor is it slain.

XX
the self is subtler than the subtle, greater than the great;
it dwells in the heart of each living being. he who is free
from desire and free from grief, with mind and senses
tranquil, beholds the glory of the atman.

XXIII
this self cannot be attained by study of the scriptures,
nor by intellectual perception, nor by frequent hearing
(of it); he whom the self chooses, by him alone is it
attained. to him the self reveals its true nature.

XXIV
he who has not turned away from evil conduct, whose
senses are uncontrolled, who is not tranquil, whose mind
is not at rest, he can never attain this atman even by
knowledge.

XXV
who then can know where is this mighty self? he (that
self) to whom the brahmanas and kshatriyas are but food
and death itself a condiment. [a pickle]

Part Third

		आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु |
		बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ||३||
	AtmAna.N rathitaM viddhi sharIra.N rathameva tu .
	buddhiM tu sArathiM viddhi manaH pragrahameva cha ||3||

III
know the atman (self) as the lord of the chariot, and the
body as the chariot. know also the intellect to be the
driver and mind the reins.

		इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् |
		आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ||४||
	indriyANi hayAnAhurviShayA.N steShu gocharAn .
	AtmendriyamanoyuktaM bhoktetyAhurmanIShiNaH ||4||

IV
the senses are called the horses; the sense objects are
the roads; when the atman is united with body, senses
and mind, then the wise call him the enjoyer.

V
he who is without discrimination and whose mind is always
uncontrolled, his senses are unmanageable, like the
vicious horses of a driver.

VI
but he who is full of discrimination and whose mind is
always controlled, his senses are manageable, like the
good horses of a driver.

[...]

X
beyond the senses are the objects, beyond the objects is
the mind, beyond the mind is the intellect, beyond the
intellect is the great atman.

XI
beyond the great atman is the unmanifested; beyond
the unmanifested is the purusha (the cosmic soul); beyond
the purusha there is nothing. that is the end, that
is the final goal.

XII
this atman (self), hidden in all beings, does not shine
forth; but it is seen by subtle seers through keen and
subtle understanding.

XIII
a wise man should control speech by mind, mind by intellect,
intellect by the great atman, and that by the
peaceful one (the paramAtman or supreme self).

Part Fourth

		पराञ्चि खानि व्यतृणत् स्वयम्भू-
		    स्तस्मात्पराङ्पश्यति नान्तरात्मन् |
		कश्चिद्धीरः प्रत्यगात्मानमैक्ष-
		    दावृत्तचक्षुरमृतत्वमिच्छन्

I
the self-existent created the senses out-going; for this
reason man sees the external, but not the inner atman
(self). some wise man, however, desiring immortality, with
eyes turned away (from the external) sees the atman within.

II
children (the ignorant) pursue external pleasures; (thus)
they fall into the wide- spread snare of death. but the
wise, knowing the nature of immortality, do not seek the
permanent among fleeting things.

III
that by which one knows form, taste, smell, sound, touch
and sense enjoyments, by that also one knows whatever
remains (to be known). this verily is that (which thou
hast asked to know).

IV
that by which a mortal perceives, both in dream and in
waking, by knowing that great all-pervading atman the
wise man grieves no more.

VIII
the all-seeing fire which exists hidden in the two sticks,
as the foetus is well-guarded in the womb by the mother,
(that fire) is to be worshipped day after day by wakeful
seekers (after wisdom), as well as by sacrificers. this verily
is that.

	["two sticks" : araNi अरणि - rubbed to get fire]
	अरण्योर्निहितो - that which is dormant in the araNi]

IX
from whence the sun rises, and whither it goes at setting,
upon that all the devas depend. no one goes beyond
that. this verily is that.

X
what is here (in the visible world), that is there (in the
invisible); he who sees difference (between visible and
invisible) goes from death to death.

XI
by mind alone this is to be realized. there is no difference
whatever (between visible and invisible). he who
sees difference here (between these) goes from death to
death.

[...]

Contents

Isa Upanishad: closing chapter of Yajur Veda.  opens with "IsA-vAsya"
	(god-covered).  The use of _IsA, a more personal name than Brahman,
	Atman, or Self, the other names commonly used in the Upanishads,
	constitutes one of its peculiarities.  Emphasizes the unity of the
	Soul and God, and the value of both faith and works as means of
	ultimate attainment. The general teaching of the Upanishads is that
	works alone, even the highest, can bring only temporary happiness and
	must inevitably bind a man, unless through them he gains knowledge of
	his real self.  p.20

Katha Upanishad: Possibly the most widely known Upanishad.  Early transl into
	Persian, and became known in Europe.  Ram Mohan Roy brought out an
	English version, since then English, German, and French authors have
	pronounced it one of the most perfect expressions of the religion and
	philosophy of the Vedas.  Edwin Arnold: "Secret of Death"; Ralph
	Waldo Emerson: gives the story in his essay "Immortality".
	    Unclear where it belongs among the Vedas.  Some put it in the
	Yajur, some to the SAma, while a large number put it as part of
	atharva-veda.   The story is first suggested in the Rig, told more
	definitely in the Yajur, and in the katha-upanishad it appears fully
	elaborated.  It is the conversation of the aspiring disciple,
	Nachiketas, and Yama, the ruler of death, regarding the great
	hereafter.  p.32

Kena Upanishad:  Derives its name from the opening text: "kena-ishitam" "by
	whom directed."  It is also known as the TalavakAra-Upanishad because
	it appears as a chapter in the talavakAra brAhmana of the sAma-veda.
	    One of the most analytical and metaphysical of the upanishads,
	attempting to lead the mind from the gross to the subtle, from effect
	to cause.  p.90

Mundaka Upanishad: part of the atharva veda; also called the mantra upanishad
	as it is composed of verses like prayer-chants.  Lays particular
	emphasis upon the means of attaining brahma-vidyA or knowledge of the
	Absolute.  "What is that sire, by knowing which everything else
	becomes known?"  The sage answers that to acquire the highest wisdom,
	one must transcend the vanity of lower knowledge.  Cannot be attained
	by superficial study of the scriptures, nor by religious rites or
	good works.  Only by meditation - purified through the practice of
	discrimination and renunciation.
	    Title munDaka means shaven-head.  May imply the author was a
	rishi, or that the upanishad itself is shorn of all
	non-essentials. p.116