Kathopanishad - Chapter 2, Valli 2 - Grantha

𑌕𑌠𑍋𑌪𑌨𑌿𑌷𑌤𑍍 𑌅𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯 2, 𑌵𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍀 2, is one of the most luminous non-dual sections in all Upanishadic literature. It gathers contemplative psychology, cosmology, metaphysics, and direct 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮-𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌾 into a tightly woven progression. Its recurring refrain - 𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍 - repeatedly points the seeker back to one reality behind all appearances.

Adi Shankaracharya's 𑌭𑌾𑌷𑍍𑌯 treats this 𑌵𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍀 as decisive for recognizing the Self as unaffected witness and all-pervading basis. Its method is subtle: not world-denial, but world-dependence; not ego-immortality, but freedom from misidentification with the perishable.

𑌅𑌧𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯 2
𑌵𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍀 2

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This is Katha Upanishad chapter 2, section 2, the section that establishes the non-dual expansion through city-of-eleven-gates, life-principle, and all-pervasive Self imagery.

𑌪𑍁𑌰𑌮𑍇𑌕𑌾𑌦𑌶𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌰𑌮𑌜𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌸𑌃।
𑌅𑌨𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌠𑌾𑌯 𑌨 𑌶𑍋𑌚𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌶𑍍𑌚 𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇। 𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍‌ ॥1॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
This body is like an eleven-gated city in which the unborn, straight-awareness Self abides. One who realizes and abides in this does not grieve; being free, one is fully liberated. This indeed is That.

𑌹𑌂𑌸𑌃 𑌶𑍁𑌚𑌿𑌷𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌷𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌧𑍋𑌤𑌾 𑌵𑍇𑌦𑌿𑌷𑌦𑌤𑌿𑌥𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍁𑌰𑍋𑌣𑌸𑌤𑍍‌।
𑌨𑍃𑌷𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌰𑌸𑌦𑍃𑌤𑌸𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌮𑌸𑌦𑌬𑍍𑌜𑌾 𑌗𑍋𑌜𑌾 𑌋𑌤𑌜𑌾 𑌅𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌜𑌾 𑌋𑌤𑌂 𑌬𑍃𑌹𑌤𑍍‌ ॥2॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That one reality appears as the pure radiant principle, as life in the mid-region, as sacred fire at the altar, as honored guest in the home, as presence in humans, gods, cosmic order, and space - manifesting through waters, earth, law, and mountains: the vast truth.

𑌊𑌰𑍍𑌧𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑌮𑍁𑌨𑍍𑌨𑌯𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌪𑌾𑌨𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌗𑌸𑍍𑌯𑌤𑌿।
𑌮𑌧𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌵𑌾𑌮𑌨𑌮𑌾𑌸𑍀𑌨𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌵𑍇 𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾 𑌉𑌪𑌾𑌸𑌤𑍇 ॥3॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That central indwelling principle governs the upward and downward vital forces; seated in the center, it is that which all functional powers (deities) revere.

𑌅𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌵𑌿𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌂𑌸𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌶𑌰𑍀𑌰𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌦𑍇𑌹𑌿𑌨𑌃।
𑌦𑍇𑌹𑌾𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌮𑌾𑌨𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌪𑌰𑌿𑌶𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇। 𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍‌ ॥4॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
When the embodied frame disintegrates and the indwelling principle is released from the body, what truly remains? That remainder, the real, is this indeed That.

𑌨 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌣𑍇𑌨 𑌨𑌾𑌪𑌾𑌨𑍇𑌨 𑌮𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌜𑍀𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌨।
𑌇𑌤𑌰𑍇𑌣 𑌤𑍁 𑌜𑍀𑌵𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌨𑍇𑌤𑌾𑌵𑍁𑌪𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌤𑍌 ॥5॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
No one truly lives by vital forces alone; life is sustained by that deeper principle in which even breath and vitality are grounded.

𑌹𑌂𑌤 𑌤 𑌇𑌦𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿 𑌗𑍁𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌸𑌨𑌾𑌤𑌨𑌮𑍍‌।
𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌚 𑌮𑌰𑌣𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌾𑌪𑍍𑌯 𑌆𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌭𑌵𑌤𑌿 𑌗𑍌𑌤𑌮 ॥6॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Now I shall teach you the eternal secret of Brahman, and also what becomes of the embodied self after death, O Gautama.

𑌯𑍋𑌨𑌿𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌪𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇 𑌶𑌰𑍀𑌰𑌤𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌯 𑌦𑍇𑌹𑌿𑌨𑌃।
𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌾𑌣𑍁𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌽𑌨𑍁𑌸𑌂𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌮 𑌯𑌥𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍁𑌤𑌮𑍍‌ ॥𑍭॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Some embodied beings enter wombs for further birth; others move into more fixed states - according to their actions and the quality of their understanding.

𑌯 𑌏𑌷 𑌸𑍁𑌪𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌷𑍁 𑌜𑌾𑌗𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌂 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌂 𑌪𑍁𑌰𑍁𑌷𑍋 𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌮𑌾𑌣𑌃।
𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵 𑌶𑍁𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌂 𑌤𑌦𑍍 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮 𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌵𑌾𑌮𑍃𑌤𑌮𑍁𑌚𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇।
𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌮𑌿𑌂𑌲𑍍𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌾𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌃 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑍇 𑌤𑌦𑍁 𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍇𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌶𑍍𑌚𑌨। 𑌏𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑍈 𑌤𑌤𑍍‌ ॥𑍮॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
That which remains awake even when beings sleep, shaping experience according to tendencies - that alone is the pure luminous reality, that is Brahman, that is the immortal; all worlds rest in That, and none goes beyond it. This indeed is That.

𑌅𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌥𑍈𑌕𑍋 𑌭𑍁𑌵𑌨𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍋 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍂𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵।
𑌏𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍂𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑌹𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚 ॥𑍯॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
Just as one fire, entering the world, appears differently according to each fuel-form, so the one inner Self appears in diverse forms within all beings (and as though externally too).

𑌵𑌾𑌯𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌥𑍈𑌕𑍋 𑌭𑍁𑌵𑌨𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌷𑍍𑌟𑍋 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍂𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑌭𑍂𑌵।
𑌏𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌰𑍂𑌪𑍋 𑌬𑌹𑌿𑌶𑍍𑌚 ॥10॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
As one air, entering the world, appears in different modes according to different forms, so the one inner Self appears as manifold through diverse embodiments.

𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌯𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌚𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌰𑍍𑌨 𑌲𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌚𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌷𑍁𑌷𑍈𑌰𑍍𑌬𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌿𑌦𑍋𑌷𑍈𑌃।
𑌏𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌥𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌨 𑌲𑌿𑌪𑍍𑌯𑌤𑍇 𑌲𑍋𑌕𑌦𑍁𑌃𑌖𑍇𑌨 𑌬𑌾𑌹𑍍𑌯𑌃 ॥11॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
As the sun, eye of the world, is not tainted by defects in the eyes that see it, so the one inner Self in all beings is not tainted by the world's suffering, being beyond it.

𑌏𑌕𑍋 𑌵𑌶𑍀 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌭𑍂𑌤𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌾 𑌏𑌕𑌂 𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌂 𑌬𑌹𑍁𑌧𑌾 𑌯𑌃 𑌕𑌰𑍋𑌤𑌿।
𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌂 𑌯𑍇𑌽𑌨𑍁𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌧𑍀𑌰𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌖𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌤𑌂 𑌨𑍇𑌤𑌰𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌮𑍍‌ ॥12॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The one indwelling Self, sovereign in all beings, appears as many though one. Those discerning ones who see That established within themselves attain enduring happiness - not others.

𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑍋𑌽𑌨𑌿𑌤𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌨𑌶𑍍𑌚𑍇𑌤𑌨𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍇𑌕𑍋 𑌬𑌹𑍂𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌯𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌧𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑌾𑌮𑌾𑌨𑍍‌।
𑌤𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌂 𑌯𑍇𑌽𑌨𑍁𑌪𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌧𑍀𑌰𑌾𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌂 𑌶𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿𑌃 𑌶𑌾𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌤𑍀 𑌨𑍇𑌤𑌰𑍇𑌷𑌾𑌮𑍍‌ ॥13॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
The one eternal among the non-eternal, the one consciousness among conscious beings, who sustains the many - those wise who see That established in themselves attain lasting peace, not others.

𑌤𑌦𑍇𑌤𑌦𑌿𑌤𑌿 𑌮𑌨𑍍𑌯𑌂𑌤𑍇𑌽𑌨𑌿𑌰𑍍𑌦𑍇𑌶𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌮𑌂 𑌸𑍁𑌖𑌮𑍍‌।
𑌕𑌥𑌂 𑌨𑍁 𑌤𑌦𑍍𑌵𑌿𑌜𑌾𑌨𑍀𑌯𑌾𑌂 𑌕𑌿𑌮𑍁 𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌵𑌾 ॥14॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
They declare that to be the indefinable supreme bliss. How may I truly know It? Does It shine by itself, or by some other light?

𑌨 𑌤𑌤𑍍𑌰 𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑍋 𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌨 𑌚𑌂𑌦𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌂 𑌨𑍇𑌮𑌾 𑌵𑌿𑌦𑍍𑌯𑍁𑌤𑍋 𑌭𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌿 𑌕𑍁𑌤𑍋𑌽𑌯𑌮𑌗𑍍𑌨𑌿𑌃।
𑌤𑌮𑍇𑌵 𑌭𑌾𑌂𑌤𑌮𑌨𑍁𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌂 𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌭𑌾𑌸𑌾 𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌮𑌿𑌦𑌂 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌿 ॥15॥

Translation (𑌭𑌾𑌵𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌥):
There the sun does not shine, nor moon nor stars, nor lightning - what then of earthly fire? Everything shines only after That shines; by Its light alone all this is illumined.

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