Kathopanishad - Chapter 2, Valli 2 - Punjabi

ਕਠੋਪਨਿਸ਼ਤ੍ ਅਧ੍ਯਾਯ 2, ਵਲ੍ਲੀ 2, is one of the most luminous non-dual sections in all Upanishadic literature. It gathers contemplative psychology, cosmology, metaphysics, and direct ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮ-ਵਿਦ੍ਯਾ into a tightly woven progression. Its recurring refrain - ਏਤਦ੍ਵੈ ਤਤ੍ - repeatedly points the seeker back to one reality behind all appearances.

Adi Shankaracharya's ਭਾਸ਼੍ਯ treats this ਵਲ੍ਲੀ 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.

ਅਧ੍ਯਾਯ 2
ਵਲ੍ਲੀ 2

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਪੁਰਮੇਕਾਦਸ਼ਦ੍ਵਾਰਮਜਸ੍ਯਾਵਕ੍ਰਚੇਤਸਃ।
ਅਨੁਸ਼੍ਠਾਯ ਨ ਸ਼ੋਚਤਿ ਵਿਮੁਕ੍ਤਸ਼੍ਚ ਵਿਮੁਚ੍ਯਤੇ। ਏਤਦ੍ਵੈ ਤਤ੍‌ ॥1॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਹਂਸਃ ਸ਼ੁਚਿਸ਼ਦ੍ਵਸੁਰਾਂਤਰਿਕ੍ਸ਼ਸਦ੍ਧੋਤਾ ਵੇਦਿਸ਼ਦਤਿਥਿਰ੍ਦੁਰੋਣਸਤ੍‌।
ਨ੍ਰੁਰੁਇਸ਼ਦ੍ਵਰਸਦ੍ਰੁਰੁਇਤਸਦ੍ਵ੍ਯੋਮਸਦਬ੍ਜਾ ਗੋਜਾ ਰੁਰੁਇਤਜਾ ਅਦ੍ਰਿਜਾ ਰੁਰੁਇਤਂ ਬ੍ਰੁਰੁਇਹਤ੍‌ ॥2॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਊਰ੍ਧ੍ਵਂ ਪ੍ਰਾਣਮੁਨ੍ਨਯਤ੍ਯਪਾਨਂ ਪ੍ਰਤ੍ਯਗਸ੍ਯਤਿ।
ਮਧ੍ਯੇ ਵਾਮਨਮਾਸੀਨਂ ਵਿਸ਼੍ਵੇ ਦੇਵਾ ਉਪਾਸਤੇ ॥3॥

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

ਅਸ੍ਯ ਵਿਸ੍ਰਂਸਮਾਨਸ੍ਯ ਸ਼ਰੀਰਸ੍ਥਸ੍ਯ ਦੇਹਿਨਃ।
ਦੇਹਾਦ੍ਵਿਮੁਚ੍ਯਮਾਨਸ੍ਯ ਕਿਮਤ੍ਰ ਪਰਿਸ਼ਿਸ਼੍ਯਤੇ। ਏਤਦ੍ਵੈ ਤਤ੍‌ ॥4॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਨ ਪ੍ਰਾਣੇਨ ਨਾਪਾਨੇਨ ਮਰ੍ਤ੍ਯੋ ਜੀਵਤਿ ਕਸ਼੍ਚਨ।
ਇਤਰੇਣ ਤੁ ਜੀਵਂਤਿ ਯਸ੍ਮਿਨ੍ਨੇਤਾਵੁਪਾਸ਼੍ਰਿਤੌ ॥5॥

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

ਹਂਤ ਤ ਇਦਂ ਪ੍ਰਵਕ੍ਸ਼੍ਯਾਮਿ ਗੁਹ੍ਯਂ ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮ ਸਨਾਤਨਮ੍‌।
ਯਥਾ ਚ ਮਰਣਂ ਪ੍ਰਾਪ੍ਯ ਆਤ੍ਮਾ ਭਵਤਿ ਗੌਤਮ ॥6॥

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

ਯੋਨਿਮਨ੍ਯੇ ਪ੍ਰਪਦ੍ਯਂਤੇ ਸ਼ਰੀਰਤ੍ਵਾਯ ਦੇਹਿਨਃ।
ਸ੍ਥਾਣੁਮਨ੍ਯੇ਽ਨੁਸਂਯਂਤਿ ਯਥਾਕਰ੍ਮ ਯਥਾਸ਼੍ਰੁਤਮ੍‌ ॥7॥

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

ਯ ਏਸ਼ ਸੁਪ੍ਤੇਸ਼ੁ ਜਾਗਰ੍ਤਿ ਕਾਮਂ ਕਾਮਂ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼ੋ ਨਿਰ੍ਮਿਮਾਣਃ।
ਤਦੇਵ ਸ਼ੁਕ੍ਰਂ ਤਦ੍ ਬ੍ਰਹ੍ਮ ਤਦੇਵਾਮ੍ਰੁਰੁਇਤਮੁਚ੍ਯਤੇ।
ਤਸ੍ਮਿਂਲ੍ਲੋਕਾਃ ਸ਼੍ਰਿਤਾਃ ਸਰ੍ਵੇ ਤਦੁ ਨਾਤ੍ਯੇਤਿ ਕਸ਼੍ਚਨ। ਏਤਦ੍ਵੈ ਤਤ੍‌ ॥8॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਅਗ੍ਨਿਰ੍ਯਥੈਕੋ ਭੁਵਨਂ ਪ੍ਰਵਿਸ਼੍ਟੋ ਰੂਪਂ ਰੂਪਂ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਰੂਪੋ ਬਭੂਵ।
ਏਕਸ੍ਤਥਾ ਸਰ੍ਵਭੂਤਾਂਤਰਾਤ੍ਮਾ ਰੂਪਂ ਰੂਪਂ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਰੂਪੋ ਬਹਿਸ਼੍ਚ ॥9॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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).

ਵਾਯੁਰ੍ਯਥੈਕੋ ਭੁਵਨਂ ਪ੍ਰਵਿਸ਼੍ਟੋ ਰੂਪਂ ਰੂਪਂ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਰੂਪੋ ਬਭੂਵ।
ਏਕਸ੍ਤਥਾ ਸਰ੍ਵਭੂਤਾਂਤਰਾਤ੍ਮਾ ਰੂਪਂ ਰੂਪਂ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਰੂਪੋ ਬਹਿਸ਼੍ਚ ॥10॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਸੂਰ੍ਯੋ ਯਥਾ ਸਰ੍ਵਲੋਕਸ੍ਯ ਚਕ੍ਸ਼ੁਰ੍ਨ ਲਿਪ੍ਯਤੇ ਚਾਕ੍ਸ਼ੁਸ਼ੈਰ੍ਬਹ੍ਯਿਦੋਸ਼ੈਃ।
ਏਕਸ੍ਤਥਾ ਸਰ੍ਵਭੂਤਾਂਤਰਾਤ੍ਮਾ ਨ ਲਿਪ੍ਯਤੇ ਲੋਕਦੁਃਖੇਨ ਬਾਹ੍ਯਃ ॥11॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਏਕੋ ਵਸ਼ੀ ਸਰ੍ਵਭੂਤਾਂਤਰਾਤ੍ਮਾ ਏਕਂ ਰੂਪਂ ਬਹੁਧਾ ਯਃ ਕਰੋਤਿ।
ਤਮਾਤ੍ਮਸ੍ਥਂ ਯੇ਽ਨੁਪਸ਼੍ਯਂਤਿ ਧੀਰਾਸ੍ਤੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਸੁਖਂ ਸ਼ਾਸ਼੍ਵਤਂ ਨੇਤਰੇਸ਼ਾਮ੍‌ ॥12॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਨਿਤ੍ਯੋ਽ਨਿਤ੍ਯਾਨਾਂ ਚੇਤਨਸ਼੍ਚੇਤਨਾਨਾਮੇਕੋ ਬਹੂਨਾਂ ਯੋ ਵਿਦਧਾਤਿ ਕਾਮਾਨ੍‌।
ਤਮਾਤ੍ਮਸ੍ਥਂ ਯੇ਽ਨੁਪਸ਼੍ਯਂਤਿ ਧੀਰਾਸ੍ਤੇਸ਼ਾਂ ਸ਼ਾਂਤਿਃ ਸ਼ਾਸ਼੍ਵਤੀ ਨੇਤਰੇਸ਼ਾਮ੍‌ ॥13॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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.

ਤਦੇਤਦਿਤਿ ਮਨ੍ਯਂਤੇ਽ਨਿਰ੍ਦੇਸ਼੍ਯਂ ਪਰਮਂ ਸੁਖਮ੍‌।
ਕਥਂ ਨੁ ਤਦ੍ਵਿਜਾਨੀਯਾਂ ਕਿਮੁ ਭਾਤਿ ਵਿਭਾਤਿ ਵਾ ॥14॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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?

ਨ ਤਤ੍ਰ ਸੂਰ੍ਯੋ ਭਾਤਿ ਨ ਚਂਦ੍ਰਤਾਰਕਂ ਨੇਮਾ ਵਿਦ੍ਯੁਤੋ ਭਾਂਤਿ ਕੁਤੋ਽ਯਮਗ੍ਨਿਃ।
ਤਮੇਵ ਭਾਂਤਮਨੁਭਾਤਿ ਸਰ੍ਵਂ ਤਸ੍ਯ ਭਾਸਾ ਸਰ੍ਵਮਿਦਂ ਵਿਭਾਤਿ ॥15॥

Translation (ਭਾਵਾਰ੍ਥ):
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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