Kathopanishad - Chapter 2, Valli 2 - Shuddha Kannada

ಕಠೋಪನಿಷತ್ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯ 2, ವಲ್ಲೀ 2, is one of the most luminous non-dual sections in all Upanishadic literature. It gathers contemplative psychology, cosmology, metaphysics, and direct ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ-ವಿದ್ಯಾ into a tightly woven progression. Its recurring refrain - ಏತದ್ವೈ ತತ್ - repeatedly points the seeker back to one reality behind all appearances.

Adi Shankaracharya's ಭಾಷ್ಯ treats this ವಲ್ಲೀ 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.

ಅಧ್ಯಾಯ 2
ವಲ್ಲೀ 2

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಪುರಮೇಕಾದಶದ್ವಾರಮಜಸ್ಯಾವಕ್ರಚೇತಸಃ।
ಅನುಷ್ಠಾಯ ನ ಶೋಚತಿ ವಿಮುಕ್ತಶ್ಚ ವಿಮುಚ್ಯತೇ। ಏತದ್ವೈ ತತ್‌ ॥1॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಹಂಸಃ ಶುಚಿಷದ್ವಸುರಾನ್ತರಿಕ್ಷಸದ್ಧೋತಾ ವೇದಿಷದತಿಥಿರ್ದುರೋಣಸತ್‌।
ನೃಷದ್ವರಸದೃತಸದ್ವ್ಯೋಮಸದಬ್ಜಾ ಗೋಜಾ ಋತಜಾ ಅದ್ರಿಜಾ ಋತಂ ಬೃಹತ್‌ ॥2॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಊರ್ಧ್ವಂ ಪ್ರಾಣಮುನ್ನಯತ್ಯಪಾನಂ ಪ್ರತ್ಯಗಸ್ಯತಿ।
ಮಧ್ಯೇ ವಾಮನಮಾಸೀನಂ ವಿಶ್ವೇ ದೇವಾ ಉಪಾಸತೇ ॥3॥

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

ಅಸ್ಯ ವಿಸ್ರಂಸಮಾನಸ್ಯ ಶರೀರಸ್ಥಸ್ಯ ದೇಹಿನಃ।
ದೇಹಾದ್ವಿಮುಚ್ಯಮಾನಸ್ಯ ಕಿಮತ್ರ ಪರಿಶಿಷ್ಯತೇ। ಏತದ್ವೈ ತತ್‌ ॥4॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ನ ಪ್ರಾಣೇನ ನಾಪಾನೇನ ಮರ್ತ್ಯೋ ಜೀವತಿ ಕಶ್ಚನ।
ಇತರೇಣ ತು ಜೀವನ್ತಿ ಯಸ್ಮಿನ್ನೇತಾವುಪಾಶ್ರಿತೌ ॥5॥

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

ಹನ್ತ ತ ಇದಂ ಪ್ರವಕ್ಷ್ಯಾಮಿ ಗುಹ್ಯಂ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಸನಾತನಮ್‌।
ಯಥಾ ಚ ಮರಣಂ ಪ್ರಾಪ್ಯ ಆತ್ಮಾ ಭವತಿ ಗೌತಮ ॥6॥

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

ಯೋನಿಮನ್ಯೇ ಪ್ರಪದ್ಯನ್ತೇ ಶರೀರತ್ವಾಯ ದೇಹಿನಃ।
ಸ್ಥಾಣುಮನ್ಯೇಽನುಸಂಯನ್ತಿ ಯಥಾಕರ್ಮ ಯಥಾಶ್ರುತಮ್‌ ॥7॥

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

ಯ ಏಷ ಸುಪ್ತೇಷು ಜಾಗರ್ತಿ ಕಾಮಂ ಕಾಮಂ ಪುರುಷೋ ನಿರ್ಮಿಮಾಣಃ।
ತದೇವ ಶುಕ್ರಂ ತದ್ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ತದೇವಾಮೃತಮುಚ್ಯತೇ।
ತಸ್ಮಿಂಲ್ಲೋಕಾಃ ಶ್ರಿತಾಃ ಸರ್ವೇ ತದು ನಾತ್ಯೇತಿ ಕಶ್ಚನ। ಏತದ್ವೈ ತತ್‌ ॥8॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಅಗ್ನಿರ್ಯಥೈಕೋ ಭುವನಂ ಪ್ರವಿಷ್ಟೋ ರೂಪಂ ರೂಪಂ ಪ್ರತಿರೂಪೋ ಬಭೂವ।
ಏಕಸ್ತಥಾ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನ್ತರಾತ್ಮಾ ರೂಪಂ ರೂಪಂ ಪ್ರತಿರೂಪೋ ಬಹಿಶ್ಚ ॥9॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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).

ವಾಯುರ್ಯಥೈಕೋ ಭುವನಂ ಪ್ರವಿಷ್ಟೋ ರೂಪಂ ರೂಪಂ ಪ್ರತಿರೂಪೋ ಬಭೂವ।
ಏಕಸ್ತಥಾ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನ್ತರಾತ್ಮಾ ರೂಪಂ ರೂಪಂ ಪ್ರತಿರೂಪೋ ಬಹಿಶ್ಚ ॥10॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಸೂರ್ಯೋ ಯಥಾ ಸರ್ವಲೋಕಸ್ಯ ಚಕ್ಷುರ್ನ ಲಿಪ್ಯತೇ ಚಾಕ್ಷುಷೈರ್ಬಹ್ಯಿದೋಷೈಃ।
ಏಕಸ್ತಥಾ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನ್ತರಾತ್ಮಾ ನ ಲಿಪ್ಯತೇ ಲೋಕದುಃಖೇನ ಬಾಹ್ಯಃ ॥11॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ಏಕೋ ವಶೀ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಾನ್ತರಾತ್ಮಾ ಏಕಂ ರೂಪಂ ಬಹುಧಾ ಯಃ ಕರೋತಿ।
ತಮಾತ್ಮಸ್ಥಂ ಯೇಽನುಪಶ್ಯನ್ತಿ ಧೀರಾಸ್ತೇಷಾಂ ಸುಖಂ ಶಾಶ್ವತಂ ನೇತರೇಷಾಮ್‌ ॥12॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ನಿತ್ಯೋಽನಿತ್ಯಾನಾಂ ಚೇತನಶ್ಚೇತನಾನಾಮೇಕೋ ಬಹೂನಾಂ ಯೋ ವಿದಧಾತಿ ಕಾಮಾನ್‌।
ತಮಾತ್ಮಸ್ಥಂ ಯೇಽನುಪಶ್ಯನ್ತಿ ಧೀರಾಸ್ತೇಷಾಂ ಶಾನ್ತಿಃ ಶಾಶ್ವತೀ ನೇತರೇಷಾಮ್‌ ॥13॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

ತದೇತದಿತಿ ಮನ್ಯನ್ತೇಽನಿರ್ದೇಶ್ಯಂ ಪರಮಂ ಸುಖಮ್‌।
ಕಥಂ ನು ತದ್ವಿಜಾನೀಯಾಂ ಕಿಮು ಭಾತಿ ವಿಭಾತಿ ವಾ ॥14॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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?

ನ ತತ್ರ ಸೂರ್ಯೋ ಭಾತಿ ನ ಚನ್ದ್ರತಾರಕಂ ನೇಮಾ ವಿದ್ಯುತೋ ಭಾನ್ತಿ ಕುತೋಽಯಮಗ್ನಿಃ।
ತಮೇವ ಭಾನ್ತಮನುಭಾತಿ ಸರ್ವಂ ತಸ್ಯ ಭಾಸಾ ಸರ್ವಮಿದಂ ವಿಭಾತಿ ॥15॥

Translation (ಭಾವಾರ್ಥ):
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.

Browse Related Categories: