Katha Upanishad:Shankara Bhashya; Chapter 1 Valli3: Mantra 8-9

(Transcript of talks given by Pujya Swami Paramarthananda)

Sadhana-chatushtaya-sampatti is a prerequisite for jnanayoga or moksha – this is the message of the ratha kalpana using both anvaya and vyatireka logic. In sadhana-chatushtaya-sampatti three values are ighlighted – viveka shama and dama. [All others are indirectly indicated – vairagyam, titksha, etc]

Mantra 8
Yastu vijnaanavaan bhavati samanaskah sadaa shuchih
Sa tu tatpadamapnoti yasmaadbhooyo na jaayate

Sadhanas chatushtaya sampatti as one package is not presented is never presented in any Upanishad or Smrti as well. We will need several shruti vakyas for each component. All prakarana granthas mention the sa/ch/sampatti – this is extracted from various portions of Shruti.
Gist:
Suppose there is a person with viveka shama and dama – that person will attain that goal – yasmat bhuyo na jayate – from where there is no return no punarjanma. [it is understood that along with this shrvana/manana/nidhidhyasana must be there as well for moksha]

Now the Bhashya
Yas tu vijnanavan bhavati – if there is a charioteer who is a viveki; sa manaskaha – is yukta manaha – a disciplined mind; shama. Saha tadeva sada shuchih – because of that he is always in control of his sense organs - dama is natural. Wherever mind control is there sense control is automatic. Initially mind control is more difficult as sense organs are more gross and mind is more subtle. Hence initiaaly when we don’t have adequate mind control we should practice dama and then we gradually practice shama. Once shama is very good, then dama comes very easily/naturally.
Initially one has to force sense control but this cannot be forced for long – otherwise it à suppressionà repressionà oppressionà depression

Sahatu – such a Master (by ajahallakshana means that Master who has such a charioteer)
Tad padam apnoti – means moksha is attained yasmat – from that aaptat padat accomplished goal aprachyutaha – he does not slip down or return, bhuyaha na jayate – he is not reborn in samsara.

Anvayah
Yaha tu vijnanavan samanaskaha sadashuchih bhavati saha rathi tat padam apnoti yasmat bhuyaha na jayate

Introduction to 9
AS introduces the sloka. Kim tad padam what is that goal or destination? Because it is not specified—only a generalized statement that there is no return is mentioned. IN the following it is going to be named vishnopadam. The Up answers
Mantra 9

Vijnaanasaarathi yastu manahpragahavaan narah
Sodhvanah paaramaapnoti tad vishnoh paramam padam


Gist
1st half is again repletion of the three qualifications – viveka, shama and dama -through implication
2nd half – refers to the destination of the spiritual path or journey (advaa) – Vishnupadam.

V-A will say vishnupadam is vaikuntha – abode of Vishnu.
AS says padam means svarupam. Vishnu swarupam is nirguna brahman. If it is nirguna brahman, how do you call Vishnu? Vish means to pervade.

Bhashyam
“Vijnana sarathir yastu yo viveka buddhi saarathi purboktaha manaprghravan pragreheeta maanaha samahitachitta…naro vidwan..samsara gateh paramparamevaadhicantayam ityetat apnoti uchyate sarva samsara bandanaih”
Yaha tu vijnana sarathi – suppose there is a Master who has a discriminative driver – purvoktaha- means refer to the prior mantra’s bhashyam [2nd line]…such a Master manaha praghrvan – and he is associated with healthy reins in the form of controlled mind or shama – hence samahitachitta (this term can be interpreted as samadhanam also but in this context we are taking as shama in keeping with the flow of the mantra) shuchih narah – the Up forgets to add shuchih from the prior mantra but AS says perhaps Up can forget but we cannot hence specifies…narah – translates as vidwan – here vidwan does not refer to jnAni – in this context vidwan refers to sadhaka – and hence means a discriminative (but self-ignorant) person, a viveki. He reaches the end (i.e. destination) of the samsara journey. {Someone asked a question - How come when you search the object you always find it in the last place of your search – because whenever you search that will be the end of the search!} param adhigantavyam – the final destination to be reached. Ityetat – this is the meaning. Apnoti – meaning he attains – he is liberated from (released from i.e. the shackles release him!) shackles of samsara – samsara bandhanaih. What are those shackles – punarjama, anitya, kama, karma, etc etc

“Tad vishnor Brahmanaparama vasudeva…ityetat asau apnoti vidwan”
In the mUlam – tat Vishnoh padam - Vishnoh – refers to the All pervading ParamatmA We are not referring to a shanka-chakra-gada-dhaari personal God here - contextually Vishnu has three meanings – eka rupa Vishnu which is shanka-chakra-gada-dhaari, aneka rupa Vishnu is vishwarupa – bhupadau yasya nabhir.. and third meaning is nirguna Vishnu or vyapanasheelasya – all pervading nirgunam Brahman otherwise called paramAtma. Here AS specifies it is the 3rd meaning. The 1st 2 meanings are mithyA – only 3rd meaning is satyam. Paramatmanah – otherwise called Paramatma. In the 7th Ch of Gita it is called Vasudeva – Vasudevaha sarvam iti...Here also Vasudeva means son of Vasudeva = how can nirgunam Brahman be son of Vasudeva – some commentators give a different derivate – vasu means sat rupah atma, and deva means chit rupah atma. Sat-chit-brahman is referred here by Vasudeva. Then next mulam is paramam – Supreme. Padam – literal meaning is sthanam or location/abode or residence. After giving this vakyartha AS comes to contextual meaning satatvam – or swarupAm – ityetat – this is the meaning. Asau vidwAn apnoti – This a person with viveka attains or reaches that destination. Why cant you take Vishnupadam in its primary sense as Vaikuntha – because that is what is the primary meaning. Why or How can you give up the primary meaning? This is the obj of the V.Adv. Our answer is the Up says reaching which a person will not return – if a person is going to reach any loka by travel you can never remain permanently whatever is attained in time through an action will be subject to an end. Such a travel to Vaikuntha as a loka will not be eternal. Being a karmaphalam it has an end. Hence because of logical discrepancy or fallacy we are giving up the primary meaning and taking the secondary meaning. (Same argument applies to Shiva loka also!)

Anvaya
Yaha naraha tu vijnana sarathi manahpragrhahavan (bhavati) saha adhvanaha paaram apnoti. Tat Vishnoh paramam padam bhavati.

Katha Upansihad; Shankara Bhashya: Chap 1 Valli3. Mantra 5 to 7

Mantra 5
Yas tu avijnaanavaan bhavati ayuktena manasaa sadaa
Tasyendriyaanyavashyaani dushtaashvaa iva saaratheh

Gist
Now based on the chariot imagery given in the previous two mantras, the Up now mentions certain disciplines or sadhanas so that the chariot can have a successful journey - when all the components are fit and they function in coordination; and the journey is a failure if unfit and they function in discord

First the Up says the driver must be informed. An intellect informed by Shastra is endowed with viveka. Viveka or in other words a disciplined intellect leads to a disciplined mind or shama. Thus the reins must be under control – similarly the mind should be under control. A disciplined intellect should control the mind – shama. When the driver is informed AND the reins are under control together they would have mastered the horses i.e. sense organs. Shama or a disciplined mind leads to disciplined sense organs Dama. On the other hand uninformed driver with reins uncontrolled will have no mastery over the horses – like wild horses.

Now the bhashya
Tatra evam sati this being the imagery with regard to the spiritual journey yastu buddhya saarathi suppose the driver who is known as buddhi avijnavaan bhavati is not well informed or is lacking in discrimination between shreyas and preyas. avijnavan means aviveki – vague and confused – regarding what? Pravrtau cha nivrtau cha – karma marga and jnana marga (– both has limitation – former cannot give moksha and latter cannot be directly entered – karmayoga is incomplete without going to jnanayoga; jnanayoga is impossible without karmayoga). So suppose the driver called intellect is confused yatha itaraha rathacharyayam just as the other charioteer (in the example) cannot reach the destination without adequate knowledge about the direction. Once viveka is absent mind will not have discipline called shama. This is mentioned in the second quarter of the mantra – ayuktena manasa sada bhavati – therefore because of lack of viveka the mind lacks yuktatvam or shama or discipline. Ayuktena means shama rahitena; apragrheetena (lack of restraint) – means most of my thoughts happen without my permission or awareness. Most of the time mind is chattering or prattling its own thougts – what is happening in the mind I am unaware of and if aware am helpless in being able to stop. Another term is asamahitena – not well-managed or scatterbrain. Pragrhasthaneeyena – mind plays the role of or is compared to the reins (in the example) manasaa sadaa ayuktaha bhavati – mind can wander now and then; no one can have a perfect mind all the time. “Mind is Chanchalam” (Gita) Generally if it is focused and rarely if it is wavered – Shastra says doesn’t matter – similar to physical health. [Principle of FIR reduction – frequency, intensity, and recovery time – should be remembered.] In Panchadashi Vidyarnya says jwara is natural. But here sadaa ayuktena – all the time it is depressed, now and then only it is motivated.
In the 3rd quarter AS adds tasya akushalasya buddhi saarathe – for that indiscriminate buddhi charioteer – the horses will not be listening to his commands – (body is in class but ears will not be available for listening!) – indriyani ashwasthaneeyani avashyani bhavanti – avashyani means ashakya nivaranani – means unrestrainable or uncontrollable. Against my will or permission they will do whatever they want – like the wild horses dushashwaha or adanta ashwaha itara sarathe – just as in a regular charioteer.
Anvaya
Yaha avijnanavan (buddhi) sarathi tu sada ayuktena manasa bhavati tasya indriyani saaratheh dushtashvaaha iva avashyaani bhavanti.

Mantra 6

Yastu vijnaanavaan bhavati yuktena manasaa sadaa
Tasyendriyaani vashyaani sadashvaa iva saaratheh

Just the opposite idea – the anvaya argument (after the vyatireka argument)
Viveka à shama à dama.

Bhashyam
Yaha tu punaha – tu to indicate the difference of this driver from that driver – in contrast this driver is different from the one talked about earlier – purvokta viparitaha – saarathi bhavati – in what way – vijnanavan – by being a viveki – with regards to pravrtti and nivrtti. Then what? Pragrheeta manaaha bhavati – he as a restrained mind. That means samahitena chitta – a restrained mind is a focused mind sada always [like a river which has a dam – dam serves twofold purpose – one is to conservation of water and secondly it directs the same water into the wanted fields – similarly discipline or shama means mind is restrained from unwanted thoughts mental energy is conserved and stored a worrying mind is an exhausted mind and exhausted mind is not available for shravana pragrheeta manaha refers to conservation and samahitena refers to channeling in this example.]
For such a wonderful charioteer indriyani vashyani – sense organs will listen to the mind; if mind says don’t look at this then eyes will obey. Sense organs are available shakyani for pravrti and nivrti itara sarathe – just like the well-trained well-tamed horses sadashwaaha (santa-!- ashwaha) in the regular chariot.

Anvaya
Yaha vijanavan (buddhi sarathi) tu sada yuktena manasaa bhavati tasya indriyani saaratheh shadashwaaha iva vashyaani bhavanti.

Now AS gives an introduction to 7
In prior 2 verses both anvaya and vyatireka with regard to viveka,shama and dama have been told.
The following 2 verses elaborate the consequences or destinations for both types of drivers or people.

Tasya purvoktasya buddhi saarithehe For the buddhi saarathi who has been enumerated 1st in the list i.e. 5th mantra – for that avijnaanavatah – who is not discriminate and lacking in shama-dama idam phalam aahah- this is the consequence of the journey – by extension this is the consequence for the master the jivAtma also.

Mantra 7

Yas tvavijnaanavaan bhavati amanaskah sadaashuchih
Na sa tat padam aapnoti sagmsaaram chaadhigacchati

Gist
In the 1st 2 quarters Up repeats the description of the avijnavaan driver – without viveka-shama-dama. Ashuchih refers to dama ahava – tat padam na apnoti – he will nevevr attain moksha he will successfully continue (contextual meaning of adhigachhati) in samsara -

Bhashya
Yaha ti avijnavan bhavati – viveka rahitaha bhavati. Amanaskaha bhavati – mindless (lit) but in this context AS clarifies it means absence of mind control/discipline - mano nigraha rahitaha. Apragrhteeham – unrestrained, one who does not know how to conserve the mental energy properly, who wastes the energy in worry fear tension etc sah Such a driver tatha eva because of that reason sadaa asuchih – who has impure sense organs (absence of damah) (indriya shauchah rahitah.) na saha – that Master jA tat padam napnoti – tat purvoktam aksharam param padam – the Ultimate Goal of Aksharama Brahma – sahan na apnoti – such a jA will not attain. Where purvoktam? Where has this been mentioned before? Ref Mantra 2 – 1st line – akshara brahma yat param – AS is reminding here.
Here there is a small grammatical problem because the pronouns in 1st and 2nd line refer to driver intellect and Master jivAtma respectively not to the same entity. AS supplies a word tena sarathina – a correlative – with the help of such a driver; saha jivAtma – that jA na apnoti…na kevalam kaivalyam na apnoti – not only will the jA will not attain moksha but also samsaram cha adhigacchati he attains samsara ( he continues in samsara) – janmamaranalakshanam – which is in the form of cycle of birth and death.

Anvaya
Yaha (buddhi sarathi) tu avijnanavan amanaskaha sada asuchih bhavati (tena) saha (rathi) tad padam na apnoti. Saha samsaram adhigacchati cha

Katha Upanishad Shankara Bhashya Chapter 1 Valli 3 Mantra 4

Mantra 4

Indriyaani hayaan aahuh vishayaams teshu gocharaan
Aatmendriya-mano-yuktam bhoktetyaahur maneeshinah

Gist:
Indriyaanni hayaan ayuhu – the sense organs are compared to the horses. The fivefold sense objects are the roads or pathways through which the sense organs move – so gocharaha means the pathways - shabda sparsha rupa rasa and gandha. Shrotram will move only through shabda, and thus each sense organ will only travel in its own path, and they have their own discipline (unlike Madras traffic! :-). Atmaindirya manoyuktam – atma refers to body (in this context), indriya is sense, mana is mind – chidAbhasa associated with these three components is called bhokta – the jivA.

The jA by itself is nothing but pA in its original nature but because the jA is assoc with the mind-body complex then it “becomes” a kartA-bhoktA-pramata The OC is turiyam but in the proximity of antama these three (k-b-p) are superimposed and with that superimposition the atma “becomes” a jiva. Hence in such a context does AS says that atmanam atmaindriyamanoyuktam (atman in association with body,senses and mind – note atma occurs twice the 1st refers to the consciousness and the 2nd refers to the body in this context). This is declared by maneeshinah – the Wise Ones.

Now the bhashya:
“Indriyani is = chakshuradini (5 sense organs beginning with the eye) – hyaan is not translate – we note it means horses. Aahuh means - they declare – who? those who are experts in the chariot imagery.
Samaanya dharma in this example is shareera ratha aakashyam – both are pullers or things that drag. The horses drag the chariot and the sense organs drag the body.

“Shweshwena …”
Teshu – hyatvena parikalpitena when the sense organs are compared to the horses, then for those horses, gocharAn viddhi – may you understand their paths or tracts. Another word would be mArgAn. What are the tracts? roopAdi vishayan – the sense objects in the form of rupA etc. In tradition they do not say the chair is the object of the eye (– normally we say my eyes are seeing the wall and the wall is the object of my eye) – instead they say the colour is the object. Similarly when you listen to Swamiji you should not say Swamiji is the object, but the sound (of the voice) is the object. So tradition we never say that any specific things like wall, etc are objects we only say there are five objects only. Hence alone AS carefully says rupAdi.
Who is the samsAri?> this is a question often asked in Vedanta. Do you say chit(OC) is the samsAri? Do you say chidabhasa(RC) is samsAri? Or do you say anatma(RM) is samsAri? Since individual is a mix of all three – hence this is a valid question. RC can never be there without OC and wherever RC is there, RM is also there – these three are always there. The samsAri attribute should be given to which one? Someitmes in vedantA it is OC< sometimes they will say RC – according to context. Normally speaking samsara attribute should belong to RC or ahankAra (k-b-p). This is correct – nothing wrong in saying this. Sometimes in Vedanta they also say all three being mithyA (RM,RC, and samsara) all being mithyA, they are all resting upon OC the adhishtAnam only. Therefore these three are appearing or are superimposed upon Atma only, therefore Atma itself is appearing as a samsAri – the samsAri attribute is transferred from RC. Sometimes in Vedanta samsara dharma of chidabhAsa is appearing on Atma – it does not belong to Atma. Therefore in that context they say Atma is samsAri because of samsara attribute being transferred onto to the Atma. It is this latter context that is used by the Up here.
Hence it says – atmaindriyamanoyuktam is translated by AS as shareeraindriyamano-sahitam, the adhitana AtmA bhokta iti aahu – the AtmA appears as a bhoktA, appears to be samsAri because of what? Transferred from ahankAra. Maneeshinah = vivekinah.
I the Sakashi appears to samsAri because of the samsara attribute of ahankara being transferred.
Kevalasya atmanah – for the pure atma, the sakshi atma, the real I, the OC, bhoktrtatvam nasti – does not have the samsAri status, is asamsAri. Why then does it appear as a samsAri? Only because of buddhyAdi upAdhikrtam - the proximity of the upAdhi – buddhyAdi – which are in the form of buddhi, etc (in other words RM) Why does AS add this paragraph? Because it establishes advaitA. Samsari status for Atma - it is an incidental status it is not intrinsic status. [When I say you look beautiful in this dress – even though it looks like a compliment, if you read in between the lines it means without this dress you look ugly!:-)]
Whatever is incidental is not real attribute. Whatever is not real you need not remove. Incidental is borrowed. Incidental status is unreal. Samsari status is incidental status. And hence unreal. Unreal status cannot disturb me. What is unreal need not be removed. I need not work hard to remove it. Then what should I do to remove it?! You need not remove it – understand the unreal status for what it is. If I say I have understood but liberation has not come, it means understanding is still lacking.
Tatha cha – to corroborate this point – my samsaritvam (k-b-p put together) is incidental and hence unreal, shrutyantaram darhsyati is explicitly by another mantra. Wheras this Katha Up mantra does not explicitly reveal but another Shruti vAkyam explicitly reveals this – which one “Brh Up 4.3.7 – this is AS pet quotation – kevalsay abhoktrtvam – for me the SAkshi intrinsically abhoktram eva – abhoktram alone my real status. The moment we try to remove bhoktrtvam we lend reality to bhoktrtvam. Never say I will exhaust my prarabdha – the moment you are waiting to complete the prarabdha you are assuming you are bhokta, who has prarabdha, and you have to exhaust it for videha mukti is going to come! – all this thinking is a BLUNDER – I am akarta I am abhokta where is the question of exhausting prarabdha – so not for me is any agami sanchita or prarabdha karma. How does it real – dhyAyati iva – the Up says that I the Atma is as though meditating – the emphasis is on iva - really speaking I don’t meditate at all – and why? lelayati iva- because I am as though agitated – emphasis once again is on as though – really speaking I have neither agitation nor do I need meditation – because they belong to RM and RC and I am ever muktA. If you want to enjoy meditation as a hobby – welcome – if you want to do it as a sadhana – then you have not listened to Vedanta. Where is the question of sadhana for moksha when my intrinsic nature is nitya mukta atma.
Moment you say you have sadhana for the teacher it is a shodhana (problem)!

Continuing
“Evam..
Once te fact is RM is there is mithyA, RC in mithyA and ahankara is mithyA and ahankara is samsAri mithyA and I the oc am mithyA and am ever asamsari. But because of avidyA, “I” have superimposed anatma on atma, transferred samsAri status onto myself, with help of Vedanta, I want to withdraw from anatma, from chidabhasa, and this withdrawal is not a physical withdrawal, but a intellectual withdrawal – how? I am not the body, not the mind, not karanashareeram etc – and therefore samsAri status does not belong to me – thus after all negation I can claim my swarUpam - I am nitya muktaha
If samsAri status is unreal for me then ALONE moksha is possible through knowledge.
On the other hand if samsAri status real then it can never be negatable – intrinsic nature of a thing can never be negated – if samsAri status is real for me then any type of sadhana can remove this - not by by karma, by upasana, even by jnana it can never be removed because satyam is abhaditam – even Bhagawan cannot help because real status of something can be removed even by Bhagawan.
Evam cha sati – only if this is true – (my samsAri status is unreal )- vakshyamAnAm pratipatti – the knowledge that is going to taught later – Vaishnavasya padasya atmatataya – the knowledge of Vishnu’s swarupam as my real nature – upapadhyate - will be possible - only if samsaritvam is unreal. Nobody should say I have clearly understood Vedanta and I am waiting for moksha – there is no bigger contradiction in the enter Cosmos! Na anyataha – not otherwise – means if samsAri status is real then moksha is never never possible. If I ask for Moksha it is like fire praying to Bhagwan please make me cold – it is not possible! Similarly if samsaritvam is my real nature then even Bhagwan cannot help - Why? Svabhava anadikramaat – because a s real status can never be eliminated!
We should remember - a corresponding Mandukya kArika “- saamsiddhikii svaabhaavikii sahaja akrtaa cha yaa; prakrtih seti vijneyaa svabhaavam na jahaati yaa”

Swabhava is that which can never be erased - if samsara is my swabhava it can never be erased. These arguments are very relevant to negate jnana-karma-samuchhya – when moksha is possible by mere knowledge, why should I combine jnAnam with regular anushtanam.
There are some time who feel that alongwith jnAnam one must practice anushtanam and the jnana-anushtanam combination gives liberation. AS says this is foolish - anushtanam you can have before knowledge but once knowledge has been gained where is question of anushtanam.
For liberation anushtanam can exist for a grhstha for lokasangraha but cann never exist as a sadhana for liberation.

Anvya
Maneeshinah indriyani hayaanaahuh; vishayan teshu gocharaan (aahuh). Atmaindriyamanoyuktam (aatmanam) “bhokta”-iti maneeshinah prahuh.

Tat Tvam Asi

We understand the word mithyA as a word referring to our understanding of the reality of an object, like a pot. MithyA is not an object. Similarly, satyam is also a word revealing our understanding of reality. MithyA is understood as the reality of an object which has no being on its own. The pot doesn’t have a being without clay. Pot is not an independent object; it is a just a word, a name (name) revealing a form and a function. The weight of the pot is the weight of clay. The touch of the pot is the touch of clay. The pot is not upon the clay, nor does it come out of the clay. We cannot even imagine a clay pot without thinking of clay. From this we understand that while the pot is clay, clay is not the pot. The word satyam is therefore used for clay, in terms of its reality, and the word mithyA is used to refer to the reality of pot. This has to be understood—mithyA is nothing but our understanding of reality. How do we understand it? That which has no being of its own, which has its being or basis in something else, and is not separate from the place where it has its being (adhishtAna-ananya), is mithyA. In other words, every product is mithyA. It is not separate from the material of which it is made. And satyam is the reality (sadvastu) in which all things have their being, otherwise called Brahman.
In the Chandogya Upanishad, the word that is used is sat. That reality, that existent vastu is real (satyam) and the world (jagat) is a product (kArya) not separate from the vastu, like clay pot is not separate from the clay. As the pot is nothing but a name and form depending on the clay for its existence, the world (jagat) is nothing but names and forms depending for their existence upon Brahman. That is the existent ‘thing’ (sadvastu). Therefore this sat alone is real (sadeva satyam) like the clay alone is real (mrdeva satyam) for the clay pot. The word satyam we can finally use only for Brahman, and everything else, including space, air, fire, etc., in our elemental model of the world, is mithyA. Therefore we say, “All this is Brahman,” idam sarvam brahma. The cause of this entire world is Brahman, and all that is here, which in reality is mithyA, is not separate from that cause.

Two Types of MithyA
Now our understanding of this word mithyA has to be extended. If mithyA is anything that exists depending upon something, as an individual, in my experience, I find not one type of mithyA, but two. One is the tree that is there and that I see. Whether I see the tree or not, the tree exists. That is why when I walk with my eyes closed and don’t see the tree, I bump into it. My not seeing the tree does not dismiss the tree. My not seeing a mountain does not dismiss the mountain. My not seeing the wall does not dismiss the wall. This happens all the time when we drive. When there is a pot-hole or a speed breaker and you don’t see it, it doesn’t cease to be. You get the jolt. There are many accidents because we don’t see what is there. Thus, my not seeing an object does not dismiss the existence of the object. Therefore I can say the object is, and therefore I can see it. This is what we call objective. It is there, therefore I see it. And whenever I see the object, of course the presence of consciousness is there. Without the presence of consciousness I cannot see any object, even though I may call it mithyA. From the standpoint of Ishvara, the Lord, everything is mithyA. In my experience also, I find that the object is seen by me because it is there. Even if it is not seen by me, it is there. The pot-hole proves that. And we must understand that this is mithyA, because whenever I see the object it is not separate from consciousness. It is, therefore I see it.

There is another type of mithyA—I see it, therefore it is. This is what we call subjective. What is objective is also mithyA. With reference to my understanding I find that there is an object, therefore I see it; then the other situation is, I see it, therefore it is. The dream world is this second type of reality. I see the mountain; therefore the mountain is in the dream. I may be dreaming in the midst of the Pacific Ocean. There are no mountains around, but I see a mountain. While I am in the dream, I don’t take it as unreal or subjective. I take it objectively—that there is an object. But waking up, I say it is subjective. The mountain is because I see it. Anything in the dream is because I see it. This is true in dream.

In the waking state also, this problem exists. We are not totally objective. Because of one’s own underlying pressure—you may call it unconscious, subconscious, fear and so on—one tends to interpret. This interpretation is the worst thing that a human being is subject to. If you don’t interpret, especially with reference to others’ attitudes and values, you are safe. But we all interpret, and we cannot but interpret. Therefore, the problem is only oneself. Really speaking, one is driven to interpret, that is, one has the pressure to do so—pressure caused by fear and so many other things. So when you interpret it is subjective; every interpretation is subjective. It may be true, it may not be true More often than not, it is untrue. If it is an interpretation that affects you, then generally it is not true. We read body language and all sorts of things, so that we tend to interpret in a way that may not have anything to do with the truth. Thus, when you are living in this world you are not always in the world of Ishvara. You are in the world of Ishvara plus your own personal projected world.
When you project a snake upon a rope, you project something that is not there at all. This is one kind of superimposition (adhyAsa), a projection of something unpleasant or offensive (ashobhana-adhyAsa). There is a second type of superimposition. If you take money as money, there is no mistake. But giving greater value to money than it has is a superimposition (Shobhana-adhyAsa). With reference to the object, money, you don’t commit a mistake. You don’t take Somadatta for Devadatta, or John for Tom. You take John as John. But at the same time, there is (ashobhana adhyAsa) if you take John to be hostile to you when he really is not. He has his own problems. His behavior is inhibited by the problems he is dealing with. It has nothing to do with you. But related to you his behavior has changed. And therefore, you project a person who has nothing to do with John. Many a good relationship is destroyed because of this kind of projection. There is a need to project, and to project something that is not good. This ashobhana and shobhana adhyAsa are purely subjective. For you it is very real. Why? Because you see it, you feel it. Because your feeling is real, the cause is also presumed to be real. It looks as though it is coming from the other person. But no other person can cause such a feeling. It comes from inside. We refuse to accept that. We always say that the other person is the cause, but there may or may not be any truth to it. When this is the case, the benefit of doubt is to be given only to the other person, not to ourselves. But we refuse to give that. In this situation, where your subjectivity creates a reality and this reality has nothing to do with BhagavAn, you can’t blame him at all.
Ishvara is what is. Even the mithyA jagat is Ishvara. And there is a reality about it. That reality is what we call objective. This does not mean that there is a real object there; every object is nothing but mithyA with its form and name depending upon the reality (vastu). It is non-separate from its cause. The reduction of subjectivity alone is a project in one’s life. One need not know Brahman or the meaning of “You are that,” tat tvam asi. If one can reduce subjectivity, that itself is a great blessing. But you cannot completely reduce subjectivity unless you know you are the whole. This is another problem. There is a mutual dependence (anyonya-Ashraya) here. But still, to a great extent I can be objective in looking into myself. That objectivity is the qualification (adhikAritvam) to understand the sentence “You are that,” tat tvam asi. It is not an ordinary sentence. To understand it, the rope-snake subjectivity, John the bad man subjectivity, etc., has to be understood as subjective, a projection which is mithyA. That John is a person is objective, but that he is a bad man is subjective. I am conscious of John, and without my consciousness there is no John. So John the person is also mithyA. And John the person that I interpret him to be is my own creation. That part of it is there is because I see it that way, and it is also mithyA. Now we have two types of mithyA. It is therefore I see, and I see therefore it is.
That I am a samsAri, subject to birth, death, etc. is purely subjective. It is a conclusion. That the body is subject to birth and death is objective. It is Ishvara. But that I am a samsAri—tall, fat, small, insignificant, impure (ashuddha), because guilty and hurt—is purely subjective. This has no objectivity whatsoever. And what is subjective goes away in the wake of knowledge, like the dream, like the snake and like John the bad man. The snake goes away when the rope is understood; John is understood and the mistaken person you saw goes away; you wake up and the dream goes away. Therefore, what is subjective is meant to go away in the wake of knowledge, of gaining clarity of what is. Even one’s own past one also has to understand. How can the past really bother you? It is already gone. Only what is current can bother you, if at all. But the past continues to bother us. It controls a person, controls his or her behavior. There is a certain reality about it, but it is subjective.
What is subjective always goes away in the wake of clarity and understanding. This is what we are striving for here. But in understanding the sentence tat tvam asi, which is understanding satyam and mithyA, one mithyA is Ishvara’s expression, the second mithyA is my own. Therefore, if you are enlightened your body will not go away; your mind will not go away—nothing will go away. Nothing needs to go away. If I am free, if I am the whole, why should anything go away?
Brahman is sat, satyam. Satyam means your understanding of sat. Brahman is sat, and it is satyam meaning that it is the cause of everything, and everything else is mithyA which includes my body, mind, sense complex. And that satyam brahma is consciousness; it is satyam jnAnam. It is consciousness that is timeless, the truth of everything, the cause of everything. Brahman gives being to everything, and therefore is anantam, limitless in terms of place, time and object (deshatah kAlatah vastutah). There is no object that is other than Brahman. Anything that you think of, known and not known, is Brahman. If that is so, the satyam, jnAnam, anantam is atmA – sat cit Ananda. The satyam jnAnam anantam brahma creates this jagat, or manifests in the form of the jagat, and I as an individual also create my own subjectivity. Because I am self-conscious, in my innocence and ignorance I have gathered a lot. Therefore the capacity to be more subjective than objective is always a potential in every individual. If, as an individual, you have the freedom to be more subjective, then you also have the freedom to be less subjective. Being more subjective means having more suffering, less subjective means less suffering. No subjectivity means no suffering; only Ishvara is there. Therefore, you can understand where exactly you have to pay attention—in the reduction of subjectivity.
To reduce subjectivity, there are some guidelines we can follow. When you make an interpretation, make sure you give the benefit of doubt to the other person. This is a rule that we can follow. And having given the benefit of doubt to the other person, also give him time to prove himself. Understand that your feeling is a feeling; it comes from inside. What does it mean when I say, “That is what I feel”? It is not that every feeling has to be right, that every thought should become a reality. Even though I have a right to my feeling, it need not be caused from outside. I have to accept the reality that it might have been caused by my own subjectivity. There is nothing wrong in that, but acknowledging it makes you a person who is real. Then you become more objective. When you say, “It may be my subjectivity,” then you are objective. This is how we grow in objectivity. And the more objective you are, the less of a problem you have.
MAyA
Brahman is satyam, real, the formless reality. To be Ishvara, to create this mithyA world there must be something with that Brahman. But Brahman ‘plus something’ doesn’t exist at all. Brahman is satyam, and any ‘plus’ is dependent upon Brahman. The effect, the jagat, must have an undifferentiated form which is what we call mAyA. Maya is name and form (nAma-rUpa) undifferentiated, nAma-rUpa differentiated. MAyA is there because this is how Brahman is. We don’t ask, “Why is there mAyA?” because we don’t say that there is mAyA. We say that there is only Brahman. The world (jagat) is Brahman. If Brahman is consciousness, limitless without any particular form then how could it became formful? It did not. Consciousness continues to be, without any change.
The gold has not become a chain. Only if it becomes a chain do I have to answer the question, “How did it become a chain?” Gold continues to be gold. Once you understand that clearly, then we can say Brahman has “become” the world (jagat) through mAyA. There are rules here in the world (jagat); there are forces, causes and effects. Gold can be melted; it is a malleable metal; it can be drawn into a wire; the wire can be made into links; they can be connected and you can form a chain. Gold is given those capacities, those characteristics. Similarly, someone is given the skill, a physical body, and knowledge to make the chain. Everything is given. And all that is given is Ishvara. The chain on your neck is Ishvara. The gold is Ishvara, and the chain also is Ishvara. Really speaking, Ishvara made the chain. The given person who made the chain, Devadatta, is not separate from Ishvara. When we look at it from one standpoint, Devadatta made the chain. From another standpoint, Ishvara made the chain. There is nothing wrong with saying that. The only thing is, the man who says it should mean it, he should understand the whole of it.
When we talk of Ishvara we understand that there must be something in Brahman which has this great power to create, and that the power itself is something that is superimposed (kalpita). This power of mAyA (mAyA-shakti) is a superimposed power (kalpita-shakti). That mAyA is also mithyA, in terms of its reality. It has a power, and with that power alone Brahman is Ishvara and is the maker and material cause. If you look at Ishvara from the standpoint of knowledge and power, he is the maker, the intelligent cause (nimitta-kAranam). If you look at Ishvara from the standpoint of what makes him all-knowing, etc., then he becomes the material cause that undergoes a modification (parinAmi-upAdAna-kAranam).
It is like the spider who, with reference to the product, the web, becomes the intelligent cause (nimitta-kAranam), from its own standpoint. From the standpoint of the web, he becomes the material cause (upAdAna-kAranam). The spider, the conscious being who lives in his eight-legged body, who has knowledge and skill, is the maker of the web. He chooses the right place, never very near the floor, because he knows the lady of the house will come with a vacuum cleaner and his creation will be gone. Therefore, he puts it up in a corner near the ceiling, where the cleaning is done only once a year. By that time his life will be over. The choice of place implies knowledge. Where it should go, what it is for, is all well planned. In the body of the spider there is a conscious being who is the maker and has the knowledge and skill to make the web. He is also the material cause to create the web. From the standpoint of its own body, because of which it is called a spider, it becomes the material cause.
Similarly Brahman with mAyA is Ishvara. With mAyA he is all-knowing, all-mighty, the maker. From the standpoint of mAyA, he has undergone a change to become the world of space, time, etc. From that standpoint Ishvara becomes the material cause. But that Ishvara is nothing but Brahman, and that mAyA is not separate from Brahman. Therefore, Brahman alone counts—Brahman plus mAyA is Brahman; Brahman plus the world (jagat) is Brahman. One is satyam and everything else is mithyA. And that satyam you are (tvam asi). “This self is all this,” aitadAtmyam idam sarvam. This entire jagat, including your body-mind-sense complex, has its being in this Brahman, sat-cit-Ananda. You are the whole. Even from the standpoint of the body, Ishvara’s manifest form includes your body too. Then why is there this feeling that one is only as much as the body?

Value Addition
Even an enlightened man who knows he is the whole doesn’t think that when he gets up the whole world should get up. No. This physical body has another body called the subtle body (sukshma-sharÌra) which identifies with only one body. Beyond that it doesn’t go. There is a discreet entity, the body, that still doesn’t deny the fact that you are the whole. In fact, when you are whole without the body, mind, and senses, you are not going to become less whole by the addition of the body, mind, and senses. As simple consciousness I am the whole; with one body, mind and set of senses added to it, I do not become less whole. Then where is the problem? If I am the whole how did I become the body, mind, sense complex? Is it a loss? Some people say this is descending from the whole. Then you have to ascend! It seems the infinite has descended to become finite, and the finite has to ascend to the infinite. Nothing finite can ascend to the infinite. Nothing infinite can descend to the finite. What is infinite is that which cannot descend. What is finite is that which cannot ascend. So where is the problem with having a body? I am the whole plus the body-mind-sense complex. Though I am the whole, having a body provides a slight difference. What is the difference? The whole cannot walk, I can walk. The whole cannot talk, I can talk. The whole cannot think, I can think. The whole cannot act, I can act. The whole cannot respond, I can respond. What an addition! All these are additions, and if you look upon them as additions, they are luxuries. This is the expression of a person who is liberated while still in this body (jIvan-mukta). He is happy with himself alone, not rejoicing or detesting (Atmaiva AtmanA tushtaha na nandati na dveshti). They are all value addition, without addition.
Coimbatore in India is a textile town. How it became a textile town is very interesting. Originally they grew cotton there. It was ideal because there was not much rain in those parts. The cotton used to be sent to Bombay. Then one person came up with the idea of ginning the cotton (removing the seeds) himself instead of sending it to Bombay. So he started a ginning factory. This is called value addition. Nothing is added really. It is the same cotton. Another person started a spinning a factory to spin the cotton into yarn. The yarn was sold. Then someone started a weaving factory and the woven fabric was sold. A dying factory was started and the dyed fabric was sold. A garment factory was started. This is called value addition—an addition without any addition, really. They started with cotton and ended with cotton. Ishvara is the greatest value adder. He goes on adding without really adding. Therefore, we have an addition to the whole without a real addition. One is satyam and the other mithyA. The gold plus a chain is not an addition, but still, the chain is useful. Thus, there are additions that are ornamental, and additions which are functional. All these are from the same vastu alone. This is sat-cit-Ananda.
An individual, due to not knowing this fact, is under the veil of mAyA. He is called the jiva. Until he calls the bluff, inquires into the reality, he continues to be a jiva. And once he understands the meaning of the sentence tat tvam asi very thoroughly, he is free and whole. He is no longer bound by karma etc. The whole performs no action; all action is ‘as though’. Everything becomes ‘as though’. The whole remains the whole. When that person dies away he does not come back. This is called moksha. Gaining the knowledge of this mahAvAkya is called moksha. And to make this knowledge happen alone is the purpose of the whole teaching.

Even if one gets the insight into this fact, the knowledge can be inhibited by a variety of things. The one thing we can do, in fact the only thing we can do, is to reduce subjectivity. How do we reduce subjectivity? Bring in more Ishvara. As we bring in more Ishvara, subjectivity goes

(transcription of a talk given by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Arsha VidyA Gurukulam)

Katha Upanishad: Shankara bhashya; Adhyaya 3 Valli 3: Mantra 3

Aksharam which is known as atma - nirgunam Brahman tat brahmajnAtum shakemahi – meaning the jivAtma can know that Brahman
[note – in saguna Brahman knowledge alone is not enough; hence jnAtum and chetum is used by shankara indicating that in addition one has to do karma; by only using term jnAtum and deliberately omitting the term chetum AS wants to contrast that in second part only knowledge is enough!!]
AS now summarizes this sloka - Karmabrahmavid aashraye- karmakanda followers and brahmakanda followers they have a support to be resorted to – paravare brahmani – saguna Brahma and nirguna Brahma respectively thus we have to understand.

“Etayoho..”
These two type of seekers are indicated here (upanyasa krtaha) in rtam pibantau iti.
There in the 3rd line – chayagnau and in 4th line trinachiketa agni have been mentioned
Now anvaya
Yaha ijaanaanam setuh (bhavati) (tam) nachiketam (jnAtum) shakemahi. Abhayam param titeershatam jananaam yat aksharam brahma param (aalambanam bhavati taccha jnatum) shakemahi.

Tatra upadhikrta samsari vidyavidyayo Mokshagamanaya samsaragamanaaya cha tasya tad sadhano rathokalpyate
From the third mantra onwards we get the famous chariot imagery set of shlokAs. AS gives an introduction

“Tatra…” among those two (the jA and pA) “yaha upadhikrtaha samsari” the jivAtmA(jA) which is associated with upadhi is a samsari. Upadhikrtaha means upadhi pratibimbitaha – upadhi means mind and krtaha means reflected – meaning antahkarana pratibimbitaha – in chidAbhAsya chaitanyam - the RC – which is called ahankAra and this ahankAra jA is a samsari. And this samsari is adhikrtaha - means qualified or eligible for the teaching of or practice of vidyaavidyayoho vidya and avidya. Now question is why practive avidyA? Are we not already experts in avidyA? :-) We have to recall - AvidyA has been defined as karma in the previous section by the same Upanishad. So meaning is he is qualified to follow jnAna or karma – by practicing vidyA he can go to mokshA mokshagamanAya and by practicing karma he can go to samsara samsaragamanyacha Naturally the question will be – why should he go to samsara he is already in samsara – so go to samsara means for the successful continuation of samsara :-)
Anvaya
Yaha upadhikrtaha samsari (saha) mokshagamanaya samsaragamanaya cha vidyaavidyahayoho adhikrtaha bhavati.
Tasya for this pilgrim or eligible traveler sadhanaha ratha kalpyate a vehicle for the travel is visualized by the Upanishad.

Mantra 3
AtmAnam rathinam viddhi shareeram rathameva tu
Buddhim to saarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva cha

Gist
Atmanam rathinam viddhi – Rathinam means Master traveler, atma means jA or chidAbhasa, shareeram rathameva – the physical body is the chariot. The intellect is the driver – the one who decides the direction. And the mind is the reins connecting the intellect and the horses. This is the 1st part of the imagery – it will continue in the next mantra also

Bhashya
“Tatra..” – in this context tam atmanam viddhi know that atma (jivAtma) rtabham – bhokta of the rtam or karmaphalam (usage derived from the rtam pibantau of the 1st mantra) may you understand to be rathi swami – the word swami is used to differentiate from the intellect – both the atma and the intellect are seated but one is the Master and the other is the driver.

“Shareeram…shareerasya”
AS justifying the imaery – jA is called the rathaswami because the jA alone wants to travel. Now the body is compared to the chariot. Why? Chariot is dragged by the horses – similarly the sense organs draw the physical body in various directions. This body is akrshyamaanatvat – being dragged - rathabadhah hayastaniyaih indriyaih – means tied to, indriaih the five sense organs which are hayasthanaih - haya means horses and sthaniya means comparable to.
When figure of speech upama is presented – it should have three components – upamanam is the example, upameyam is the original and saamanya dharmaha – both should have certain common features.
Here for this example also the commentator has to give the saamanya dharma when the Up is making a comparison.
In the above sentence “aakrshyamanatvat” is the saamanya dharma – another term is saadrshyam.

“Buddhim tu…rathah”
Third quarter. Buddhim tu sarathim viddhi - may you know the intellect to be the charioteer or driver. Buddhi is defined as addhyavasayalakshanam - judge (judgement maker) to decide what is the goal, giving it appropriate priority, and deciding what is the safe or most path - adhyavasaya is equal to nischaya – the determining faculty.
What is the saadrshyam? Both are pradhanam preeminent or important in their respective fields Driver is important in a vehicle – determines if the master reaches the destination or hospital – similarly intellect is very important for the human journey. Shareerasya buddhinetr pradhanatvam Body has got intellect as the preeminent director or primary leader – just like saarathinetrpradhana ratha-iv – the driver is the leader of the chariot. So leadership is the saamanya dharma.

“sarvam hi deha..”
Sarvam karyam all the activities dehagatam at the level of the body (sthula-sukshmA shareeram) budhikartavyam eva – are determined and executed by the intellect alone. [Now there are a lot of mechanical actions and reflex actions, involved such as brushing teeth – hence AS adds a term prayena – to say “mostly”]

“Manas sankalpa vikalpa..shwaha”
Manasa pragham eva cha.
Now AS comes to the 4th – manasa pragraham eva cha – mind is the rein which directly operates the sense organs. Intellect is the decider but the decision has to be implemented by the mind alone, because mind alone is behind all the ten sense organs. Therefore intellect is the decider and the mind is the executor or implementer - hence intellect may decide to attend the bhashyam class – the very fact that you are all sitting in the class shows that intellect has decided – but inspite of this decision of the intellect, to get you to the class, the mind alone decides whether to cooperate with the intellect and go along with the ears or not! Hence the mind is compared to the reins.
Mind is - sankalpa vikalapadi lakshanam – characterized by the faculties of sankalpa pros and vikalpa cons. Rashanaviddhi what is rashana? – pragraham – the reins – so may you know the reins to be like the mind.
Manasa praghrahitani shortraadi karanaani just as the driver controls the horses through the medium of the reins, similarly, the intellect holds or controls the sense organs through the medium of the mind. Hence - manasa hi pragrhitaani. It is the holding function that is common to both – pragrahanam is the term used to indicate this. Shrotraadi karanan- sense organs like the ears etc. The sense organs pravartante function in their respective field by the control mind.
When there is a announcement in the railway station that such and such a train is leaving from this station, because there is so much ambient noise, the “total” mind is intensely holding the ears in the field of the announcement – only to know “train is late by 45 min” – and you ask someone to buy you some vada (a snack)! J
Rashanayaha ashwaha iva just as the horses function held by the rashana- the reins.

Anvaya
(Tvam) atmanam rathinam (viddhi); buddhim tu sarathim (viddhi); manaha pragraham eva cha (viddhi)

Katha Upanishad: Shankara Bhashya; Adhyaya 1 Valli 3 Mantra 2

Lecture 2

(Notes taken from lecture series by Pujya Guruji Swami Paramarthananda)

“Loke” means shareere – because it is the locus remaining where jivAtma experiences karmaphalam – if a physical body is not available jivAtma cant experience sukha-dukha – in the intermediary state between janmas before a new body is taken, even though sookshmashareera is there it cannot experience sukha dukha because a sthoola shareera is absent. Even in svapna to experience dream pleasure and dream pain within the dreamworld we need a dream physical body! [ref: tattva bodha – definition of physical body bhoga-aayatanam] And specific location of the jivAtma/paramAtma in the shareera, (like which room inside the house?) Up wants to point out is mind. Mind is located in the hradayam in the antahkaranam. Hence “Guhaam pravishte. Now the term” parame paraardhe” Para means Brahman, and ardham means sthAnam or residence – so parame paraardhe means “residence of Brahman”(!) So hrdaya Akasha is brahma sthAnam – hence it is called a sacred space – hence the term paramam which means divine or sacred. From the standpoint of/ compared to both the external space and the internal space, the small “daharaakaasham”[Ch.Up] or hrdaya akAsha is sacred. Here AS adds a note – if we say hradaya akasha is the location of param Brahman it may convey the idea that parabrahman is limited or confined in the hradaya akasha and hence points out that parabrahman is recognizable there – sthAnam means availability or recognizability (upalabhyate) – it does not mean location – in the form of saakshi rupEna chaitanya rupEna – witnessing consciousness. Parabrahman can be recognized everywhere as the existence principle but consciousness principle cannot be recognized elsewhere but is available only in my antahkaranam as chit – hence upalabhdi sthAnam.
Therefore in that most sacred BrahmasthAnam (both jivAtma and paramAtma) have entered (as it were).

Now “Chayatapau…”
Those two i.e. jivAtmA and paramAtmA are - chayatapau iva – are like light and shadow
Several ideas are conveyed – one is Satyam – other is mithya – does not have independent existence. Another meaning that AS takes is they are diagonally opposite – light and dark AND free and bound. Hence he uses the term vilakshanau – they are opposed to each other – one is samsari and One is asamsari. Evam brahma vidaha vadanti – Thus is declared by all the wise people.

Now “Na kevalam akarminaha..”
The jivA and parmatmA are talked about by the wise people in the context of the jnAnakAndam and the same jivA and paramatmA are taked about by the ignorant people in the context of karmAkAndam. Thus jivA and paramatA is wellknown in both contexts. Akarmaniha means sannyAsis or jnAnis – those who are committed to jnAnakAnda – the word akarmi it has to be sannyAsi only. So not only the akarmaniha say but those who are panchAgnau – i.e. those who are grhasthaha – Agni refers to karma.
[AS doesn’t comment further on panchagni but some sub-commentators give further explanation
– there are five kinds of fires used in ritual – classified based on type of kunda and method of kindling and what type of mantras, etc. The five types/names of agni are 1. Garhamadhyaha 2. Aahavaniyaha 3. Dakshinaha 4. Sabhyaha and 5. aavasathyaha
- the Chand Up and Br Up mentions the panchagni vidyA where there is Upasana of five factors as five types of fires – svarga agni, heaven, megha agni, cloud, prthvi agni, earth, purusha agni, the male, and naari agni, the female]
These grhasthas not only perform the agni rituals of five types but they also perform the Nachiketas ritual 3 times to appease the student Nachiketas.
Commentary is over; now anvaya
Loke sukrtasya rtam pibantau parame parardhe guham pravishtau (jivAtma paramAtmanau) chAyatapau (iva vilakshanau bhavataha). (Evam) brahmavidaha vadanti. Ye trnAchiketaha panchAgnayaha (te) cha (vadanti)

Mantra 2
Yah Setur ijaanaanaam aksharam brahama yatparam
Abhayam titeershatam paaram naachiketam shakemahi

Gist of the mantra
The jivatmA has two options. One option is it can the help of sagunam Brahma by following the nachiketa agni and it can attain kramamukti and reach the other shore of samsara. As part of nach agni, virAt upAsanA is talked about which comes under sagUna brahma which helps jivatmaA go to Brahmaloka and there through jnAna it can cross samsara.
The second option- jivatmA can take help of nirguna brahma by taking the course of jnAna kanda, and get sadyomukti
Saguna brahmA bridge of karmakanda à kramamukti
Nirguna brahma bridge of jnAnakanda à sadyomukti

Both of these we can follow according to our choice – hence the term shakemahi - we can know and use any one of these two bridges - hence use of the word setu by the Up.

Now we will see the bhashyam
“Yah setu.iva..”
Yaha refers to the Nachiketaha agni setuh iva setuh is comparable or similar to a bridge eejananam means yajanamaanam i.e those who are karminAm ritualists or grhasthas.
Dukhasantaranardhatvat – this expression is the explanation of the word setuh
What is te common property between nachiketa agni and bridge
Bridge helps in crossing the waters - similarly the nachiketas agni is a bridge that helps in crossing the water of samsara.

Tam vayam jnatum cha shakemahi To know the nAchiketa ritual and to perform it – this portion is supplied by AS to complete the sentence.
So what is being said:
We the jivatmas can know and perform the nachiketa agni ritual and with the help of virat upasana we can derive kramamukti – this is one option available to us
One lesser option is also available - it can also perform nachiketa ritual without doing upasana kramamukti is not possible but jivA can go to swarga loka through Krishnagati and in swarga loga there is temporary moksha – a time bound cessation of sorrow.

“Kincha yacchabhayama..”

Morover yat abhayam bhaya shunyam samsaraparam titeershatam - Literally param means the other shore. Samsaraparam – other shore of samsara. What is the nature of the other shore of samsara – abhayam – fearless ness = bhayashunyam – an absolutely secure place! abhayamparam – secure shore of samsara. Titeershatam – tartum icchatAm – those who are desirous of reaching or crossing over to (such a shore). Who are they? - brahmavidAn – the jnAna yogis – the second group of jivAs. Yat param aashrayam – that which is a great support. Aashrayam is a term added by AS.

[More in the next lecture]