Vedas 40 - Kathopanishad - Part 2 C - The Art Of Meditation Poem by Geeta Radhakrishna Menon
Vedas 40 - Kathopanishad - Part 2 C - The Art Of Meditation
Yama declares:
"O Nachiketaa! Learn the Art of Meditation!
The symbol that is proclaimed by the Vedas
The syllable praised and practised by the Sages
Is the mystical sound "A…U…M"
‘Aum' is the best means of attaining ‘The Brahman'.
"The sound of ‘Aum' is Supreme.
By chanting ‘Aum' the mind is clarified,
When the mind is balanced and tranquil,
There is enlightenment or
The Self-realisation of
The Absolute, Eternal ‘Brahman'."
"The Soul is beyond logic or reasoning,
It cannot be grasped easily
By arguments alone,
It can be comprehended only
When taught by an illumined teacher,
Who has already realised his identity with it."
"O Nachiketaa! Thou hast attained it!
May we always find a seeker of Truth like thee."
As Yama continues his Sermons,
Nachiketaa listens with rapt attention:
"The Self or the Atman is neither born nor dies,
It is smaller than the smallest,
It is also greater than the greatest,
It resides in the heart of all."
"To realise the ‘Self' or the ‘Atman',
One has to constantly strive and meditate on ‘Aum'
With an intense desire to know ‘The Brahman',
To become calm, controlled,
To attain a pure mind;
Only a realised Soul can go beyond death and rebirth.
The dialogue is long and spreads over six chapters containing 119 verses.
This is, perhaps, the most interesting dialogue that I have ever read.I am attempting to summarise and make it as concise as possible
Each Upanishad should be read from the beginning and in order of the Series, otherwise, the meaning will be lost. It would be difficult to comprehend the philosophy of the Upanishad.
The poem begins with Yama pronouncing the powers of chanting of 'AUM' which brings purity, tranquility, enlightenment and self-realisation to the seeker of truth. He goes on to explain the most central part of Hindu philosophy about Atman and its attributes. Thanks for such a nice series, Geeta ji. I quote: (somehow I missed this important part) The Self or the Atman is neither born nor dies, It is smaller than the smallest, It is also greater than the greatest,
Thank you Rajnish ji. The more i read the Upanishads, the more i am amazed at the profound wisdom that is hidden in each line. We learn so much from the Upanishads.
What stands out to me in this one, Geeta, is the statement that the Self (which I equate with God’s spirit) is smaller than the smallest and greater than the greatest. The are infinities in both the nano and macro worlds which defy our perception and understanding. But in that Self or Spirit we get glimpses of the vastness beyond our finitude. -Glen
Thank you Glen. You understand the essence of Upanishads very well.
How can i ever thank you for this wisdom dear Geeta. this is great. you are exposing to us in a readable way the wisdom of the Upanishads.. As a young man i tried to read it as a student. But left it because it was tiring to read and to grasp such long treatises.. thank u, thank u, thank u. please write more and more here.. tony
Thank you dear Poet Tony. I do appreciate your valuable comment.
Having being satisfied on the dialogues of Nachiketaa the king of death, Yama, agreed with to provide knowledge and wisdom to him. He first clarified the meaning of the mystical sound A…U…M and then about the Soul or Atman that you have so astutely delineated here. Let me cite..... The Self or the Atman is neither born nor dies, It is smaller than the smallest, It is also greater than the greatest, It resides in the heart of all. A beautiful poem shared amazingly.10
My Namaskar to you dear Kumarmani ji for your kind appraisal of this dialogue between Yama and Nachiketaa. Thank you so much.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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6/3/2025 4:43:11 AM # 1.0.0
Profound, I quote: The Soul is beyond logic or reasoning, It cannot be grasped easily By arguments alone, It reminded me a Sufi song Tum ek gorak dhandha ho....... I quote few lines from it: हर ज़र्रे में किस शान से तू जल्वा-नुमा है हैरां है मगर अक़्ल के कैसा है तू, क्या है? फलसफ़ी को बहस क अंदर खुदा मिलता नही, डोर को सुलझा रहा है और सिरा मिलता नही