Katha Upanishad 1.2

anyacchreyo 'nyad utaiva preyas te ubhe nānārthe puruṣaṃ sinītaḥ tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhu bhavati hīyate 'rthād ya u preyo vṛṇīte

Death said: "The good is one thing, the pleasant another; these two, having different objects, chain a man. It is well with him who clings to the good; he who chooses the pleasant, misses his end.

śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etas tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ śreyo hi dhīro 'bhi preyaso vṛṇīte preyo mando yogakṣemād vṛṇīte

The good and the pleasant approach man: the wise goes round about them and distinguishes them. Yea, the wise prefers the good to the pleasant, but the fool chooses the pleasant through greed and avarice.

sa tvaṃ priyān priyarūpāṃś ca kāmān abhidhyāyan naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ naitāṃ sṛṅkāṃ vittamayīm avāpto yasyāṃ majjanti bahavo manuṣyāḥ

Thou, O Nakiketas, after pondering all pleasures that are or seem delightful, hast dismissed them all. Thou hast not gone into the road that leadeth to wealth, in which many men perish.

dūram ete viparīte viṣūcī avidyā yā ca vidyeti jñātā vidyābhīpsinaṃ naciketasaṃ manye na tvā kāmā bahavo 'lolupanta

Wide apart and leading to different points are these two, ignorance, and what is known as wisdom. I believe Nakiketas to be one who desires knowledge, for even many pleasures did not tear thee away.

avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ svayaṃ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitaṃ manyamānāḥ dandramyamāṇāḥ pariyanti mūḍhā andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ

Fools dwelling in darkness, wise in their own conceit, and puffed up with vain knowledge, go round and round, staggering to and fro, like blind men led by the blind.

na sāmparāyaḥ pratibhāti bālaṃ pramādyantaṃ vittamohena mūḍham ayaṃ loko nāsti para iti mānī punaḥ punar vaśam āpadyate me

The Hereafter never rises before the eyes of the careless child, deluded by the delusion of wealth. "This is the world," he thinks, "there is no other;" — thus he falls again and again under my sway.

śravaṇāyāpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ śṛṇvanto 'pi bahavo yaṃ na vidyuḥ āścaryo vaktā kuśalo 'sya labdhā āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ

He (the Self) of whom many are not even able to hear, whom many, even when they hear of him, do not comprehend; wonderful is a man, when found, who is able to teach him (the Self); wonderful is he who comprehends him, when taught by an able teacher.

na nareṇāvareṇa prokta eṣa suvijñeyo bahudhā cintyamānaḥ ananyaprokte gatir atra nāsty aṇīyān hy atarkyam aṇupramāṇāt

That (Self), when taught by an inferior man, is not easy to be known, even though often thought upon; unless it be taught by another, there is no way to it, for it is inconceivably smaller than what is small.

naiṣā tarkeṇa matir āpaneyā proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha yāṃ tvam āpaḥ satyadhṛtir batāsi tvādṛṅ no bhūyān naciketaḥ praṣṭā

That doctrine is not to be obtained by argument, but when it is declared by another, then, O dearest, it is easy to understand. Thou hast obtained it now; thou art truly a man of true resolve. May we have always an inquirer like thee!"

jānāmy ahaṃ śevadhir ity anityaṃ na hy adhruvaiḥ prāpyate hi dhruvaṃ tat tato mayā nāciketaś cito 'gnir anityair dravyaiḥ prāptavān asmi nityam

Nakiketas said: "I know that what is called a treasure is transient, for that eternal is not obtained by things which are not eternal. Hence the Nâkiketa fire(sacrifice) has been laid by me (first); then by means of transient things, I have obtained what is not transient (the teaching of Yama)."

kāmasya āptiṃ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ krator anantyam abhayasya pāram stomamahad urugāyaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dṛṣṭvā dhṛtyā dhīro naciketo 'tyasrākṣīḥ

Yama said: "Though thou hadst seen the fulfilment of all desires, the foundation of the world, the endless rewards of good deeds, the shore where there is no fear, that which is magnified by praise, the wide abode, the rest, yet being wise thou hast with firm resolve dismissed it all.

taṃ durdarśaṃ gūḍham anupraviṣṭaṃ guhāhitaṃ gahvareṣṭhaṃ purāṇam adhyātmayogādhigamena devaṃ matvā dhīro harṣaśokau jahāti

The wise who, by means of meditation on his Self, recognises the Ancient, who is difficult to be seen, who has entered into the dark, who is hidden in the cave, who dwells in the abyss, as God, he indeed leaves joy and sorrow far behind."

etacchrutvā samparigṛhya martyaḥ pravṛhya dharmyam aṇum etam āpya sa modate modanīyaṃ hi labdhvā vivṛtaṃ sadma naciketasaṃ manye

A mortal who has heard this and embraced it, who has separated from it all qualities, and has thus reached the subtle Being, rejoices, because he has obtained what is a cause for rejoicing. The house (of Brahman) is open, I believe, O Nakiketas."

anyatra dharmād anyatrādharmād anyatrāsmāt kṛtākṛtāt anyatra bhūtāc ca bhavyāc ca yat tat paśyasi tad vada

Nakiketas said: "That which thou seest as neither this nor that, as neither effect nor cause, as neither past nor future, tell me that."

sarve vedā yat padam āmananti tapāṃsi sarvāṇi ca yad vadanti yad icchanto brahmacaryaṃ caranti tat te padaṃ saṃgraheṇa bravīmi om ity etat

Yama said: "That word (or place) which all - the Vedas record, which all penances proclaim, which men desire when they live as religious students, that word I tell thee briefly, it is Om.

etaddhy evākṣaraṃ brahma etaddhyevākṣaraṃ param etaddhyevākṣaraṃ jñātvā yo yad icchati tasya tat

That (imperishable) syllable means Brahman, that syllable means the highest (Brahman); he who knows that syllable, whatever he desires,is his.

etad ālambanaṃ śreṣṭham etad ālambanaṃ param etad ālambanaṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate

This is the best support, this is the highest support; he who knows that support is magnified in the world of Brahmâ.

na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścin nāyaṃ kutaścin na babhūva kaścit ajo nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre

The knowing (Self) is not born, it dies not; it sprang from nothing, nothing sprang from it. The Ancient is unborn, eternal, everlasting; he is not killed, though the body is killed.

hantā cen manyate hantuṃ hataś cen manyate hatam ubhau tau na vijānīto nāyaṃ hanti na hanyate

If the killer thinks that he kills, if the killed thinks that he is killed, they do not understand; for this one does not kill, nor is that one killed.

aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām tam akratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuprasādān mahimānam ātmanaḥ

The Self, smaller than small, greater than great, is hidden in the heart of that creature. A man who is free from desires and free from grief, sees the majesty of the Self by the grace of the Creator.

āsīno dūraṃ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvataḥ kas taṃ madāmadaṃ devaṃ mad anyo jñātum arhati

Though sitting still, he walks far; though lying down, he goes everywhere. Who, save myself, is able to know that God who rejoices and rejoices not?

aśarīraṃ śarīreṣu anavastheṣv avasthitam mahāntaṃ vibhum ātmānaṃ matvā dhīro na śocati

The wise who knows the Self as bodiless within the bodies, as unchanging among changing things, as great and omnipresent, does never grieve.

nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām

That Self cannot be gained by the Veda, nor by understanding, nor by much learning. He whom the Self chooses, by him the Self can be can gained. The Self chooses him (his body) as his own.

nāvirato duścaritān nāśānto nāsamāhitaḥ nāśāntamānaso vāpi prajñānenainam āpnuyāt

But he who has not first turned away from his wickedness, who is not tranquil, and subdued, or whose mind is not at rest, he can never obtain the Self (even) by knowledge.

yasya brahma ca kṣatraṃ ca ubhe bhavata odanaḥ mṛtyur yasyopasecanaṃ ka itthā veda yatra saḥ

Who then knows where He is, He to whom the Brahmans and Kshatriyas are (as it were) but food, and death itself a condiment?"