Kaṭha Upaniṣad 119

119

tadvijñānāc ca śokātyaya ity api darśayati -- aśarīraḥ svena rūpeṇākāśakalpa ātmā tam aśarīraṃ śarīreṣu devapitṛmanuṣyādiśarīreṣv anavastheṣv avasthitir ahiteṣv anityeṣv avasthitaṃ nityam avikṛtam ity etat / mahāntaṃ mahattvasyopekṣikatvasaṅkāyām āha vibhuṃ vyāpinam ātmānam / ātmagrahaṇaṃ svato 'nanyatvapradarśanārtham / ātmaśabdaḥ pratyagātmaviṣaya eva mukhyas tam īdṛśam ātmānaṃ matvāyam aham iti, dhīro dhīmān na śocati / na hy evaṃvidhasyātmavidaḥ śokopapattiḥ ///1,2.22 //

Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—This text shows that by knowing him, grief also vanishes. ‘Bodiless,’ the atman being like the akas by its own nature; ‘bodies,’ bodies of the gods, the manes, men and the rest. ‘Perishable,’ devoid of firmness, not eternal; ‘firmly seate,’ eternal, i.e., not subject to modifications; ‘great,’ to avoid the doubt that the greatness may be relative, the text adds ‘all-pervading.’ The word ‘atman’ is used to show that it is not distinct from one’s Self. The word atman is primarily used to denote the Pratyagatman, i.e., the atman in the body. Having known the atman of this description, i.e., having realised him in the form ‘I am he,’ the intelligent do not grieve. There is no occasion for such a knower of the atman to grieve.