Kaṭha Upaniṣad 14

14

sa evam uktaḥ putra ekānte paridevayāñ cakāra / katham ity ucyate -- bahūnāṃ śiṣyāṇāṃ putrāṇāṃ vā emi gacchāmi prathamaḥ sanmukhyayā śiṣyādivṛttyety arthaḥ / madhyamānāṃ ca bahūnāṃ madhyamo madhyamayaiva vṛttyaimi / nādhamayā kadācid api / tam evaṃ viśiṣṭaguṇam api putraṃ māṃ "mṛtyave tvā dadāmi" (KaU 1.4) ity uktavān pitā / sa kiṃ svid yamasya kartavyaṃ prayojanaṃ mayā prattena kariṣyati yatkartavyam adya? nūnaṃ prayojanam anapekṣyaiva krodhavaśād uktavān pitā / tathāpi tatpitur vaco mṛṣā mā bhūditi ///1,1.5 //

Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—Thus addressed, the son alone in himself, anxiously reflected; how will be explained; among many, i.e., of disciples or sons, I go the first, i.e., in the matter of doing service as a disciple; of many a middling disciple, I behave like a middling disciple and never as the worst; still, my father has said that he will give me unto Death, though his son is of such good qualities. What is there to be done for Death which can now be done by me thus given? It is plain that my father has spoken under the influence of anger without any end in view; still my father’s words should not be falsified. Thus thinking, and after anxious reflection, he told his father who was full of grief ‘what have I said.’