Kaṭha Upaniṣad 239

239

yad vijñānād amṛtā bhavantīty ucyate, jagato mūlaṃ tad eva nāsti brahmāsata evedaṃ niḥsṛtam iti tan na / yad idaṃ kiñ ca yat kiṃ cedaṃ jagatsarvaṃ prāṇe / parasmin brahmaṇi satyejati kampate, tata eva niḥsṛtaṃ nirgataṃ satpracalati niyamena ceṣṭate / yad evaṃ jagadutpattyādikāraṇaṃ brahma tanmahadbhayam / mahac ca tad bhayaṃ ca bibhety asmād iti mahadbhayam / vajram udyatam udyatām iva vajram / yathā vajrodyatakaraṃ svāminam abhimukhībhūtaṃ dṛṣṭvā bhṛtyā niyamena tac chāsane vartante, tathedaṃ candrādityagrahanakṣatratārakādilakṣaṇaṃ jagatseśvaraṃ niyamena kṣaṇam apy aviśrāntaṃ vartata ity uktaṃ bhavati / ya etad viduḥ svātmapravṛttisākṣibhūtam ekaṃ brahmāmṛtā amaraṇadharmāṇāste bhavanti ///2,3.2 //

Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—If it be said that Brahman, the source of the world, by knowledge of which men are said to become immortal, does not exist and that all this has come out of nothing, it is not sound; all this universe, the highest Brahman existing, moves; and having come out of that alone, acts regularly. This Brahman, the cause of the origin, etc., of the universe is mahatbhaya, i. e., great and terrible. It is like the thunderbolt uplifted; as, at the sight of the master with the thunderbolt raised in his hand, the servants regularly keep his commands, so this world, with its lords and with the sun, moon, planets, constellation and stars, etc., regularly and without a moment's respite obeys the law. This is the drift. Those who know this, this highest Brahman, the witness of all the modifications of one’s mind, become immortal.