Kaṭha Upaniṣad 4

4

oṃ namo bhagavate vaivasvatāya mṛtyave brahmavidyācāryāya naciketase ca /
atha kāṭhakopaniṣadvallīnāṃ sukhārthaprabodhanārtham alpagranthā vṛttir ārabhyate / sader dhātor viśaraṇagatyavasād anārthasyopanipūrvasya kvippratyayāntasya rūpam idam upaniṣad iti / upaniṣacchabdena ca vyācikhyāsitagranthapratipādyavedyavastuviṣayā vidyocyate / kena punar arthayogenopaniṣacchabdena vidyocyata ity ucyate / ye mumukṣavo dṛṣṭānuśravikaviṣayavitṛṣṇāḥ santa upaniṣacchabdavācyāṃ vakṣyamāṇalakṣaṇāṃ vidyām upasadyopagamya tanniṣṭhatayā niścayena śīlayanti teṣām avidyādeḥ saṃsārabijasya viśaraṇād dhiṃsanād vināśanād ity anenārthayogena vidyopaniṣad ity ucyate / tathā ca vakṣyati "nicāyya taṃ mṛtyumukhāt pramucyate" (KaU 3.15) iti / pūrvoktaviśeṣaṇān vā mumukṣūn paraṃ brahma gamayatīti brahmagamayitṛtvena yogād brahmavidyopaniṣat / tathā ca vakṣyati "brahmaprāpto virajo 'bhūd vimṛtyuḥ" (KaU 3.18) iti / lokādir brahmajajño yo 'gnis tadviṣayāyā vidyāyā dvitīyena vareṇa prārthyamānāyāḥ svargalokaphalaprāptihetutvena garbhavāsajanmajarādyupadravavṛndasya lokāntare paunaḥpunyena pravṛttasyāvasādayitṛtvena śaithilyāpādanena dhātvarthayogād agnividyāpy upaniṣad ity ucyate / tathā ca vakṣyati "svargalokā amṛtatvaṃ bhajante" (KaU 1.13) ity ādi / nanu copaniṣacchabdenādhyetāro grantham apy abhilapanti / upaniṣadam adhīmaha upaniṣadam adhyāpayāma iti ca / naiṣa doṣaḥ, avidyādisaṃsārahetuviśaraṇādeḥ sadi dhātvarthasya granthamātre 'sambhavād vidyāyāṃ ca sambhavāt / granthasyāpi tādarthyena tacchabdatvopapatter āyur vai dhṛtam ity ādivat / tasmād vidyāyāṃ mukhyayā vṛttyopaniṣacchabdo vartate, granthe tu bhaktyeti / evam upaniṣannirvacanenaiva viśiṣṭo 'dhikārī vidyāyām uktaḥ / viṣayaś ca viśiṣṭa ukto vidyāyāḥ paraṃ brahma pratyagātmabhūtam / prayojanaṃ cāsyā upaniṣada ātyantikī saṃsāranivṛttir brahmaprāptilakṣaṇā / sambandhaś caivaṃ bhūtaprayojanenoktaḥ / ato yathoktādhikāriviṣayaprayojanasambandhāyā vidyāyāḥ karatalanyastāmalakavat prakāśakatvena viśiṣṭādhikāriviṣayaprayojanasambandhā etā vallyo bhavantīti / atas tā yathāpratibhānaṃ vyācakṣmahe /

*** those who are fully competent to acquire knowledge have been stated. The whole subject matter of knowledge has also been stated to be the highest Brahman, the internal atman of all. The fruit of this knowledge has also been stated to be the thorough release from the bondage of samsara consisting in the attainment of the Brahman. The connection has also been stated by the enunciation of this result. Therefore these chapters, by making as clear as the apple in the hand, the knowledge (persons competent to acquire which, the subject matter of which, the results achieved by which, and the connection with which have been explained) also indicate the persons entitled to study them, their subject matter, their results and their connection. We shall, therefore, proceed to comment upon them to the best of our understanding. Here the anecdote is for the purpose of eulogising knowledge.