A Constructive Survey of Upanishadic Philosophy c9.1

c9.1

formulation of such theories is a more concrete problem than the formulation of the theories of Moral Standards, which are by their very nature of the case bound to be abstract. As there is a variety of Metaphysical theories in the Upadishadic literature as we saw in a previous chapter, similarly there is a variety of theories about the nature of the Moral Ideal. To begin with, we have an entirely anti-hedonistic theory advocated by the author of the Kaṭhopanishad. We are told there that " there are two different paths, the path of the good and the path of the pleasant, and that these two diverse paths try to seduce a man each to itself. Of these, he who follows the path of the good is ultimately rewarded by the fulfilment of his aim; while he who follows the path of the pleasant loses the goal which he is pursuing. When the good and the pleasant present themselves before a man, he looks about him if he be wise, and decides which of them to choose. The wise man chooses the good before the pleasant, while the fool chooses the pleasant before the good " (S. 4. a). In these two verses from the Kaṭhopanishad we have a classical expression of the conflict between the good and the pleasant as experienced even in the Upanishadic days. Who will not say that the story of the conflict between the Good and the Pleasant in the Kaṭhopanishad trying to attract a man to themselves reminds one of a similar story of the choice of Hercules in Xenophon, where the two maidens, Pleasure and Virtue, present themselves before Hercules with their several seductions, and Hercules chooses Virtue? As with Hercules, so with Nachiketas. Even though the God of Death tries to seduce Nachiketas by the offer of a life of pleasure and glory, Nachiketas refuses to be imprisoned in the chains which Yama has forged for him (S. 4. b), and therein proves that he is not like the ordinary run of mankind which hugs to its heart the path of plesaure and glory but ultimately disillusioned in its choice. Nachiketas, however, refuses to be seduced by the life of pleasure.