Part I

Canto I

 

om ushan ha vai vajashravasah sarvavedasam dadau |

tasya ha naciketa nama putra asa || 1||

 

tam  ha kumaram  santam dakshinasu

niyamanasu shraddhavivesha so'manyata || 2||

 

pitodaka jagdhatrina dugdhadoha nirindriyah |

ananda nama te lokastan sa gacchati ta dadat || 3||

 

sa hovaca pitaram tata kasmai mam dasyasiti |

dvitiyam tritiyam tam  hovaca mrityave tva dadamiti || 4||

 

bahunamemi prathamo  bahunamemi madhyamah |

kim  svidyamasya kartavyam yanmaya'dya karishyati || 5||

 

anupashya yatha purve pratipashya tatha'pare |

sasyamiva martyah pacyate sasyamivajayate punah || 6||

 

vaishvanarah pravishatyatithirbrahmano grihan |

tasyaitam  shantim kurvanti hara vaivasvatodakam || 7||

 

ashapratikshe sangatam  sunritam

    ceshtapurte putrapashum shca sarvan |

etadvrinkte purushasyalpamedhaso

    yasyanashnanvasati brahmano grihe || 8||

 

tisro ratriryadavatsirgrihe me-

    'nashnan brahmannatithirnamasyah |

namaste'stu brahman svasti me'stu

    tasmatprati trinvaranvrinishva || 9||

 

shantasankalpah sumana yatha syad

    vitamanyurgautamo ma'bhi mrityo |

tvatprasrishta ma'bhivadetpratita

    etat trayanam prathamam varam vrine || 10||

 

yatha purastad bhavita pratita

    auddalakirarunirmatprasrishtah |

sukham  ratrih shayita vitamanyuh

    tvam dadrishivanmrityumukhat pramuktam || 11||

 

svarge loke na bhayam kincanasti

    na tatra tvam na jaraya bibheti |

ubhe tirtva'shanayapipase

    shokatigo modate svargaloke || 12||

 

sa tvamagnim  svargyamadhyeshi mrityo

    prabruhi tvam  shraddadhanaya mahyam |

svargaloka amritatvam bhajanta

    etad dvitiyena vrine varena || 13||

 

pra te bravimi tadu me nibodha

    svargyamagnim naciketah prajanan |

anantalokaptimatho pratishtham

    viddhi tvametam nihitam guhayam || 14||

 

lokadimagnim tamuvaca tasmai

    ya ishtaka yavatirva yatha va |

sa capi tatpratyavadadyathoktam

    athasya mrityuh punarevaha tushtah || 15||

 

tamabravit priyamano mahatma

    varam tavehadya dadami bhuyah |

tavaiva namna bhavita'yamagnih

    srinkam cemamanekarupam grihana || 16||

 

trinaciketastribhiretya sandhim

    trikarmakrittarati janmamrityu |

brahmajajnam devamidyam viditva

    nicayyemam  shantimatyantameti || 17||

 

trinaciketastrayametadviditva

    ya evam vidvam shcinute naciketam |

sa mrityupashan puratah pranodya

    shokatigo modate svargaloke || 18||

 

esha te'gnirnaciketah svargyo

    yamavrinitha dvitiyena varena |

etamagnim tavaiva pravakshyanti janasah

    tritiyam varam naciketo vrinishva || 19||

 

yeyam prete vicikitsa manushye-

    'stityeke nayamastiti caike |

etadvidyamanushishtastvaya'ham

    varanamesha varastritiyah || 20||

 

devairatrapi vicikitsitam pura

    na hi suvijneyamanuresha dharmah |

anyam varam naciketo vrinishva

    ma moparotsirati ma srijainam || 21||

 

devairatrapi vicikitsitam kila

    tvam ca mrityo yanna sujneyamattha |

vakta casya tvadriganyo na labhyo

    nanyo varastulya etasya kashcit || 22||

 

shatayushah putrapautranvrinishva

    bahunpashun hastihiranyamashvan |

bhumermahadayatanam vrinishva

    svayam ca jiva sharado yavadicchasi || 23||

 

etattulyam yadi manyase varam

    vrinishva vittam cirajivikam ca |

mahabhumau naciketastvamedhi

    kamanam tva kamabhajam karomi || 24||

 

ye ye kama durlabha martyaloke

    sarvan kamam shchandatah prarthayasva |

ima ramah sarathah saturya

    na hidrisha lambhaniya manushyaih |

abhirmatprattabhih paricarayasva

    naciketo maranam ma'nuprakshih || 25||

 

shvobhava martyasya yadantakaitat

    sarvendriyanam jarayanti tejah |

api sarvam jivitamalpameva

    tavaiva vahastava nrityagite || 26||

 

na vittena tarpaniyo manushyo

    lapsyamahe vittamadrakshma cettva |

jivishyamo yavadishishyasi tvam

    varastu me varaniyah sa eva || 27||

 

ajiryatamamritanamupetya

    jiryanmartyah kvadhahsthah prajanan |

abhidhyayan varnaratipramodan

    atidirghe jivite ko rameta || 28||

 

yasminnidam vicikitsanti mrityo

    yatsamparaye mahati bruhi nastat |

yo'yam varo gudhamanupravishto

    nanyam tasmannaciketa vrinite || 29||

 

|| iti kathakopanishadi prathamadhyaye prathama valli ||

 

Part I

Canto II

 

anyacchreyo'nyadutaiva preya-

    ste ubhe nanarthe purusham  sinitah |

tayoh shreya adadanasya sadhu

    bhavati hiyate'rthadya u preyo vrinite || 1||

 

shreyashca preyashca manushyametah

    tau samparitya vivinakti dhirah |

shreyo hi dhiro'bhi preyaso vrinite

    preyo mando yogakshemadvrinite || 2||

 

sa tvam priyanpriyarupamshca kaman

    abhidhyayannaciketo'tyasrakshih |

naitam srinkam vittamayimavapto

    yasyam majjanti bahavo manushyah || 3||

 

duramete viparite vishuci

    avidya ya ca vidyeti jnata |

vidyabhipsinam naciketasam manye

    na tva kama bahavo'lolupanta || 4||

 

avidyayamantare vartamanah

    svayam dhirah panditammanyamanah |

dandramyamanah pariyanti mudha

    andhenaiva niyamana yathandhah || 5||

 

na samparayah pratibhati balam

    pramadyantam vittamohena mudham |

ayam loko nasti para iti mani

    punah punarvashamapadyate me || 6||

 

shravanayapi bahubhiryo na labhyah

    shrinvanto'pi bahavo yam na vidyuh |

ashcaryo vakta kushalo'sya labdha

    ashcaryo jnata kushalanushishtah || 7||

 

na narenavarena prokta esha

    suvijneyo bahudha cintyamanah |

ananyaprokte gatiratra nasti

    aniyan hyatarkyamanupramanat || 8||

 

naisha tarkena matirapaneya

    proktanyenaiva sujnanaya preshtha |

yam tvamapah satyadhritirbatasi

    tvadrinno bhuyannaciketah prashta || 9||

 

janamyaham shevadhirityanityam

    na hyadhruvaih prapyate hi dhruvam tat |

tato maya naciketashcito'gnih

    anityairdravyaih praptavanasmi nityam || 10||

 

kamasyaptim jagatah pratishtham

    kratoranantyamabhayasya param |

stomamahadurugayam pratishtham drishtva

    dhritya dhiro naciketo'tyasrakshih || 11||

 

tam durdarsham gudhamanupravishtam

    guhahitam gahvareshtham puranam |

adhyatmayogadhigamena devam

    matva dhiro harshashokau jahati || 12||

 

etacchrutva samparigrihya martyah

    pravrihya dharmyamanumetamapya |

sa modate modaniyam  hi labdhva

    vivritam  sadma naciketasam manye || 13||

 

anyatra dharmadanyatradharma-

    danyatrasmatkritakritat |

anyatra bhutacca bhavyaccya

    yattatpashyasi tadvada || 14||

 

sarve veda yatpadamamananti

    tapam si sarvani ca yadvadanti |

yadicchanto brahmacaryam caranti

    tatte padam  sangrahena bravimyomityetat || 15||

 

etaddhyevaksharam brahma etaddhyevaksharam param |

etaddhyevaksharam jnatva yo yadicchati tasya tat || 16||

 

etadalambanam  shreshthametadalambanam param |

etadalambanam jnatva brahmaloke mahiyate || 17||

 

na jayate mriyate va vipashcin

    nayam kutashcinna babhuva kashcit |

ajo nityah shashvato'yam purano

    na hanyate hanyamane sharire || 18||

 

hanta cenmanyate hantum  hatashcenmanyate hatam |

ubhau tau na vijanito nayam  hanti na hanyate || 19||

 

anoraniyanmahato mahiya-

    natma'sya jantornihito guhayam |

tamakratuh pashyati vitashoko

    dhatuprasadanmahimanamatmanah || 20||

 

asino duram vrajati shayano yati sarvatah |

kastam madamadam devam madanyo jnatumarhati || 21||

 

ashariram  sharireshvanavastheshvavasthitam |

mahantam vibhumatmanam matva dhiro na shocati || 22||

 

nayamatma pravacanena labhyo

    na medhaya na bahuna shrutena |

yamevaisha vrinute tena labhyah

    tasyaisha atma vivrinute tanum  svam || 23||

 

navirato dushcaritannashanto nasamahitah |

nashantamanaso va'pi prajnanenainamapnuyat || 24||

 

yasya brahma ca kshatram ca ubhe bhavata odanah |

mrityuryasyopasecanam ka ittha veda yatra sah || 25||

 

  iti kathakopanishadi prathamadhyaye dvitiya valli ||

 

Part I

Canto III

 

ritam pibantau sukritasya loke

    guham pravishtau parame parardhe |

chayatapau brahmavido vadanti

    pancagnayo ye ca trinaciketah || 1||

 

yah seturijananamaksharam brahma yat param |

abhayam titirshatam param naciketam  shakemahi || 2||

 

atmanam  rathitam viddhi shariram  rathameva tu |

buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manah pragrahameva ca || 3||

 

indriyani hayanahurvishayam  steshu gocaran |

atmendriyamanoyuktam bhoktetyahurmanishinah || 4||

 

yastvavijnanavanbhavatyayuktena manasa sada |

tasyendriyanyavashyani dushtashva iva saratheh || 5||

 

yastu vijnanavanbhavati yuktena manasa sada |

tasyendriyani vashyani sadashva iva saratheh || 6||

 

yastvavijnanavanbhavatyamanaskah sada'shucih |

na sa tatpadamapnoti samsaram cadhigacchati || 7||

 

yastu vijnanavanbhavati samanaskah sada shucih |

sa tu tatpadamapnoti yasmadbhuyo na jayate || 8||

 

vijnanasarathiryastu manah pragrahavannarah |

so'dhvanah paramapnoti tadvishnoh paramam padam || 9||

 

indriyebhyah para hyartha arthebhyashca param manah |

manasastu para buddhirbuddheratma mahanparah || 10||

 

mahatah paramavyaktamavyaktatpurushah parah |

purushanna param kincitsa kashtha sa para gatih || 11||

 

esha sarveshu bhuteshu gudho''tma na prakashate |

drishyate tvagryaya buddhya sukshmaya sukshmadarshibhih || 12||

 

yacchedvanmanasi prajnastadyacchejjnana atmani |

jnanamatmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchanta atmani || 13||

 

uttishthata jagrata

    prapya varannibodhata |

kshurasya dhara nishita duratyaya

    durgam pathastatkavayo vadanti || 14||

 

ashabdamasparshamarupamavyayam

    tatha'rasam nityamagandhavacca yat |

anadyanantam mahatah param dhruvam

    nicayya tanmrityumukhat pramucyate || 15||

 

naciketamupakhyanam mrityuproktam  sanatanam |

uktva shrutva ca medhavi brahmaloke mahiyate || 16||

 

ya imam paramam guhyam shravayed brahmasamsadi |

prayatah shraddhakale va tadanantyaya kalpate |

tadanantyaya kalpata iti || 17||

 

  iti kathakopanishadi prathamadhyaye tritiya valli ||