Katha Upanishad with Shankara’s Commentary
by S. Sitarama Sastri | 1928 | 23,822 words
The Katha Upanishad is a collection of philosophical poems representing a conversation between the sage Naciketas and Yama (god of death). They discuss the nature of Atman, Brahman and Moksha (liberation). The book is made up of six sections (Valli). This commentary by Shankara focuses on ‘Advaita Vedanta’, or non-dualism: one of the classical ort...
Verse 1.1.19
एष तेऽग्निर्नचिकेतः स्वर्ग्यो यमवृणीथा द्वितीयेन वरेण ।
एतमग्निं तवैव प्रवक्श्यन्ति जनासस्तृतीयं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व ॥ १९ ॥eṣa te'gnirnaciketaḥ svargyo yamavṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa ।
etamagniṃ tavaiva pravakśyanti janāsastṛtīyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva ॥ 19 ॥19. This is thy fire, Oh Nachiketas, which leads to heaven and which you craved for, by the second boon; people will call this fire thine alone; Oh Nachiketas, demand the third boon.
Shankara’s Commentary:
Com.—Oh Nachiketas, this is the fire leading to heaven that you craved for, by the second boon; and the expression ‘the boon has been granted’ should be supplied by way of concluding what has been said again, people will call this fire by thy name; this is the fourth boon which I granted being delighted with thee; Oh Nachiketas, demand the third boon. The meaning is that Death considered himself a debtor if that were not granted..