The Upanishads, Part II — SBE Vol. 15 — trans. F. Max Müller (1884)
The translator’s English as printed. The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
me?’ This seems to me consistent with the tenor of the ancient story, while Sankara’s interpretations and interpolations savour too much of the middle ages of India. 1 Sasya, corn rather than grass ; eta, fiov, Benfey ; Welsh haidd, according to Rhys; different from sash-pa, ces-pes, Benfey. 2 Cf. Vasish‘ha XI, 13 ; Sacred Books of the East, vol. xiv, p. 51. 3 Vaivasvata, a name of Yama, the ruler of the departed. Water is the first gift to be offered to a stranger who claims hospitality. * Here again some words are translated differently from Sankara. He explains 4s4 as asking for a wished-for object, pratiksha as looking forward with a view to obtaining an unknown object. Sangata he takes as reward for intercourse with good people; sfinrzta, as usual, as good and kind speech; ish/a as rewards for sacrifices ; pirta as rewards for public benefits. B 2
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therefore choose now three boons. Hail to thee! and welfare to me!’ 10. Nafiketas said: ‘O Death, as the first of the three boons I choose that Gautama, my father, be pacified, kind, and free from anger towards me ; and that he may know me and greet me, when I shall have been dismissed by thee.’ 11. Yama said: ‘Through my favour Auddalaki Aruui, thy father, will know thee, and be again towards thee as he was before. He shall sleep peacefully through the night, and free from anger, after having seen thee freed from the mouth of death.’ 12. Nagiketas said: ‘ In the heaven-world there is no fear; thou art not there, O Death, and no one is afraid on account of old age. Leaving behind both hunger and thirst, and out of the reach of sorrow, all rejoice in the world of heaven.’ 13. ‘Thou knowest, O Death, the fire-sacrifice which leads us to heaven; tell it to me, for I am full of faith. Those who live in the heaven-world reach immortality,—this.I ask as my second boon.’ 14. Yama said: ‘I tell it thee, learn it from me, and when thou understandest that fire-sacrifice which leads to heaven, know, O Nadéiketas, that it is the attainment of the endless worlds, and their firm support, hidden in darkness 2’ 15. Yama then told him that fire-sacrifice, the beginning of all the worlds?, and what bricks are
1 The commentator translates: ‘I tell it thee, attend to me who knows the heavenly fire.’ Here the nom. sing. of the participle would be very irregular, as we can hardly refer it to bravimi. Then, ‘Know this fire as a means of obtaining the heavenly world, know that fire as the rest or support of the world, when it assumes the form of Virag, and as hidden in the heart of men.’ * Sankara: the first embodied, in the shape of Virag.
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required for the altar, and how many, and how they are to be placed. And Nakiketas repeated all as it had been told to him. Then Mrvtyu, being pleased with him, said again : 16. The generous !, being satisfied, said to him: ‘I give thee now another boon; that fire-sacrifice shall be named after thee, take also this manycoloured chain 2. 17. ‘He who has three times performed this N&éiketa rite, and has been united with the three (father, mother, and teacher), and has performed the three duties (study, sacrifice, almsgiving) overcomes birth and death. When he has learnt and understood this fire, which knows (or makes us know) all that is born of Brahman, which is venerable and divine, then he obtains everlasting peace.’ 18. ‘He who knows the three NaAiketa fires, and knowing the three, piles up the Na/iketa sacrifice, he, having first thrown off the chains of death, rejoices in the world of heaven, beyond the reach of grief.’ 19. ‘This, O Nadiketas, is thy fire which leads to heaven, and which thou hast chosen as thy second boon. That fire all men will proclaim *. Choose now, O Nadiketas, thy third boon.’ 20. Nakiketas said: ‘ There is that doubt, when a man is dead,—some saying, he is; others, he is not. This I should like to know, taught by thee; this is the third of my boons.’ 21. Death said: ‘On this point even the gods
1 Verses 16-18 seem a later addition. 2 This arises probably from a misunderstanding of verse os, -3- $ Gatavedas, ‘ Tavaiva is a later addition, caused by the interpolation of verses 15-18.
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me?’ This seems to me consistent with the tenor of the ancient story, while Sankara’s interpretations and interpolations savour too much of the middle ages of India. 1 Sasya, corn rather than grass ; eta, fiov, Benfey ; Welsh haidd, according to Rhys; different from sash-pa, ces-pes, Benfey. 2 Cf. Vasish‘ha XI, 13 ; Sacred Books of the East, vol. xiv, p. 51. 3 Vaivasvata, a name of Yama, the ruler of the departed. Water is the first gift to be offered to a stranger who claims hospitality. * Here again some words are translated differently from Sankara. He explains 4s4 as asking for a wished-for object, pratiksha as looking forward with a view to obtaining an unknown object. Sangata he takes as reward for intercourse with good people; sfinrzta, as usual, as good and kind speech; ish/a as rewards for sacrifices ; pirta as rewards for public benefits. B 2
4 KATHA-UPANISHAD. nnn therefore choose now three boons. Hail to you! and welfare to me!’ 10. Nafiketas said: ‘O Death, as the first of the three boons I choose that Gautama, my father, be pacified, kind, and free from anger towards me ; and that he may know me and greet me, when I shall have been dismissed by you.’ 11. Yama said: ‘Through my favour Auddalaki Aruui, your father, will know you, and be again towards you as he was before. He shall sleep peacefully through the night, and free from anger, after having seen you freed from the mouth of death.’ 12. Nagiketas said: ‘ In the heaven-world there is no fear; you are not there, O Death, and no one is afraid on account of old age. Leaving behind both hunger and thirst, and out of the reach of sorrow, all rejoice in the world of heaven.’ 13. ‘You know, O Death, the fire-sacrifice which leads us to heaven; tell it to me, for I am full of faith. Those who live in the heaven-world reach immortality,—this.I ask as my second boon.’ 14. Yama said: ‘I tell it you, learn it from me, and when you understandest that fire-sacrifice which leads to heaven, know, O Nadéiketas, that it is the attainment of the endless worlds, and their firm support, hidden in darkness 2’ 15. Yama then told him that fire-sacrifice, the beginning of all the worlds?, and what bricks are
1 The commentator translates: ‘I tell it you, attend to me who knows the heavenly fire.’ Here the nom. sing. of the participle would be very irregular, as we can hardly refer it to bravimi. Then, ‘Know this fire as a means of obtaining the heavenly world, know that fire as the rest or support of the world, when it assumes the form of Virag, and as hidden in the heart of men.’ * Sankara: the first embodied, in the shape of Virag.
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required for the altar, and how many, and how they are to be placed. And Nakiketas repeated all as it had been told to him. Then Mrvtyu, being pleased with him, said again : 16. The generous !, being satisfied, said to him: ‘I give you now another boon; that fire-sacrifice shall be named after you, take also this manycoloured chain 2. 17. ‘He who has three times performed this N&éiketa rite, and has been united with the three (father, mother, and teacher), and has performed the three duties (study, sacrifice, almsgiving) overcomes birth and death. When he has learnt and understood this fire, which knows (or makes us know) all that is born of Brahman, which is venerable and divine, then he obtains everlasting peace.’ 18. ‘He who knows the three NaAiketa fires, and knowing the three, piles up the Na/iketa sacrifice, he, having first thrown off the chains of death, rejoices in the world of heaven, beyond the reach of grief.’ 19. ‘This, O Nadiketas, is your fire which leads to heaven, and which you have chosen as your second boon. That fire all men will proclaim *. Choose now, O Nadiketas, your third boon.’ 20. Nakiketas said: ‘ There is that doubt, when a man is dead,—some saying, he is; others, he is not. This I should like to know, taught by you; this is the third of my boons.’ 21. Death said: ‘On this point even the gods
1 Verses 16-18 seem a later addition. 2 This arises probably from a misunderstanding of verse os, -3- $ Gatavedas, ‘ Tavaiva is a later addition, caused by the interpolation of verses 15-18.
6 KATHA-UPANISHAD. ee
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