Clarifying the doubts of Nachiketas, Yama, the God of Death continues his description of
the various attributes of the SOUL that is eternal. One who has fallen into
evil ways and has no concentration can never realize the Self in spite of his
knowledge! There is a beautiful symbolism in the description of the Self and
its associations! Yama describes in detail and compares the Self to the Lord of
the Chariot and the Body to the chariot! Buddhi or intellect is the charioteer,
the driver of the chariot while the Mind is the reins that control. It is quite
appropriate to describe the Soul as the Lord of the Chariot as it is embedded
in the innermost recess of the heart within the body! The driving force of the
body is the intellect or Buddhi while
the Mind is the controlling factor!
“The senses,
they say, are the horses, the objects of the senses their roads.When the Self
is in union with the Body, the senses and the Mind, the wise call Him the
enjoyer”.says Yama. The chariot has to be drawn by the horses which take the
roads they want to traverse! The union of the body,senses and the Mind with
Self makes Him the enjoyer! An unrestrained mind is out of control and is like
the vicious horses for the charioteer. On the other hand a controlled Mind is
restrained and the senses are under control as good horses! While lack of
proper control over the Mind leads to the cycle of birth and death, total
control releases him from the cycle. Like the charioteer who controls the
horses by th reins , one who controls his mind gets salvation.
The God of
Death points out that beyond the senses there are essences and beyond them the
Mind. Understanding comes next and
beyond understanding there is the great Soul. Unmanifest comes next and beyond
that is the Spirit. Beyond that Spirit there is nothing and that is the end of
the road. That is the highest reach. Yama inspires Nachiketas with his
discourse on the Self and counsels him to walk carefully. “Arise, awake, obtain
the best teacher and learn of them. Sharp as the edge of the razor, hard to
cross and difficult, is that path—so the sages say”. Realizing that beyond
sound, touch, form, decay, and without change, beginning, end and everlasting
shall free the person from the jaws of death!
Katha
Upanishd continues to describe the glory and greatness of the Self or Soul.
Speaking of it, it says, “The person of the size of the thumb resides in the
middle of the body. After knowing him as the Lord of the past and future one
fears no more.” He is like a flame
without smoke. Speaking of the all pervading nature of the Self the Upanishad
declares, “He is the swan in the sky, the wind in the firmament, the priest at
the altar, and the guest in the house. He dwells in men; He dwells in gods; he
dwells in the sacrifice; He dwells in space;
He is all that is born in water, all that is born on earth, all that is
born of sacrifice and all that is born
on the mountains---He is the true and the great.”Clarifying the mystery
of Brahman and what happens to the soul after meeting death, Yama tells
Nachiketas, “some enter into a womb for embodiment, others go into stationary
things, according to their deeds and according to their thoughts.”
The one
Self assumes many forms like the fire and air after entering the world. Like
the Sun who is not defiled by the external impurities, the self is not defiled
by the misery of the world. Speaking of the primal and superior position of the
Brahman the Upanishad asserts, “the sun does not shine there, nor the moon and
the stars, nor these lightnings. How then could this fire? When he shines,
everything shines after Him; By His light all this is lighted.” Brahman is
compared to a tree with roots above and branches below .That is called the
pure, the Brahman and the immortal. The effect and power of the Brahman is
clearly enunciated. “ Through fear of Him fire burns, through fear of Him the
sun blazes, through fear of Him Indra, Vayu and also Yama, as the fifth, speed
on their way” we find the echo of these thoughts In the Bhagavadgita and the Taittiriya
Upanishad. Speech, mind and vision can never reach Him. Yama finally points out
that when all the desires that dwell in the heart are cast away man from being
a mortal becomes immortal. He has to cut asunder all ties of the heart.
Thus
instructed by the God of Death, Nachiketas gained knowledge and attained
Brahman! He was free from passion and death.
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