Its importance can very well be gauged from the fact that many of its mantras are reproduced in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Kaṭhopaniṣad is perhaps the clearest of all the 10 Classical Upaniṣads.
Upaniṣad means Brahmavidyā, that is, the Knowledge of Brahman.
Kaṭhopaniṣad explains Brahmavidyā most clearly, most vividly, &
repeats the Essentials without making the subject Complicated.
It goes on adding colour after colour in its description of the pure Ᾱtman,
which is Brahman, the only Reality. The root cause of all the miseries & calamities of this World is अविद्या~Avidyā or Ignorance.
By instinct or by intellect a man thinks that He is The Body.
This is अविद्या ~ Ignorance.
‘Body’ cannot be the meaning of ‘I’.
I am Ᾱtman ;
ever shining,
everlasting,
eternal,
Pure Consciousness.
To understand Ᾱtman in such a way by Intellectual thinking & Discrimination, and
to experience it by Clear Perception & Realisation,
is called Knowledge.
This Self-knowledge – this Ᾱtmavidyā – was demanded by Naciketā, and
Yamarāja ~ यम: explained it in a simple style, adopting different methods.
This constitutes the whole text.
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The Primary dilemma for most of the Western educated Hindu youth both in India & abroad is that they have little authentic information about their own Hindu Intellectual & Spiritual Heritage.
They do not realise that there are really two distinct & conflicting Hinduisms today :
~ Traditionalist Hindu &
~ Neo-Hindu.
The traditionalists, who are the guardians of authentic Sanātana Dhārma, have not yet completely found a way of communicating this unadulterated Hindu
Dharma, which is the Sanātana Dhārma in a way in which the modern mind can appreciate it or to say more specifically ; the Hindu youth to defend or fight Intellectually against the Anti-Hindu rhetoric or Hindu bashing that has become order of the day.
Until they do so Hinduism
II Sri Adi Śaṅkarācārya - श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य II
Sōpānaṁ : 22 Đ Secret of Rebirth :
At Dusk,Acharya & the Brāhmaṇa began their Conversation.
The Topic of the dialogue changed gradually from Bhiksha, the weather & Pre-Sanyasa days, to
Dharma,
Karma &
Upasana ;
&
Then it took off to the
Gītā,
Upanishads,
The Panchagni-Vidya, and finally reached the first sutra in the 1st Pada of the 3rd chapter of The Brahma Sūtras :
“That which is night to all creatures, there, the enlightened is awake”, throughout the night, waves of divine presence arose inside the cave, surpassing the flow of Bhagirathi outside.
the science of self-realization from such a teacher is even rarer.
If, by great good fortune,
such an opportunity presents itself, students who can comprehend this topic are the rarest.”
Hence,
an Enlightened Teacher is never discouraged when, despite sincere efforts,
the majority of the people are either not interested in, or cannot understand the Science of the Ātman.
II Sri Adi Śaṅkarācārya - श्री आदि शङ्कराचार्य II
Sōpānaṁ : 21 Towards Kedār :
The Bhāshyam contains the exposition of the meaning of mantras, assertion of one’s own opinions, & refutation of objections.
The Acharya’s commentaries are Simple, Delightful & Profound.
Among all the Bhāshyas, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Bhāshya is the most insightful & the most Profound.
Bhagvadpāda composed the Bhāshyas & instructed them to the disciples three times.
Keeping the essence of these Bhāshyas in his heart, the ‘prakarana granthas’ that were written later,
were intended only for the best among seekers.
Texts like ;
vivekacūḍāmaṇi,
Upadeśa Sāhasrī,
Sarva Vedānta Siddhānta Sāra Saṅgraham,
Aparokṣānubhūti
were composed for the discriminating seekers who had no interest in debates & arguments, but were interested only in Sādhana &