Katha Upanishad 2.1.14 & 2.1.15
(The Water Metaphor)
Verse - 2.1.14:
यथोदकं दुर्गे वृष्टं पर्वतेषु विधावति।
एवं धर्मान् पृथक् पश्यंस्तानेवानुविधावति ॥ १४ ॥
"Just as water, when it falls on a rugged terrain, runs down the slopes of mountains in different directions, so too does one who perceives the various duties (dharmas) separately continue to follow them as distinct."
This verse employs a metaphor to explain the scattered nature of perception in individuals who see dharma (righteous duties or principles) as fragmented and separate rather than unified. Just as rainwater, upon falling, does not remain still but rushes down the mountains in many streams, a person with a divided vision of dharma
follows different duties as if they are distinct and unrelated. The implication is that such a fragmented approach leads to a lack of deeper realization and wisdom. The verse encourages the seeker to look beyond the apparent divisions and recognize the underlying unity of all dharmas, leading to a more integrated and holistic spiritual understanding.
Verse - 2.1.15:
यथोदकं शुद्धे शुद्धमासिक्तं तादृगेव भवति।
एवं मुनेर्विजानत आत्मा भवति गौतम ॥ १५ ॥
"Just as pure water poured into pure water becomes one and the same, so too does the Self of the wise sage, O Gautama, become one with the Supreme."
This verse continues the metaphor of water but shifts its focus from fragmentation to unity. When pure water is poured into another body of pure water, it merges completely, losing any separate identity. Similarly, a sage (muni) who has attained True Knowledge Realizes the non-duality of the individual self (ātman) and the Supreme Reality (Brahm). Unlike those who see dharmas as separate (as described in the previous verse), the enlightened one recognizes the unity underlying all existence. This verse reinforces the Advaitic idea that Ultimate Realization lies in dissolving all sense of separateness, leading to Oneness with the Infinite Consciousness.
Contextual Comparison with Similar Verses from Vedic Texts
Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.8:
यथा नद्यः स्यन्दमानाः समुद्रेऽस्तं गच्छन्ति नामरूपे विहाय।
तथा विद्वान्नामरूपाद्विमुक्तः परात्परं पुरुषमुपैति दिव्यम् ॥
"Just as rivers, flowing towards the ocean, merge into it, leaving behind their names and forms, so too does the wise one, freed from name and form, attain the Supreme Divine Person."
This verse from the Mundaka Upanishad expands on the idea in Katha Upanishad 2.1.15 by using the metaphor of rivers merging into the ocean. While the Katha Upanishad compares the merging of individual Self and Supreme Self to pure water mixing with pure water, this verse uses the dissolution of rivers into the vast ocean, emphasizing that enlightenment is a complete transcendence of name and form, similar to how the identity of individual rivers is lost in the ocean.
Bhagavad Gita 2.70:
आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं
समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत्।
तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे
स शान्तिमाप्नोति न कामकामी ॥
"Just as the ocean, ever full and unmoving, remains undisturbed even as countless rivers flow into it,
so too does one who is unattached to desires attain peace, unlike the one who is still driven by desires."
This verse parallels Katha Upanishad 2.1.14, which describes the scattered nature of an individual who perceives dharma in fragments. Here, the Bhagavad Gita contrasts a stable and enlightened mind (like an unmoving ocean) with a mind swayed by numerous desires (akin to scattered rivers). The key idea is that inner stillness comes from perceiving unity rather than being scattered by external forces.
Yoga Vashishta (Nirvana Prakarana 6.2.103):
यथाम्बु समुद्रे पतितं न याति
व्यतिक्रमान्यत्र पुनर्विवेके।
तथैव सञ्ज्ञानमुपैति तत्तत्त्वं
न जातु तस्माद्व्यथते पुनः सः ॥
"Just as water that has merged into the ocean does not return as separate streams, so too does one who has Realized the Truth never fall back into ignorance."
This verse closely mirrors the message in Katha Upanishad 2.1.15, where pure water merging into pure water symbolizes enlightenment. Here, the Yoga Vashishta uses the example of water merging into the ocean to highlight the irreversible nature of true knowledge. Once a sage Realizes the Highest Truth, they do not revert to ignorance, reinforcing the Upanishadic ideal of moksha (liberation).
The Katha Upanishad 2.1.14 and 2.1.15 use water metaphors to contrast the fragmented perception of an unenlightened person with the unity experienced by a Realized sage. These themes find resonance in various Vedic texts, including the Mundaka Upanishad, Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vashishta, all of which emphasize the transition from division to Unity, from ignorance to enlightenment.
End of Chapter 2.1
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