Philosophy

Whatever comes next is the crux of the kaṭhopaniṣat. This is where Naciketas asked Yama to answer his question. His question surprised Yama. Not willing to answer that, he tried to convince Naciketas to ask something else as vara. He tries to entice him with different gifts. Naciketas doesn’t budge, he adamantly states that if he wants to give a vara he should answer his question. He ties up Yama with his own words and makes him give away the answer. The conversation between them is intriguing.

Note

śraddhèyoḻamirpudu trai-
vidhyaṃ prakṛtijaguṇatrayāgatamadariṃ |
buddhi samaṃtoṃtatsad-
baddhamiral śraddhèyaduve saṃsiddhikaram ||

There are three kinds of śraddhā,
arising from the guṇa-triad born of prakṛti.
When buddhi is completely restrained by
Om, Tat, Sat, śraddhā gives rise to perfection.

Naciketas (from kaṭhopaniṣat)

Therefore, it does not mean that belief in śāstra means that the buddhi is going to stop working. In the sixth chapter, Bhagavān himself has explained how important the buddhi is.

buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam ॥

The nature of the ātmā is beyond the senses and the manas. The Upaniṣat says —

yanmanasā na manute yenāhur-mano matam ॥

Kenopaniṣat

The victory of the Devas (from Kenopaniṣat)

It is not possible for ordinary people to know the path of dharma by their own judgment, without the guidance of Śruti and Smṛti. Their knowledge is limited; the capability of their buddhi is sparse; their nature is fallible, owing to kāma, krodha and lobha; therefore instruction and guidance from ancestors and traditions followed by older and experienced people becomes the basis for performing dharma. They show us the highway of dharma.

Prologue

In the Rāmāyaṇa, after Daśaratha left to the heavenly abode, when Bharata begged Rāma to return to Ayodhyā and become the king, Srirāma says the following -

yathā kāṣṭhaṃ ca kāṣṭhaṃ ca sameyātāṃ mahārṇave ।
sametya ca vyapeyātāṃ kālamāsādya kañcana ॥
evaṃ bhāryāśca putrāśca jñātayaśca dhanāni ca ॥

(2.105.26, 27)

All the above are sāttvika qualities. “Abhijāta” means one who is born after performing puṇya. Such a person is blessed with daivī qualities. Whoever thinks he is born in a good family and acts accordingly — one who has earned the qualification to worship the Divine — he will be blessed with the wealth of these above qualities. It releases the jīva from bondage. All this is divine wealth.
The qualities opposite to the above are āsurī qualities.

Note

manujaṃ daivāsurala-
kṣaṇamiśritanavana jagakè kaṭṭuva saṃpad-
guṇamāsuram adariṃ mo-
canèyāgipa saṃyamādigaḻè daivya-dhanaṃ ॥

Man is an admixture
Of qualities daivī and āsurī
Fetter him to the universe, the latter
Divine qualities like restraint release him from them.

Gaganadi teluva paṃjara
Jagamidu nija-karma-phalavan-adaroḻag-uṇuvā
Khaga jīvaṃ gūḍoḍèdadu
nègèderal dorègum adakanaṃtada saukhyaṃ ॥