1764 verses · verified Sanskrit text · IAST · English translation
na sāmparāyḥ pratibhāti bālṃ pramādyantṃ vittamohena mūḍham | ayṃ loko nāsti para iti mānī punḥ punarvaśamāpadyate me ||
“'The hereafter shines not for the heedless child, deluded by wealth's dazzle, deeming this world all, no other; again and again he falls into my power.'”
śravaṇāyāpi bahubhiryo na labhyḥ śr̥ṇvanto'pi bahavo yṃ na vidyuḥ | āścaryo vaktā kuśalo'sya labdhā āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭḥ ||
“'Not by many is he heard of, and hearing, many know him not; wondrous the speaker, skilful the obtainer, wondrous the knower taught by the skilled.'”
na nareṇāvareṇa prokta eṣa suvijñeyo bahudhā cintyamānḥ | ananyaprokte gatiratra nāsti aṇīyān hyatarkyamaṇupramāṇāt ||
“'Told by an inferior man, he is not easily known, however pondered; without a peerless teacher there is no path, for he is subtler than atoms, beyond reason.'”
naiṣā tarkeṇa matirāpaneyā proktānyenaiva sujñānāya preṣṭha | yāṃ tvamāpḥ satyadhr̥tirbatāsi tvādr̥ṅno bhūyānnaciketḥ praṣṭā ||
“'This thought is not won by reasoning — taught by another alone for true knowing, dearest. Thou hast won it, firm in truth; may we find, Naciketas, such a questioner as thou.'”
jānāmyahṃ śevadhirityanityṃ na hyadhruvaiḥ prāpyate hi dhruvṃ tat | tato mayā nāciketaścito'gniḥ anityairdravyaiḥ prāptavānasmi nityam ||
“'I know treasure is passing; the lasting is not won by the fleeting. Hence I built the Nāciketa fire, and by passing means have won the lasting.'”
kāmasyāptiṃ jagatḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ kratorānantyamabhayasya pāram | stomamahadurugāyṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dr̥ṣṭvā dhr̥tyā dhīro naciketo'tyasrākṣīḥ ||
“'Beholding fulfilment of desire, the world's ground, rite's infinity, fearlessness' shore, the great wide chant and ground — thou, steadfast Naciketas, hast wisely renounced.'”
tṃ durdarśṃ gūḍhamanupraviṣṭṃ guhāhitṃ gahvareṣṭhṃ purāṇam | adhyātmayogādhigamena devṃ matvā dhīro harṣaśokau jahāti ||
“'Beholding the god, hard to see, entered into hiding, set in the cave, dwelling in the deep, the ancient — the wise leaves joy and sorrow through union with the Self.'”
etacchrutvā samparigr̥hya martyḥ pravr̥hya dharmyamaṇumetamāpya | sa modate modanīym̐ hi labdhvā vivr̥tm̐ sadma naciketasṃ manye ||
“'Hearing this, grasping it, a mortal, parting the subtle law and winning it, rejoices, having won the joyful; the house stands open, I deem, for Naciketas.'”
anyatra dharmādanyatrādharmādanyatrāsmātkr̥tākr̥tāt | anyatra bhūtācca bhavyācca yattatpaśyasi tadvada ||
“'Apart from duty, apart from non-duty, apart from made and unmade, apart from past and future — what thou seest as that, tell that.'”
sarve vedā yatpadamāmananti tapām̐si sarvāṇi ca yadvadanti | yadicchanto brahmacaryṃ caranti tatte padm̐ sṃgraheṇa bravīmyomityetat ||
“'The goal all Vedas proclaim, all austerities utter, seeking which men live chastely — that goal I tell thee in brief: it is Om.'”
etaddhyevākṣarṃ brahma etaddhyevākṣarṃ param | etaddhyevākṣarṃ jñātvā yo yadicchati tasya tat ||
“'For this syllable is Brahman, this syllable the supreme; knowing this syllable, whatever one wishes is his.'”
etadālambanm̐ śreṣṭhametadālambanṃ param | etadālambanṃ jñātvā brahmaloke mahīyate ||
“'This support is best, this support supreme; knowing this support, one is honoured in Brahma-world.'”
na jāyate mriyate vā vipaścinnāyṃ kutaścinna babhūva kaścit | ajo nityḥ śāśvato'yṃ purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ||
“'The wise is born not nor dies, sprang not from aught nor became aught; unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient — slain not when the body is slain.'”
hantā cenmanyate hantum̐ hataścenmanyate hatam | ubhau tau na vijānīto nāym̐ hanti na hanyate ||
“'If the slayer deems he slays, if the slain deems he is slain — both know not; it slays not, nor is slain.'”
aṇoraṇīyānmahato mahīyānātmā'sya jantornihito guhāyām | tamakratuḥ paśyati vītaśoko dhātuprasādānmahimānamātmanḥ ||
“'Subtler than atoms, greater than great, this Self dwells hidden in creatures' cave. Desireless, sorrowless, one beholds the Self's greatness by the senses' calm.'”
āsīno dūrṃ vrajati śayāno yāti sarvatḥ | kastṃ madāmadṃ devṃ madanyo jñātumarhati ||
“'Sitting, it travels far; lying, it goes everywhere. Who but I can know this restless, joyful god?'”
aśarīrm̐ śarīreṣvanavastheṣvavasthitam | mahāntṃ vibhumātmānṃ matvā dhīro na śocati ||
“'Knowing the bodiless among bodies, the settled among fleeting, the great all-pervading Self — the wise grieves not.'”
nāyamātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena | yamevaiṣa vr̥ṇute tena labhyḥ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivr̥ṇute tanūm̐ svām ||
“'This Self is won not by teaching, intellect, or much hearing; whom alone it chooses, by him it is won — to him this Self reveals its own form.'”
nāvirato duścaritānnāśānto nāsamāhitḥ | nāśāntamānaso vā'pi prajñānenainamāpnuyāt ||
“'Not who abstains not from evil, nor the uncalm, unconcentrated, nor the unquiet-minded, can win it by wisdom.'”
yasya brahma ca kṣatrṃ ca ubhe bhavata odanḥ | mr̥tyuryasyopasecanṃ ka itthā veda yatra sḥ ||
“'For whom priesthood and rule are both as food, for whom death is the sauce — who thus knows where it is?'”
r̥tṃ pibantau sukr̥tasya loke guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe | chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ ||
“'The two who drink truth in the world of good deeds, entered into the cave in the highest supreme — shade and light, say the Brahman-knowers, the five fires and the thrice-Nāciketas.'”
yḥ seturījānānāmakṣarṃ brahma yat param | abhayṃ titīrṣatāṃ pārṃ nāciketm̐] śakemahi ||
“'The bridge of sacrificers, the imperishable supreme Brahman, fearlessness for crossers to the far shore — may we master the Nāciketa lore.'”
ātmānm̐ rathinṃ viddhi śarīrm̐ rathameva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manḥ pragrahameva ca ||
“'Know the Self as the rider, the body as the car, intellect as charioteer, mind as reins.'”
indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu gocarān | ātmendriyamanoyuktṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇḥ ||
“'They call senses the horses, their objects the roads; the Self joined to senses and mind the enjoyer, say the wise.'”
yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ ||
“'Who lacks understanding, with ever-unyoked mind — his senses run wild, like a charioteer's vicious horses.'”
yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ ||
“'But who has understanding, with ever-yoked mind — his senses stay tame, like a charioteer's good horses.'”
yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskḥ sadā'śuciḥ | na sa tatpadamāpnoti sṃsārṃ cādhigacchati ||
“'Who lacks understanding, mindless, ever impure, wins not that goal but returns to the round of birth.'”
yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskḥ sadā śuciḥ | sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate ||
“'But who has understanding, mindful, ever pure, wins that goal whence one is born no more.'”
vijñānasārathiryastu manḥ pragrahavānnarḥ | so'dhvanḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramṃ padam ||
“'The man whose charioteer is understanding, holding the mind's reins, reaches the journey's end — Viṣṇu's highest step.'”
indriyebhyḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca parṃ manḥ | manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparḥ ||
“'Beyond senses are their objects, beyond objects mind, beyond mind intellect, beyond intellect the great Self.'”
mahatḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣḥ parḥ | puruṣānna parṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā] sā parā gatiḥ ||
“'Beyond the great is the Unmanifest, beyond the Unmanifest the Person; beyond the Person is naught — that is the end, the highest course.'”
eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho''tmā na prakāśate | dr̥śyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā sūkṣmadarśibhiḥ ||
“'This Self, hidden in all beings, shines not forth; yet by keen subtle intellect the seers behold it.'”
yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna ātmani | jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani ||
“'The wise should merge speech into mind, mind into knowing self, knowing into the great Self, that into the tranquil Self.'”
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata | kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti ||
“'Rise, awake, learning, attend to the excellent ones; keen as a razor's edge, hard to cross is the path, say the seers.'”
aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayṃ tathā'rasṃ nityamagandhavacca yat | anādyanantṃ mahatḥ parṃ dhruvṃ nicāyya tanmr̥tyumukhāt pramucyate ||
“'Soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying, tasteless, eternal, scentless, beginningless, endless, beyond the great, steadfast — discerning that, one is freed from death's jaws.'”
nāciketamupākhyānṃ mr̥tyuproktm̐ sanātanam | uktvā śrutvā ca medhāvī brahmaloke mahīyate ||
“'The wise who tells and hears this ancient Nāciketa tale, by Death proclaimed, is honoured in Brahma-world.'”
ya imṃ paramṃ guhyṃ śrāvayed brahmasṃsadi | prayatḥ śrāddhakāle vā tadānantyāya kalpate | tadānantyāya kalpata iti ||
“'Who recites this supreme secret before Brahmins, or at rites for the fathers with devotion — it avails to endless fruit.'”
parāñci khāni vyatr̥ṇat svayambhūstasmātparāṅpaśyati nāntarātman | kaściddhīrḥ pratyagātmānamaikṣadāvr̥ttacakṣuramr̥tatvamicchan ||
“'The Self-born pierced the senses outward; hence one looks outward, not at the inner Self. Some wise one, seeking immortality, turned sight inward and beheld the inner Self.'”
parācḥ kāmānanuyanti bālāste mr̥tyoryanti vitatasya pāśam | atha dhīrā amr̥tatvṃ viditvā dhruvamadhruveṣviha na prārthayante ||
“'Children chase outward desires and fall into Death's spread snare; the wise, knowing the sure immortal, seek nothing fleeting here.'”
yena rūpṃ rasṃ gandhṃ śabdān sparśām̐śca maithunān | etenaiva vijānāti kimatra pariśiṣyate | etadvai tat ||
“'That by which one knows form, taste, smell, sounds, touches and unions — what remains here unknown? This indeed is that.'”
svapnāntṃ jāgaritāntṃ cobhau yenānupaśyati | mahāntṃ vibhumātmānṃ matvā dhīro na śocati ||
“'That by which one beholds both dream and waking — knowing that great all-pervading Self, the wise grieves not.'”
ya imṃ madhvadṃ veda ātmānṃ jīvamantikāt | īśānṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat ||
“'Who knows the honey-eater, the living Self, near at hand, lord of past and future — thence one shrinks not. This indeed is that.'”
yḥ pūrvṃ tapaso jātamadbhyḥ pūrvamajāyata | guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantṃ yo bhūtebhirvyapaśyata | etadvai tat ||
“'Who was born before fervour from the waters, who, entering the cave, abides, seen through beings — this indeed is that.'”
yā prāṇena sṃbhavatyaditirdevatāmayī | guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantīṃ yā bhūtebhirvyajāyata | etadvai tat ||
“'Aditi, goddess-born, who arises with breath, who, entering the cave, abides, born through beings — this indeed is that.'”
araṇyornihito jātavedā garbha iva subhr̥to garbhiṇībhiḥ | dive dive īḍyo jāgr̥vadbhirhaviṣmadbhirmanuṣyebhiragniḥ | etadvai tat ||
“'Jātavedas hidden in the fire-sticks, like a child well kept by mothers, daily to be praised by wakeful men bearing offerings — this indeed is that.'”
yataścodeti sūryo'stṃ yatra ca gacchati | tṃ devāḥ sarve'rpitāstadu nātyeti kaścana | etadvai tat ||
“'Whence the sun rises and where it sets — on him all gods are fixed; none passes beyond him. This indeed is that.'”
yadeveha tadamutra yadamutra tadanviha | mr̥tyoḥ sa mr̥tyumāpnoti ya iha nāneva paśyati ||
“'What is here is there; what is there is here. Who sees as though manifold here goes from death to death.'”
manasaivedamāptavyṃ neha nānā'sti kiṃcana | mr̥tyoḥ sa mr̥tyuṃ gacchati ya iha nāneva paśyati ||
“'By mind alone is this to be won — here there is no manifold at all. Who sees as though manifold here goes from death to death.'”
aṅguṣṭhamātrḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati | īśānṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate | etadvai tat ||
“'The thumb-sized Person stands in the body's midst, lord of past and future — thence one shrinks not. This indeed is that.'”
aṅguṣṭhamātrḥ puruṣo jyotirivādhūmakḥ | īśāno bhūtabhavyasya sa evādya sa u śvḥ | etadvai tat ||
“'The thumb-sized Person, smokeless light, lord of past and future — he is today, he tomorrow. This indeed is that.'”