What are Upnishads?

The Upanishads are Hindu scriptures that discuss the

nature of God, reality, and the individual soul. The word Upanishad literally
means sitting down beside, referring to the practice of disciples sitting on the
ground while the guru (teacher) imparts his teaching.

Many learned persons attach a sense of deep mysticism and complexity while
explaining the concepts of Upnishads which is not correct. It should be simplified
so that layman can understand and take advantage of their wisdom. Hinduism is
called as the most liberal religion of the world as it allows spirit of free inquiry
and freedom to practice as per ones own conviction. In the Upanishads, we
have a scripture which, among all Holy Scriptures of the world, displays the most
scientific spirit in connection with spiritual enquiry. The sages whose thoughts
and teachings we read in the Upanishads, seem to be as much inspired by
constructive doubt as the most modern men of science. Their questions and
answers indicate that they lived in an age when, alongside of conformism and
rigid maintenance of old practices men thirsted for Truth and the atmosphere
was

charged

with

the

boldest

free

thought: Satyamevajayate

nanrtam

satyenapantha vitato devayanah. (Truth always wins and following path of Truth
one attains the ultimate state of Truth.)

The religious bigotry, conservatism and conformism that prevails in our society
midst today, in spite of so much development in science and free liberal
thought, does not confuse us. We are familiar with it and we find no difficulty in
appraising and evaluating them in their true measure, both the conflicting
elements,

orthodox

practice

as

well

as

prevailing

skepticism.

But

the

conformism of some thousands of years ago and ritualism and orthodoxy in all
religions is a very different thing. We understand it much less, if at all, and it,
therefore, blurs the picture. We may fail for this reason rightly to appreciate the
spirit of enquiry which dominated the mind and lives of the sages whose
teachings are recorded in the Upanishads, and which is reflected in every line of
this scripture of India.

If we learn to make due allowance for the time-interval, and have enlightenment
and elasticity of mind enough to be able to use and profit by a holy book with
invaluable hoary associations, without having to get the text actually
expurgated and revised in order to exclude the irrelevancies and the mere
background of a bygone age, we could not have a better book for the modern
times than the Upanishads.

Among Upnishads, there is one Upnishad called as Katha Upnishad. The Katha
Upanishad compares the individual body to a chariot driven by senses instead of
horses. Our cardinal goal is to reach at the end of the ultimate road. The
individual soul is said to be the master of this chariot, the intellect the
charioteer, and the mind the reins. When an individual has a restrained mind,
firmly holding the reins, and armed with devotion and love for his perfect Master
or Guru, he reaches the end of the roadself - realization and God - realization.
This forms the subject matter of one of the Upanishads called Katha Upanishad.

There was Vajasrawas, a famous person during the ancient India, who was
performing a great yajna (Ritual of sacrifice, devotion, worship and offering) in which the
performer of the yajna had to give away all his worldly possessions. It was a
unique occasion. The place was beautifully decorated. The sages and rishis
attended in great number and they were chanting the holy mantras (sacred
utterances) with great devotion while offering offerings to the holy fire.
Vajasrawas had a son named Nachiketa, who was sixteen years old. At the end
of the sacrifice, Vajasrawas announced in pompous manner that he is giving
away all his possessions including a large herd of cows to the teachers and
saints, who had come from all the places. Nachiketa was standing next to his
father and observing his father gifting away the cows one by one. Nachiketa was
surprised to see his father gifting away old cows which could not walk properly
or give milk. Nachiketa felt that this was not proper as by giving these cows his
father
would
not
get
the
desired
result
of
the
sacrifice.
Nachiketa protested in a loud whisper,You are not giving away all your
possessions! Father, Am I not your possession? Nachiketa asked his father to
whom he would like to gift his son to. The father did not pay much attention to
his question. Nachiketa repeatedly asked the same question. His father became
angry on being repeatedly criticized and replied, I give you to Yama, the God of
death. Though his father tried to take back his curse, the words could not be

unsaid as words spoken by a meditating person carries weight of his meditation.

Vajasrawas did not mean what he said. He had uttered these words in anger. No
father would like to send their son away to the land of death. Nachiketa decided
to obey the words of his father by going to the abode of Yama. Vajasrawas
implored his little son to stay back. Nachiketa loved his father and did not want
to disobey him. But at the same time he was very firm as he had to keep the
honor of his fathers word. Folding his hands he told his father that their
ancestors never went back on their words and he would like to follow the same.
He wanted his father to follow the same tradition. Nachiketa had a spiritual
leaning and knew that all the things in this world are temporary and he was not
afraid of death. He understood that following the path of truth is the gateway to
liberation and will finally lead to God-realization.
Vajasrawas was very sad but gave him permission as he was a follower of truth.
Nachiketa left for the abode of Yama. On reaching there he found that Yama was
not at home as he was collecting souls from the mortal world. For three days
and nights the young boy waited without food, water and sleep at the doorstep
of Yamas abode. Finally Yama arrived riding a water buffalo and looking very
fierce, felt sorry and was deeply grieved to see that there was no one to
welcome Nachiketa. Yama himself greeted him with due respect for having kept
Nachiketa waiting for three days as he remembered the saying Honor the guest
as God. Chagrined, he told the boy that he cannot enter gate of death until his
marked time for death does not come and he was free to leave the land of death
unharmed. But Nachiketa was insistent as he was bound to follow his fathers
words. Yama was perplexed and tried to appease him by granting him three
boons.

Nachiketa said, I seek the welfare of my father as my first boon. His anger be
appeased He granted him happily. Sir I desire to know how one could reach
heaven where there is no sorrow, old age or death. Nachiketa did not ask this
second boon for himself but for the sake of the people. He wanted everyone to
learn this secret knowledge and free themselves for the sufferings.
Yama was pleased with the unselfishness of Nachiketa. Yama gave all the details
of a particular method, the performance of which would take one to heaven.
As Nachiketa was an intelligent and a sincere boy blessed with a spiritual
knowledge, he could understand all that was taught. Yama was pleased with him
and in appreciation, named that particular sacrifice after Nachiketa himself.
Nachiketa asked, Respected Sir. What happens to a man after death? I should
like to know the truth from you. This I ask for the third boon.
He inquires, If I gain immorality, will I be still me when I die.

Yama had not expected this question from a young boy. He tried to divert him
but Nachiketa was very firm. He wanted to know the answer. Yama was very
pleased but he tried to divert the attention with lot of attractive things.
Nachiketa declined all these worldly pleasures. Yama was pleased with such a
young truth-seeker who had rejected the path of enjoyment and chose the path
of goodness. Then Yama taught him the knowledge of the Atman, realizing which
man attains immortality. Yama explained that this body is a chariot, with the
sense as horses, the intellect as charioteer, and the Self as the one who rides in
the back. Soul (Atma) is translated as Self, and is understood not only as the
individual consciousness but also the universal Being towards which all love
flows. Yama explained:

If a person does not know the Self, then his mind is restless, like uncontrolled
veins. The horses dash this way and that, dragging the whole chariot in every
direction. Such a person never reaches the goal of life. But those who know the
Self have even minds. They reach their home.

He further explained:

When you seek life eternal, you must turn your attention inward. There you will
find the Self. The innermost Self resides in the center of the heart like a flame
without smoke. It is the same today and will be same tomorrow. It grants all
desires. The Self is Brahma. It is immortal. You will know the Self when your
senses will be still, your mind is at peace, and your heart is pure.

Here Lord of death is trying to explain the spiritual secret of second spiritual
place, the abode of Brahma (also called as astral region or Trikuti). Here mind
resides. The real journey starts after that as soul separates from the mind and it
travels to Parbrahma (Region of pure spirituality) and finally to Sachkhand (Land
of Pure Truth). This is the journey of saints, Sufis and real faqirs.