Yama begins his teaching by distinguishing the good from the pleasant. He praises Nachiketa for choosing the good. He teaches that the Self is extremely subtle, cannot be known by intellect or learning alone, and is obtained only by the one whom it chooses. He describes the Self as the one who is awake while all sleep, as fire that takes different forms in each thing, and concludes with the famous image of the eternal ashvattha tree with its roots above and the celebrated verse that the sun, moon, and lightning do not illuminate the Self — it is the Self that illumines all.
अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेयस्ते उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँ सिनीतः । तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति हीयतेऽर्थाद् य उ प्रेयो वृणीते ॥ १ ॥
anyac chreyo 'nyad utaiva preyas te ubhe nānārthe puruṣaṃ sinītaḥ | tayoḥ śreya ādadānasya sādhu bhavati hīyate 'rthād ya u preyo vṛṇīte || 1 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The good is one thing and the pleasant is another. They serve different ends and bind a person differently. It goes well for the one who chooses the good. One who chooses the pleasant misses the true goal.
श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः तौ सम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः । श्रेयो हि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसो वृणीते प्रेयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद् वृणीते ॥ २ ॥
śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etaḥ tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ | śreyo hi dhīro 'bhi preyaso vṛṇīte preyo mando yogakṣemād vṛṇīte || 2 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
Both the good and the pleasant come to a person. The wise person considers them carefully and chooses between them. The wise person prefers the good. The foolish person, driven by greed, chooses the pleasant.
You, Nachiketa, having reflected on pleasant-seeming desires, have cast them all aside. You have not seized that chain of wealth in which so many people drown.
Knowledge and ignorance are far apart and lead in opposite directions. I believe you, Nachiketa, to be a true seeker of knowledge, since even many pleasures did not tempt you.
न साम्परायः प्रतिभाति बालं प्रमाद्यन्तं वित्तमोहेन मूढम् । अयं लोको नास्ति पर इति मानी पुनः पुनर्वशमापद्यते मे ॥ ६ ॥
na sāmparāyaḥ pratibhāti bālaṃ pramādyantaṃ vittamohena mūḍham | ayaṃ loko nāsti para iti mānī punaḥ punar vaśam āpadyate me || 6 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The world beyond does not become clear to the foolish person who is blinded by the delusion of wealth. Thinking 'This world is real, there is no other,' he falls again and again under my power.
श्रवणायापि बहुभिर्यो न लभ्यः श्रुण्वन्तोऽपि बहवो यं न विद्युः । आश्चर्यो वक्ता कुशलोऽस्य लब्धा आश्चर्यो ज्ञाता कुशलानुशिष्टः ॥ ७ ॥
śravaṇāyāpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ śṛṇvanto 'pi bahavo yaṃ na vidyuḥ | āścaryo vaktā kuśalo 'sya labdhā āścaryo jñātā kuśalānuśiṣṭaḥ || 7 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The Self is not reached by those who merely hear of it. Even among those who hear, many do not understand. Wonderful is the one who teaches it. Wonderful is the one who receives it from a skilled teacher.
न नरेणावरेण प्रोक्त एष सुविज्ञेयो बहुधा चिन्त्यमानः । अनन्यप्रोक्ते गतिरत्र नास्ति अणीयान् ह्यतर्क्यमणुप्रमाणात् ॥ ८ ॥
na nareṇāvareṇa prokta eṣa suvijñeyo bahudhā cintyamānaḥ | ananyaprokte gatir atra nāsti aṇīyān hy atarkyam aṇupramāṇāt || 8 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
This Self is not well understood when taught by a lesser person. There is no error when it is taught by one who has become the Self. It is subtler than the subtle, beyond all argument.
This understanding cannot be won by argument alone. When taught by another who knows, it becomes clear, O beloved. You have obtained it; you are truly firm in truth. May we always have a questioner like you, Nachiketa.
जानाम्यहं शेवधिरित्यनित्यं न ह्यध्रुवैः प्राप्यते हि ध्रुवं तत् । ततो मया नाचिकेतश्चितोऽग्निः अनित्यैर्द्रव्यैः प्राप्तवानस्मि नित्यम् ॥ १० ॥
jānāmy ahaṃ śevadhir ity anityaṃ na hy adhruvaiḥ prāpyate hi dhruvaṃ tat | tato mayā nāciketaś cito 'gniḥ anityair dravyaiḥ prāptavān asmi nityam || 10 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
I know that treasures are impermanent. The eternal cannot be reached by impermanent things. And so I laid the Nachiketa fire with impermanent materials, yet through it I have reached the eternal.
The fulfilment of desire, the foundation of the world, the endless reward of ritual, the far shore where fear ends, the greatness of renown — having seen all this, you have steadily and wisely cast it aside, Nachiketa.
The wise person who, through the discipline of self-knowledge, knows this Self — hard to see, hidden, lodged in the cave of the heart, ancient — that person casts off joy and grief both.
नायमात्मा प्रवचनेन लभ्यो न मेधया न बहुना श्रुतेन । यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूँ स्वाम् ॥ १३ ॥
nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā na bahunā śrutena | yam evaisa vṛṇute tena labhyas tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanūṃ svām || 13 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
This Self is not gained through lectures, nor through intellect, nor through much learning. It is gained only by the one whom it chooses. To that person the Self reveals its own form.
One who has not turned away from evil conduct, who is not tranquil, who is not composed and settled in mind — such a person cannot reach the Self through knowledge.
ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāmaṃ kāmaṃ puruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ | tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate | tasmiṃl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana || 17 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
That which remains awake while all others sleep, fashioning desire after desire — that is the radiant, that is Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds rest in it. Nothing goes beyond it.
As fire, though one, entering the world takes a different form in each thing it burns, so the one Self, the inner soul of all beings, takes a different form in each and is also beyond them all.
As wind, though one, entering the world takes a different form in each thing it passes through, so the one Self within all beings takes a different form in each and is also beyond them all.
सूर्यो यथा सर्वलोकस्य चक्षुर्न लिप्यते चाक्षुषैर्बाह्यदोषैः । एकस्तथा सर्वभूतान्तरात्मा न लिप्यते लोकदुःखेन बाह्यः ॥ २० ॥
sūryo yathā sarvalokasya cakṣur na lipyate cākṣuṣair bāhyadoṣaiḥ | ekas tathā sarvabhūtāntarātmā na lipyate lokaduḥkhena bāhyaḥ || 20 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
As the sun, the eye of the whole world, is not stained by the faults seen by eyes, so the one Inner Self of all beings is never stained by the sorrows of the world, being beyond it.
There is one Lord, the inner Self of all beings, who makes one form into many. The wise who see him seated within themselves — theirs is eternal joy, and not others'.
नित्यो नित्यानां चेतनश्चेतनानाम् एको बहूनां यो विदधाति कामान् । तमात्मस्थं येऽनुपश्यन्ति धीरास्तेषां शान्तिः शाश्वती नेतरेषाम् ॥ २२ ॥
nityo nityānāṃ cetanaś cetanānām eko bahūnāṃ yo vidadhāti kāmān | tam ātmasthaṃ ye 'nupaśyanti dhīrās teṣāṃ śāntiḥ śāśvatī netareṣām || 22 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The eternal among eternals, the conscious among the conscious — the one who, being one alone, fulfills the desires of the many. The wise who perceive him dwelling within themselves — theirs is eternal peace, and not others'.
न तत्र सूर्यो भाति न चन्द्रतारकं नेमा विद्युतो भान्ति कुतोऽयमग्निः । तमेव भान्तमनुभाति सर्वं तस्य भासा सर्वमिदं विभाति ॥ २४ ॥
na tatra sūryo bhāti na candratārakaṃ nemā vidyuto bhānti kuto 'yam agniḥ | tam eva bhāntam anubhāti sarvaṃ tasya bhāsā sarvam idaṃ vibhāti || 24 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and stars, nor do these lightnings shine — much less this fire. When that shines, all things shine after it. By its light all this world is illumined.
ūrdhvamūlo 'vākśākha eṣo 'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ | tad eva śukraṃ tad brahma tad evāmṛtam ucyate | tasmiṃl lokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tad u nātyeti kaścana || 25 ||
Simple English
Primary Translation
This eternal ashvattha tree has its roots above and its branches below. That root is the radiant one, that is Brahman, that alone is called the Immortal. All worlds rest within it. Nothing goes beyond it.