Katha upanishad verse I.2.23

[Charles Wikner]

Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA> wrote:
[snip]
> So, as I see, the
> conditions (necessary) for the Self to be revealed, are:
>
> purity of heart
> discipline of the senses
> desireless state of the mind
>
> Are they in our control ? I guess they are to some extent, by saadhana,

Whatever the individual practices becomes part of his nature.

> although the very fact that one is a saadhaka is again by Atman's grace.

You are the Atman; it is Your Own grace that is readily available under
the conditions listed.

> The above are necessary conditions. They are by no means sufficient.
> Atman's choice to reveal Itself to the individual

The Atman reveals Itself to Itself (which is what you ARE), and not to
some limited and separate individual (which is what you APPEAR to be).
This should serve to explain the reasonableness of the conditions.

> is the only sufficient
> condition, although Shri Shankara's comment on the subsequent verse
> (given below) seems to indicate that Atman can be attained by knowledge.

`Knowledge' has come to mean the information grasped by the mind (manas),
whereas prajnaanam may be better translated as wisdom, intelligence,
discrimination (functions of buddhi).

> As I understand it, verse I.2.24 emphasizes this point further:
>
> Naavirato dushcharitaat naashaanto naasamaahitah
> Naashaantamaanaso vaapi prajnaanenainam aapunyaat
>
> No one who has not given up evil conduct, who is not self-restrained,
> who is not meditative, nor one who is unpacified in mind can attain this
> Atman, even though he has knowledge. (translation by Ranganathananda)
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That is not what is given in the Sanskrit:  prajnaanena indicates the
means by which Atman is attained, namely prajnaanam.  When the mind is
at peace, then the Atman sees Itself reflected as it were, in the still
and pure buddhi.

[snip]
> The role given to and played by knowledge seems to be different.

The `seeming' is due to assigning limited meanings to words (in this case
`knowledge'), and the failure to appreciate that a translation is also an
interpretation (i.e. depends on the translator's skill in the two languages,
as well as his spiritual understanding).  This does illustrate the necessity
to study the scriptures in the original language.

Regards, Charles.