The Two Ways

2-1	anyac chreyo anyad utaiva preyaste ubhe nᾱnᾱrthe puruṣam sinītaḥ: tayoḥ śreya ᾱdadᾱnasya sᾱdhu bhavati, hīyate ‘rthᾱd ya u preyo vṛṇīte.		Yama: One is good, while another is pleasant. These two having different objects chain a man. Blessed is he who, between them chooses the good alone, but he who chooses what is pleasant, loses the true end.
2-2	śreyaś ca preyaś ca manuṣyam etas tau samparītya vivinakti dhīraḥ. śreyo hi dhīro’bhipreyaso vṛṇīte, preyo mando yoga-kṣemᾱd vṛṇīte.		Yama: The good and the pleasant take hold of man; the wise man examines and distinguishes them. The wise man prefers the good (Sreya) to the pleasant, but the ignorant man chooses the pleasant (Preya) for the sake of the body.
2-3	sa tvam priyᾱn priyarῡpᾱṁś ca kᾱmᾱn abhidhyᾱyan naciketo, tyasrᾱkṣīḥ; naitᾱṁ sṛṅkᾱṁ vittamayīm avᾱpto yasyᾱm majjanti bahavo manuṣyᾱḥ.		Yama: O Nachiketas, thou hast renounced objects of desires (such as sons and grandsons) and desirable objects of pleasant shape (as the heavenly nymphs), judging them by their real value. Thou hast not chosen the road of wealth, in which many men perish.
2-4	dῡram ete viparīte, avidyᾱ yᾱ ca vidyeti jñᾱtᾱ: vidyᾱbhīpsinaṁ Nachiketasam manye, na tvᾱ kᾱmᾱ bahavo lolupantaḥ.		Yama: These two, ignorance and knowledge, are wide apart and lead to different points or goals. I believe Nachiketas to be one who desires for Knowledge, for even many desires have not shaken thee.
2-5	avidyᾱyᾱm antare vartamᾱnᾱḥ, svayaṁ dhīrᾱḥ paṇḍitam manyamᾱnᾱḥ. dandramyamᾱṇᾱḥ pariyanti mῡdhᾱḥ, andhenaiva nīyamᾱnᾱ yathᾱndhᾱḥ.		Yama: The ignorant, who live in the midst of darkness but fancy themselves as wise and learned, go round and round deluded in many crooked ways, as blind people led by the blind.
2-6	na sᾱmparᾱyaḥ pratibhᾱti bᾱlam pramᾱdyantaṁ vittamohena mῡḍham: ayaṁ loko nᾱsti para iti mᾱnī, punaḥ punar vaśam ᾱpadyate me.		Yama: The way to the hereafter is not apparent to the ignorant man who is foolish, deluded by the delusion of wealth. ‘This is the world,’ he thinks, ‘there is no other’—thus he falls again and again under my sway.
2-7	śravaṇᾱyᾱpi bahubhir yo na labhyaḥ, śṛṇvanto’pi bahavo yaṁ na vidyuḥ ᾱścaryo vaktᾱ kuśalo’sya labdhᾱ, ᾱścaryo jñᾱtᾱ kuśalᾱnuśiṣṭaḥ.		Yama: He (the Self) of whom many are not even able to hear, whom many, even when they hear of him, do not comprehend; wonderful is a man, when found, who is able to teach the Self; wonderful is he who comprehends the Self, when taught by an able teacher.
2-8	na nareṇᾱvareṇa proktᾱ eṣa suvijñeyo bahudhᾱ cintyamᾱnaḥ: ananya-prokte gatir atra nᾱsty aṇīyᾱn hy atarkyam aṇupramᾱnᾱt.		Yama: That Self, when taught by a man of inferior intellect is not easy to be known, as it is to be thought of in various ways. But when it is taught by a preceptor who is one with Brahman (who beholds no difference), there is no doubt concerning it, the Self being subtler than the subtle, and is not to be obtained by arguing.
2-9	naiṣᾱ tarkeṇa matir ᾱpaneyᾱ, proktᾱnyenaiva sujñᾱnᾱya preṣṭha: yᾱṁ tvam ᾱpas satyadhritir batᾱsi; tvᾱdṛṅ no bhῡyᾱn naciketaḥ praṣṭᾱ.		Yama: This knowledge is not to be obtained by argument, but it is easy to understand it, O dearest, when taught by a teacher who beholds no difference; thou hast obtained it now; thou art fixed in truth. May we have, O Nachiketas, an enquirer like thee!

The Superiority of Wisdom to Wealth, Earthly as Well as Heavenly

2-10	jᾱnᾱmy aham śevadhir ity anityam, na hy adhruvaiḥ prᾱpyate hi dhruvaṁ tat tato mayᾱ naciketaś cito’gnir anityair dravyaiḥ prᾱptavᾱn asmi nityam.		Yama: I know that the treasure is transient, for that eternal is not obtained by things which are not eternal. Therefore, the Nachiketa fire has been propitiated by me with the perishable things and I have obtained the eternal.
2-11	kᾱmasyᾱptiṁ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhᾱṁ krator ᾱnantyaṁ abhayasya pᾱram stoma-mahad urugᾱyam pratiṣṭhᾱṁ dṛṣṭvᾱ dhṛtyᾱ dhīro naciketo’tyasrᾱkṣīḥ.		Yama: The end of all desires, the foundation of the world, the endless rewards of sacrifice, the other shore where there is no fear, the praiseworthy, the great, the wide-extended sphere and the abode of the soul—all these thou hast seen, and being wise, O Nachiketas, thou hast with firm resolve rejected all.
2-12	taṁ durdarśaṁ gῡḍham anupraviṣṭaṁ guhᾱhitaṁ gahvareṣṭham purᾱṇam adhyᾱtma-yogᾱdhigamena devam matvᾱ dhīro harṣa-śokau jahᾱti.		Yama: The wise sage who, by means of meditation on his Self, recognises the Ancient, who is difficult to be seen, who is unfathomable and concealed, who is hidden in the cave of the heart, who dwells in the abyss, who is lodged in intelligence, indeed renounces joy and sorrow.
2-13	etac chrutvᾱ samparigṛhya martyaḥ pravṛhya dharmyam aṇum etam ᾱpya sa modate modanīyaṁ hi labdhvᾱ vivṛtaṁ sadma nachiketasam manye.		Yama: Having heard and well grasped this (the Self), the mortal, abstracting the virtuous Atman, attaining this subtle Self, rejoices, because he has obtained what is cause for rejoicing. I think that the abode of Brahman is wide open for Nachiketas.
2-14	anyatra dharmᾱd anyatrᾱdharmᾱd anyatrᾱsmᾱt kṛtᾱkṛtᾱt. anyatra bhῡtᾱc ca bhavyᾱc ca yat tat paśyasi tad vada.		Nachiketas: That which thou seest as other than virtue and vice, other than cause and effect, other than the past and future, tell me that.
2-15	sarve vedᾱ yat padam ᾱmananti, tapᾱṁsi sarvaṇi ca yad vadanti, yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti, tat te padaṁ saṁgraheṇa bravīmi: aum ity etat.		Yama: The goal (word) which all the Vedas speak of (praise), which all penances proclaim and wishing for which they lead the life of a Brahmacharin, that goal (word) I will briefly tell thee—It is Om.
2-16	etadd hy evᾱkṣaram brahma, etadd hy evᾱkṣaram param. etadd hy evᾱkṣaram jñᾱtvᾱ, yo yad icchati tasya tat.		Yama: This word is verily Brahman; this word is verily the highest; he who knows this word, obtains, verily, whatever he desires.
2-17	etad ᾱlambanaṁ śreṣṭham etad ᾱlambanam param etad ᾱlambanaṁ jñᾱtvᾱ brahma-loke mahīyate.		Yama: This is the best support. This is the highest support. He who knows this support is worshipped in the world of Brahman.
2-18	na jᾱyate mriyate vᾱ vipaścin nᾱyaṁ kutaścin na babhῡva kaścit: ajo nityaḥ śaśvato’yam purᾱṇo na hanyate hanyamᾱne śarīre.		Yama: The intelligent Atman is not born, nor does He die; He did not spring from anything, and nothing sprang from Him; unborn, eternal, everlasting, ancient, He is not slain although the body is slain.
2-19	hantᾱ cen manyate hantuṁ hataś cen manyate hatam, ubhau tau na vijᾱnīto nᾱyaṁ hanti na hanyate.		Yama: If the slayer thinks ‘I slay,’ if the slain thinks, ‘I am slain,’ then both of them do not know well. This slays not, nor is slain.
2-20	aṇor aṇīyᾱn mahato mahīyᾱn, ᾱtmᾱsya jantor nihito guhᾱyᾱm: tam akratuḥ paśyati vīta-śoko dhᾱtu-prasᾱdᾱn mahimᾱnam ᾱtmanaḥ.		Yama: The Atman, subtler than the subtle, greater than the great, is seated in the heart of each living being. He who is free from desire, with his mind and the senses composed, beholds the majesty of the Self and becomes free from sorrow.

Opposite Characteristics of the Supreme

The Moral Preparation for Brahma-Knowledge