The Katha Upanishad is the legendary story of a little boy, Nachiketa (the son of Sage Vajasravasa, who meets Yama (the Hindu deity of death) and their conversation, which is a discussion of the nature of man, knowledge, Atman (Soul, Self) and moksha (liberation). It has six sections (Vallis).

The third Valli of Katha Upanishad presents the analogy of the chariot, to highlight how Soul or Atman, body, mind, senses relate to a human being.

As per the Upanishad, one should know the Atman soul as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the charioteer, the mind as the reins, the senses as the five horses and the roads as the samsara representing the objects of the senses or the desires.

The path of Katha Upanishad therefore is to control your desires through control of the senses by tightening the reins of the mind using the power of discrimination or the intellect with soul as the observer.

The common Vedic teaching directs one a control from Bahi Karan or outward direct senses (five gross elements, five Karmendriyas and five Gnanendriyas) to Antar Karan (Mind, intellect cum ego, Chitta or consciousness).

So, one should use the power of discrimination or Viveka to take all the decisions in life with soul as the observer.

But in Bhagavad Gita we see a difference. Here, Arjuna is the rider in the Chariot and Krishna the Charioteer.

Before understanding this, we must know the difference between the teachings of Yoga Vasishta and Bhagavad Gita. In the first Rama got a preventive teaching from Sage Vasishta as to how to live life and prevent anxieties. And in Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna takes on-field guidance from Krishna in an anxiety state and gets guided for the battle.

So, there are two paths. The preventive path of Chariot Katha Upanishad and the treatment path of Krishna Arjuna chariot; hence, the difference.

• The path of Katha Upanishad: Take intellect-guided decisions with soul as observer
• The path of Gita: Take soul-guided decisions

The Shlokas

Know that the Atman is the rider in the chariot, and the body is the chariot,Know that the Buddhi (intelligence, ability to reason) is the charioteer, and Manas (mind) is the reins. (1.3.3)The senses are called the horses,the objects of the senses are their paths,Formed out of the union of the Atman, the senses and the mind,him they call the "enjoyer". (1.3.4)

Katha Upanishad

1.3.3

आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु। बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनःप्रग्रहमेव च॥

ātmānam̐ rathitaṃ viddhi śarīram̐ rathameva tu | buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragrahameva ca

1.3.4

इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान्। आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः

indriyāṇi hayānāhurviṣayām̐ steṣu gocarān। ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktetyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा। तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः॥

Yastvavijñānavānbhavatyayuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇyavaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ ||

5. But of him who is not possessed of discrimination, and whose mind is always uncontrolled, the senses are not controllable as vicious horses of a driver.

यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा । तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥

yastu vijñānavānbhavati yuktena manasā sadā | tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ ||

6. But of him who knows and has a mind always controlled, the senses are always controllable as the good horses of the driver.

यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः । न स तत्पदमाप्नोति सँ सारं चाधिगच्छति ॥

yastvavijñānavānbhavatyamanaskaḥ sadāśuciḥ । na sa tatpadamāpnoti sam̐ sāraṃ cādhigacchati ॥ 7 ॥

7. But he, whose intellect has no discrimination and whose thind is not under control and who is always unclean, does not reach that goal and falls into Samsâra.

यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः । स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते ॥ ८ ॥

yastu vijñānavānbhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ | sa tu tatpadamāpnoti yasmādbhūyo na jāyate || 8 ||

8. But he, who knows, who has his mind always under control and who is clean, reaches that goal from which he is not born again.

विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः । सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९ ॥

vijñānasārathiryastu manaḥpragrahavānnaraḥ | sodhvanaḥ pāramāpnoti tadviṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam || 9 ||

9. But the man who has a discriminating intellect for the driver and a controlling mind for the reins, reaches the end of the road, i.e., that highest place of Vishnu.

इन्द्रियेभ्यः परा ह्यर्था अर्थेभ्यश्च परं मनः । मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्बुद्धेरात्मा महान्परः ॥ १० ॥

indriyebhyaḥ parā hyarthā arthebhyaśca paraṃ manaḥ | manasastu parā buddhirbuddherātmā mahānparaḥ || 10 ||

10. Beyond the senses, are the rudiments of its objects; beyond these rudiments is the mind; beyond the mind is âtman known as Mahat (great).

महतः परमव्यक्तमव्यक्तात्पुरुषः परः ।पुरुषान्न परं किंचित्सा काष्ठा सा परा गतिः ॥ ११ ॥

mahataḥ paramavyaktamavyaktātpuruṣaḥ paraḥ |puruṣānna paraṃ kiṃcitsā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ || 11 ||

Beyond the great Ātman is the Unmanifested; beyond the Unmanifested is the Puruṣa (the Cosmic Soul); beyond the Puruṣa there is nothing. That is the end that is the final goal.

एष सर्वेषु भूतेषु गूढोऽऽत्मा न प्रकाशते । दृश्यते त्वग्र्यया बुद्ध्या सूक्श्मया सूक्श्मदर्शिभिः ॥ १२ ॥

eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍhotmā na prakāśate | dṛśyate tvagryayā buddhyā sūkśmayā sūkśmadarśibhiḥ || 12 ||

12. This Ātman (Self), hidden in all beings, does not shine forth; but It is seen by subtle seers through keen and subtle understanding

यच्छेद्वाङ्मनसी प्राज्ञस्तद्यच्छेज्ज्ञान आत्मनि । ज्ञानमात्मनि महति नियच्छेत्तद्यच्छेच्छान्त आत्मनि ॥ १३ ॥

yacchedvāṅmanasī prājñastadyacchejjñāna ātmani | jñānamātmani mahati niyacchettadyacchecchānta ātmani || 13 ||

13. Let the intelligent man sink speech into mind, sink that into intelligence and intelligence into the great âtman and sink that into the peaceful âtman.

उत्तिष्ठतजाग्रतप्राप्यवरान्निबोधत। क्शुरस्यधारानिशितादुरत्ययादुर्गंपथस्तत्कवयोवदन्ति॥१४॥

uttiṣṭhatajāgrataprāpyavarānnibodhata | kśurasyadhārāniśitāduratyayādurgaṃpathastatkavayovadanti || 14 ||

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत । क्शुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४ ॥

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varānnibodhata | kśurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti || 14

14. Arise, awake; having reached the great, learn; the edge of a razor is sharp and impassable; that path, the intelligent say, is hard to go by.

अशब्दमस्पर्शमरूपमव्ययं तथाऽरसन्नित्यमगन्धवच्च यत् । अनाद्यनन्तं महतः परं ध्रुवं निचाय्य तन्मृत्युमुखात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ १५ ॥

aśabdamasparśamarūpamavyayaṃ tathārasannityamagandhavacca yat | anādyanantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tanmṛtyumukhātpramucyate || 15 ||

15. Which is soundless, touchless, formless, undecaying, so tasteless, eternal and scentless, beginningless, endless, beyond the Mahat, and constant, knowing that, man escapes from the mouth of death?

Dr KK Aggarwal

Padma Shri Awardee

President Elect Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania (CMAAO)

Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications

President Heart Care Foundation of India

Past National President IMA