Kathopanishad

[H.B.Dave]

Bhaskar Y.R. wrote:

> Dear Learned List Members of Advita-L
> Sashtanga Pranam to All
>
> In kathopanishad (1.2.23) it is said :
> Nayamatma pravachanena labhyo
> na medhaya na bahunaa shrutena!
> yamevisha vrunute tena labhya
> stastaisha atma vivrunute TANUM swaam!!
> Lost two lines gives us the meaning that He alone shall find this self, who
> is powerfully attracted to him in complete devotion to him that self
> reveals as he REALLY IS ??
>
> Please explain me TANUM in this verse.

tanuum  -- svarupa  yaathaatmya  paramaarthiki svarupa (as per Bhasya by Adi
Shankaracharya)
                     viv.r.nute prakaa"sayati paaramaarthikii.m tanuu.m svaa.m
svakiiyaa.m                          svayaathaatmyam;
                    i.e., exposes his own real nature as it is (yaathaatmya.m
= as it is ness)
colloquially also a man is said to expose himself when he displays his body,
by removing the covers, i.e., the cloths. Here Atma removes the  "covers" and
exposes its own real form.
Also note that the original root verb for tanuu is
tan (8 U) tanoti = to extend; to spread, diffuse; to cover; to cause; to
perform; to propagate;
so the word tanuum is used to denote a cover, which is removed by itself.

>
>
> And In 2.6.3 :
> Bhayadasyagnistapati bhayatapati suryaha!
> bhayadindracha vayuscha mrutyurdhavati panchama!!
>
> Please explain me BHAYA in this verse.
>

This verse has to be read with the previous one, i.e. 2-3-2 (one that is given
by you is 2-3-3) :
where there is a phrase
mahad bhaya.m vajramudyata.m

just as servants carry out orders given by their master due to his authority
(bhaya is to be interpreted here  not as fear but as "authority") similarly
all born beings follow strictly the rules of Brahma .
Bhaya = authority (here there is a sense of acceptance of the position, in
"fear" there is no acceptance of the position)
Also, Brahma does not drive explicitly all born beings, but like Sun rising in
the east, at which men and animals go about doing their daily work, about
which Sun is not at all concerned, Brahma drives all, without being concerned,
in an aloof fashion.

Colloquially also we say "he is a god-fearing person". Does it mean that he is
all the time afraid of God? It only means that he accepts the authority of
God.

I would suggest that you should realize that such anthropological attributes
are used only as a way of explanation, you should understand the laxana or
tatparyartha.

Best wishes,

-- Himanshu

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

Archives : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l.html
Help     : Email to listmaster at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Options  : To leave the list send a mail to
           listserv at lists.advaita-vedanta.org with
           SIGNOFF ADVAITA-L in the body.