Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the <i>Katha Upanishad</i>

Sabindra Raj Bhandari

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad

Sabindra Raj Bhandari

Published in International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 6)

Received: 7 November 2020 Accepted: 23 November 2020 Published: 11 December 2020

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Abstract

This research paper attempts to explore the proclamations of the ultimate reality postulated by the Katha Upanishad with the tenets of transcendental philosophy. The Katha Upanishad, which is one of the principal Upanishads, crystallizes the concept of the ultimate truth that remains beyond the realm of senses and reasons. Therefore, this article aims to interpret the dimensions of the fundamental truth that the Upanishad exposes in vivid ways. The entire dialogues between Yama, the Lord of Death, and the inquirer of knowledge, Nachiketa, in this Upanishad lead us from this world to make out the point that ultimate reality lies beyond the frontiers of mind and experience. The manifested phenomenal world, which we perceive, is just a play. Thus, to realize the truth as divinity, one should transcend the realm of logic and senses. The concepts of the Western transcendental philosophy propounded mainly by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant also make the same proclamations about the nature of absolute reality. This article provides the new insights to view the speculations of the Katha Upanishad and the Western Philosophy of transcendence about the nature of the genuine reality as they both disseminate the same tunes, showing the unity in diversity.

Published in	International Journal of Literature and Arts (Volume 8, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
Page(s)	341-348
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

atman, brahman, Eternal Self, purusa, Transcendental, Ultimate Reality

References

[1]	Navlakha, Suren. Introduction. The Thirteen Principal Upanishads. Trans F. Max Muller. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Classics, 2000. IX-XXXI.
[2]	Mehta, Rohit. The Call of Upanishads. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2017.
[3]	Easwaran, Eknath. Essence of the Upanishads. Canada: Nilgiri Press, 2009. http:\|\|www.pdfdrive.com (Accessed 16 August 2020).
[4]	Olivelle, Patrick, ed. and trans. The Early Upanishads. Oxford: oxford University Press, 1998. http:\|\|www.pdfdrive.com (Accessed 18 August 2020).
[5]	Keith, A. B. The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishad, Part Two. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1998. http:\|\|www.pdfdrive.com (Accessed 18 August 2020).
[6]	Deussen, Paul. Sixty Upanisads of the Vedas. Trans. V. W. Bedekar and G. B. Palsule. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2010. 2 vols.
[7]	Zimmer, Heinrich. Philosophies of India. Trans. J. Campbell. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2011.
[8]	Muller, Max. Trans. The Thirteen Principal Upanishads. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Classics, 2000.
[9]	Russell, Bertrand. History of Western Philosophy. London: Routledge, 2013.
[10]	Radhakrishnan. S., ed. and trans. The Principal Upanisads. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2016.
[11]	Weber, Alfred, and Ralph Barton Perry. History of Philosophy. Trans. F. Thilly. Delhi: Surjeet Publications, 1997.
[12]	Tarnas, Richard. The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas that Have Shaped Our Worldview. London: Pimlico, 2000.
[13]	Rosen, Steven J. Krishna’s Song: A New Look at the Bhagavad Gita. Connecticut: Praeger, 2007.
[14]	Srinivasan, Ramakrishnan. Vedic Traditions and World Religions. Bangalore: Sri Sri Publications Trust, 2016.
[15]	Tola, Fernando and Carmen Dragonetti. Indian and Western Philosophies: Unity in Diversity. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 2013.
[16]	Peacocke, Christopher. Transcendental Arguments in the Theory of Context. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989.
[17]	Tzu, Lao. The Tao of Power. Trans. R. L. Wing. London: Thorson, 1997.
[18]	Gaarder, Jostien. Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy. Trans P. Moller. New York: Berkley Books, 1996.
[19]	Durant, Will. The Story of Philosophy. London, NY: Pocket Books, 1961.
[20]	Capra, Fritzof. The Tao of Physics. London: Flamingo 1991.

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Sabindra Raj Bhandari. (2020). Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(6), 341-348. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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Sabindra Raj Bhandari. Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(6), 341-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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Sabindra Raj Bhandari. Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(6):341-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16,
  author = {Sabindra Raj Bhandari},
  title = {Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {6},
  pages = {341-348},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200806.16},
  abstract = {This research paper attempts to explore the proclamations of the ultimate reality postulated by the Katha Upanishad with the tenets of transcendental philosophy. The Katha Upanishad, which is one of the principal Upanishads, crystallizes the concept of the ultimate truth that remains beyond the realm of senses and reasons. Therefore, this article aims to interpret the dimensions of the fundamental truth that the Upanishad exposes in vivid ways. The entire dialogues between Yama, the Lord of Death, and the inquirer of knowledge, Nachiketa, in this Upanishad lead us from this world to make out the point that ultimate reality lies beyond the frontiers of mind and experience. The manifested phenomenal world, which we perceive, is just a play. Thus, to realize the truth as divinity, one should transcend the realm of logic and senses. The concepts of the Western transcendental philosophy propounded mainly by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant also make the same proclamations about the nature of absolute reality. This article provides the new insights to view the speculations of the Katha Upanishad and the Western Philosophy of transcendence about the nature of the genuine reality as they both disseminate the same tunes, showing the unity in diversity.},
 year = {2020}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad
AU  - Sabindra Raj Bhandari
Y1  - 2020/12/11
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N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
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JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 341
EP  - 348
PB  - Science Publishing Group
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AB  - This research paper attempts to explore the proclamations of the ultimate reality postulated by the Katha Upanishad with the tenets of transcendental philosophy. The Katha Upanishad, which is one of the principal Upanishads, crystallizes the concept of the ultimate truth that remains beyond the realm of senses and reasons. Therefore, this article aims to interpret the dimensions of the fundamental truth that the Upanishad exposes in vivid ways. The entire dialogues between Yama, the Lord of Death, and the inquirer of knowledge, Nachiketa, in this Upanishad lead us from this world to make out the point that ultimate reality lies beyond the frontiers of mind and experience. The manifested phenomenal world, which we perceive, is just a play. Thus, to realize the truth as divinity, one should transcend the realm of logic and senses. The concepts of the Western transcendental philosophy propounded mainly by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant also make the same proclamations about the nature of absolute reality. This article provides the new insights to view the speculations of the Katha Upanishad and the Western Philosophy of transcendence about the nature of the genuine reality as they both disseminate the same tunes, showing the unity in diversity.
VL  - 8
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Author Information

Sabindra Raj Bhandari

Department of English, Prithivi Narayan Campus, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara, Nepal

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Sabindra Raj Bhandari. (2020). Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. International Journal of Literature and Arts, 8(6), 341-348. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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ACS Style

Sabindra Raj Bhandari. Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. Int. J. Lit. Arts 2020, 8(6), 341-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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AMA Style

Sabindra Raj Bhandari. Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad. Int J Lit Arts. 2020;8(6):341-348. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16

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@article{10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16,
  author = {Sabindra Raj Bhandari},
  title = {Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad},
  journal = {International Journal of Literature and Arts},
  volume = {8},
  number = {6},
  pages = {341-348},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijla.20200806.16},
  abstract = {This research paper attempts to explore the proclamations of the ultimate reality postulated by the Katha Upanishad with the tenets of transcendental philosophy. The Katha Upanishad, which is one of the principal Upanishads, crystallizes the concept of the ultimate truth that remains beyond the realm of senses and reasons. Therefore, this article aims to interpret the dimensions of the fundamental truth that the Upanishad exposes in vivid ways. The entire dialogues between Yama, the Lord of Death, and the inquirer of knowledge, Nachiketa, in this Upanishad lead us from this world to make out the point that ultimate reality lies beyond the frontiers of mind and experience. The manifested phenomenal world, which we perceive, is just a play. Thus, to realize the truth as divinity, one should transcend the realm of logic and senses. The concepts of the Western transcendental philosophy propounded mainly by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant also make the same proclamations about the nature of absolute reality. This article provides the new insights to view the speculations of the Katha Upanishad and the Western Philosophy of transcendence about the nature of the genuine reality as they both disseminate the same tunes, showing the unity in diversity.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exploration of the Ultimate Reality in the Katha Upanishad
AU  - Sabindra Raj Bhandari
Y1  - 2020/12/11
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
T2  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JF  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
JO  - International Journal of Literature and Arts
SP  - 341
EP  - 348
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2331-057X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijla.20200806.16
AB  - This research paper attempts to explore the proclamations of the ultimate reality postulated by the Katha Upanishad with the tenets of transcendental philosophy. The Katha Upanishad, which is one of the principal Upanishads, crystallizes the concept of the ultimate truth that remains beyond the realm of senses and reasons. Therefore, this article aims to interpret the dimensions of the fundamental truth that the Upanishad exposes in vivid ways. The entire dialogues between Yama, the Lord of Death, and the inquirer of knowledge, Nachiketa, in this Upanishad lead us from this world to make out the point that ultimate reality lies beyond the frontiers of mind and experience. The manifested phenomenal world, which we perceive, is just a play. Thus, to realize the truth as divinity, one should transcend the realm of logic and senses. The concepts of the Western transcendental philosophy propounded mainly by Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, and Kant also make the same proclamations about the nature of absolute reality. This article provides the new insights to view the speculations of the Katha Upanishad and the Western Philosophy of transcendence about the nature of the genuine reality as they both disseminate the same tunes, showing the unity in diversity.
VL  - 8
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download