Upanishads · Kaṭha 1.14
॥
Devanāgarī
प्र ते ब्रवीमि तद् उ मे निबोध स्वर्ग्यम् अग्निं नचिकेतः प्रजानन् ।
अनन्तलोकाप्तिम् अथो प्रतिष्ठां विद्धि त्वम् एतं निहितं गुहायाम्
Transliteration (IAST)
pra te bravīmi tad u me nibodha svargyam agniṃ naciketaḥ prajānan /
anantalokāptim atho pratiṣṭhāṃ viddhi tvam etaṃ nihitaṃ guhāyām
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रprafully; forth
तेteto you; for you
ब्रवीमिbravīmiI shall tell; I shall explain
तत्tatthis; that
उusurely; indeed
मेmefrom me; my
निबोधnibodhaattend and understand (ni-√budh — 'to awaken inward'); take it in; understand
स्वर्ग्यम्svargyamheavenly; leading to heaven
अग्निम्agnimfire; the sacrificial fire
नचिकेतःnaciketaḥO Naciketas; Naciketas
प्रजानन्prajānanknowing; understanding
अनन्तलोकाप्तिम्anantalokāptimthe winning of endless worlds; the gaining of the boundless world
अथोathoand likewise; moreover
प्रतिष्ठाम्pratiṣṭhāmthe support; the stability
विद्धिviddhiknow; understand
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
एतम्etamthis; it
निहितम्nihitamhidden (ni-√dhā — 'laid within'); laid inside; concealed
गुहायाम्guhāyāmin the secret place [of the heart]; in the cave; in the hidden depth
Translation
"I shall declare to you the heavenly fire — attend to me, Naciketas, and understand. Know it as the winning of the endless world, as its foundation — and as hidden in the secret place [of the heart]."
Version
98f6f89357fd · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Yama begins his instruction by demanding a particular kind of listening: tad u me nibodha — "attend to me and understand" (ni-√budh — "to awaken inward"): not a memorizing of words but an awakening to the meaning. prajānan — "discerning": the pupil does not listen passively — his consciousness must work toward the teacher's word.
The definition of the fire is threefold: anantalokāptim — "the winning of the endless world", pratiṣṭhām — "the foundation, the support [of the world]", and — abruptly — viddhi tvam etaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyām: "know it as hidden in the cave". The outward ritual fire, laid up out of bricks, is declared to abide in the guhā — the secret place of the heart, that very place where the Upaniṣad will later set the Ātman too (2.12, 2.20). The sacrificial fire is not only upon the altar: its real hearth is within, and the outward kindling is only the language in which the heart speaks of its own burning.
With this single word guhāyām Yama throws a bridge from the second boon to the third: the road to heaven and the road to the Ātman begin in one and the same place — in the depth of the heart. He who has learned to find the fire there is ready to hear also of Him who dwells in that depth.