Katha Upanishad: The Story of Death and the Boy...

The Upanishads are a collection of texts which contain the central philosophical concepts of Hinduism. They explore the concepts of Brahman (Ultimate Reality) and Atman (Soul, Self), which are the spiritual core of Hinduism.

The Upanishads, along with the Gita and the Brahmasutras, are considered the principal source texts of Hinduism. And being such, an in-depth study of these texts gives the reader a deep, clear insight into the nature of Brahman and Atman, thus firmly sowing in the heart the seeds of self-discovery. Properly nurtured, these seeds eventually grow into the grand tree of self-knowledge, culminating in self-realization, which is the final goal of all human life, and the climax of man's evolution!

The Katha Upanishad is a Primary Upanishad, embedded in the last sections of the Yajurveda.

The Katha Upanishad is an important ancient Sanskrit source text of the Vedanta sub-schools, and an influential Åšruti to the diverse schools of Hinduism. It is among the most widely studied Upanishads.

Famous American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson held the Katha Upanishad highly, and credited Katha Upanishad for the central story at the end of his essay Immortality, as well as his poem "Brahma".

Famous Irish poet William Butler Yeats dedicated several essays and sonnets to themes in Katha Upanishad.

A verse in the Katha Upanishad inspired the title and the epigraph of W. Somerset Maugham's famous 1944 novel The Razor’s Edge. The verse is, "Like the sharp edge of a razor at night, difficult is the path, so say the wise." (1.3.14)

Continue your journey into the world of Upanishads with the much-celebrated story of the brilliant and brave Nachiketa! This is a journey of self-realization from which there is no turning back!