What does Katha Upanishad 1.3.3–4 mean for the mind? (Chapter 24)
From the book – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind
Katha Upanishad 1.3.3–4
आत्मानं रथिनं विद्धि शरीरं रथमेव च । बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥
atmanam rathinam viddhi sariram ratham eva ca | buddhim tu sarathim viddhi manah pragraham eva ca ||
Meaning
Know the self as the rider, the body as the chariot, the intellect as the driver, and the mind as the reins.
For daily life
If the horses (senses and impulses) run, do not blame only the rider. Check sleep, food, company, and — when needed — a physician for the chariot itself.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 24: Gita, Ramayana and Hindu Traditions on the Mind
Stories from real life
- Arjuna in the Exam Hall – Rohan Deshmukh, nineteen, from Pune, was preparing for a competitive engineering exam. His family had spent years and savings on coaching. A week before the exam,…
- Dasharatha’s Grief, Rama’s Steadiness – When Gopal Iyengar, seventy-three, of Thanjavur lost his wife of fifty years, he stopped speaking at meals. His son Venkat found him staring at her chair,…
- Sita’s Courage and the Gentle Choice – Anjali Sharma, thirty-one, from Varanasi, left a harmful marriage after years of cruelty. She was physically safe now, living with her parents, but her body did…
- The Restless Mind of Mohan – Mohan Pillai, forty, a shopkeeper in Kozhikode, found his mind jumping like a monkey. He replayed an old quarrel with his brother, feared losing his business,…
More on this topic: Bhagavad Gita, yoga and Indian wisdom for mental peace
More questions
- What does Purananuru 192, Kaniyan Pungundranar mean for the mind?
- What does Tukaram Gatha, abhang beginning je ka ranjale ganjale mean for the mind?
- What does Kabir Sakhi tradition; cite by first line mean for the mind? (Chapter 24)
- What does Kabir Sakhi tradition; cite by first line mean for the mind? (Chapter 24)
- Arjuna in the Exam Hall – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Dasharatha's Grief, Rama's Steadiness – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Sita's Courage and the Gentle Choice – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- The Restless Mind of Mohan – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- Parvathi, the Healer and the Doctor – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- What can we learn from the story “Anita, Age 36”?
- What the Bhagavad Gita teaches about the mind