etad vai tat – This verily is that ! - Mananam from Katha Upanisad (12 verses).

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aum namO bhagavathey vaivasvathAya mruthyave brahmavidyAchArya nachiketase cha. 

Salutation to Bhagavan Yama (death), son of the Sun (vivasvAn) and the imparter of Brahma Vidya to Nachiketa. 

The following 12 verses have the constant refrain etad vai tat – This verily is that, reminding us our essential nature, while guiding us to recognize our Self as it really is. 

Why does Sruti repeat the truth 12 times ? 

Sri Sankara while commenting on Katha 2.2.8 says : - 

QUOTE

The knowledge of the unity of the Self is supported by pramAna and is reiterated quite often, yet it does not stick in the minds of those with crooked intellect, i.e. in the minds which have become unsettled on account of the (consuming varied) views of numerous logicians. Therefore, Sruti, with the anxiety for (thier well being  & proper knowledge ) inculcation, says (the truth - etad vai tat) again and again.... 

UNQUOTE

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yena rūpaṃ rasaṃ gandhaṃ śabdān sparśāgͫśca maithunān .

etenaiva vijānāti kimatra pariśiṣyate . etadvai tat .. 3..

2-I-3. By the self (a man knows) form, taste, odor, sound, touch, and joy of communion with opposite gender. What remains here (unknowable to the Self)? This verily is that (which you seek).

Here we are taught that body in itself is not the knower, its mere material combination. The Self which is the illuminator of all things, is to be recognized as the knower. So even in every mundane act or experience, it’s the Self that shines forth as the illuminator. It is this Self that I seek (here Nachiketa seeks and Sri Yamā points out).

 

ya imaṃ madhvadaṃ veda ātmānaṃ jīvamantikāt .

īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate . etadvai tat .. 5..

2-I-5. Whoso knows the self closely, the honey-eater (i.e. enjoyer of fruits of karma), the supporter of the vital airs and the lord of the past and the future, will not henceforward protect himself. This verily is that (which you seek).

Once the dawn of knowledge has taken place – that I’m the Self of the nature of consciousness, the sense of finitude is destroyed. So why does the need arise to protect the One without a second ! I am (i.e. Self is) that nondual truth, which I seek.

 

yaḥ pūrvaṃ tapaso jātamadbhyaḥ pūrvamajāyata .

guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantaṃ yo bhūtebhirvyapaśyata . etadvai tat .. 6..

2-I-6. He who perceives the First-born that came into being from Tapas before the waters, and that, entering into the cavity of the heart, is seated there, he perceives that very Brahman. This verily is that (which you seek).

He who recognizes the Self here and now, as the pure consciousness, in which thoughts arise – also recognizes this Self, as being identical with the Hiranyagarbha, who precedes all visible creation of names and forms. This is done by turning one’s attention inwards (i.e.to the cavity of the heart – wherein Ishwara shines as the Self – pure consciousness). I am verily that, which I seek.

 

yā prāṇena saṃbhavatyaditirdevatāmayī .

guhāṃ praviśya tiṣṭhantīṃ yā bhūtebhirvyajāyata . etadvai tat .. 7..

2-I-7. (He who perceives) this Aditi that comes into being as the Prana, comprising all the gods, that is manifested along with the elements, and that, entering into the cavity of the heart, is seated there, he perceives that very Brahman. This verily is that (which you seek).

Here the prāna śakti is called aditi, which arises from the Self, as expression of the Self – which is evident in the acts of cognition through various senses. By tracing the source of the śakti – also called aham sphūrti (i.e. I current), we can trace it back to the Self of the nature of pure actionless consciousness. It is this Self that I seek – I am verily that.

 

araṇyornihito jātavedā garbha iva subhṛto garbhiṇībhiḥ .

dive dive īḍyo jāgṛvadbhirhaviṣmadbhirmanuṣyebhiragniḥ . etadvai tat .. 8..

2-I-8. The (sacrificial) fire lodged in the two aranis, even as the foetus is carefully borne by the pregnant woman, is fit to be worshipped every day by men who are wakeful and possessed of oblation. This verily is that (which you seek).

Those dedicated to the nitya karma like agni hotra, worship the fire and also protect, cherish it with timely observance of their kartavyam. This fire which they worship, is nondifferent than the Self, which I am. That which is worship, is my very Self.

 

yataścodeti sūryo'staṃ yatra ca gacchati .

taṃ devāḥ sarve'rpitāstadu nātyeti kaścana . etadvai tat .. 9..

2-I-9. On that from which the sun rises and in which it sets, are fixed all the gods. None ever goes beyond that. This verily is that (which you seek).

Everything arises from consciousness, subsists on It and abides in it. The act of arising, subsisting and abiding, indicates the power of the consciousness – chit-śakti also known as prāna śakti. This śakti and the adhiśtana from which it arises – namely Self or consciousness, is nondifferent. So, everything that we see as this world of names and forms, is nondifferent. That which I seek devotedly, is nondifferent than my true Self.

 

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo madhya ātmani tiṣṭhati .

īśānaṃ bhūtabhavyasya na tato vijugupsate . etadvai tat .. 12..

2-I-12. The Purusha, of the size of a thumb, dwells in the body. (Realizing Him as) the Lord of the past and the future, one does not (henceforward) want to protect oneself. This verily is that (which you seek).

Purusha is One who fills everything. But recognizing him as the indwelling Self, who shines forth in the tiny intervals between two thoughts (i.e. of the size of thumb implies that He is the object of our attention, when focusing within one’s body and not getting distracted by external things), I overcome all identifications wit the body, mind, senses, sense objects – thus I become free from all fear. This fearlessness is my very nature as the pure consciousness, which I seek to recognize and assert as “I am verily that”.

 

aṅguṣṭhamātraḥ puruṣo jyotirivādhūmakaḥ .

īśāno bhūtabhavyasya sa evādya sa u śvaḥ . etadvai tat .. 13..

2-I-13. The Purusha of the size of a thumb is like a smokeless flame and is the Lord of the past and the future. He certainly exists now and shall certainly exist tomorrow. This verily is that (which you seek).

The Purusha of the size of the thumb is eternal, even if the body perishes. Consciousness, which is Self is eternal on which ideas of body – arise, subsist while changing, and eventually abide. But as the Self – I am verily that pure consciousness, which can be recognized within.

 

puramekādaśadvāramajasyāvakracetasaḥ .

anuṣṭhāya na śocati vimuktaśca vimucyate . etadvai tat .. 1..

2-II-1. The city of the unborn whose knowledge is like the light of the sun, consists of eleven gates. Meditating on Him, one does not grieve and, becoming free (from bondage), one becomes liberated. This verily is that (which you seek).

By undertaking the anuṣthānam, to adore parameśvarā, who shines within this city of 11 gates, as pure consciousness – one recognizes one’s self as that pure Being and thus overcomes all grief. Ishwara Alone Is – is advaitaṃ. This Self which I see, amidst all perishable driśya prapancham, is verily that parameśvarā, who shines within this city of 11 gates, as pure consciousness

 

asya visraṃsamānasya śarīrasthasya dehinaḥ .

dehādvimucyamānasya kimatra pariśiṣyate . etadvai tat .. 4..

2-II-4. When this Self seated in the body is torn away and freed from the body, what remains here? This verily is that (which you seek).

Death is nothing more than body discarded by prāna, on its journey. This journey in no way, takes away the Iśvaratvam of the Self, which is pure consciousness in which all this play of coming and going is seen to subsist. When the body falls, what remains ? – that which always Is remains – namely Self of the nature of pure consciousness.

 

ya eṣa supteṣu jāgarti kāmaṃ kāmaṃ puruṣo nirmimāṇaḥ .

tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate .

tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana . etadvai tat .. 8..

2-II-8. This Purusha who is awake when all are asleep, creating all things cherished, is certainly pure; that is Brahman; that is called the Immortal. All worlds are strung on that; none passes beyond that. This verily is that (which you seek).

Consciousness is the very nature of the actionless Self. Even if prāna is not active in the individual, stimulating and operating in the domain of three gunās, five bhūtās – like in DeepSleep or Death or in samādhi or at the time of pralayam – the Self as pure consciousness or parameśvarā – still goes about it’s leela of sriśti etc. Using ignorance of the Jeevas, as the basis worlds after worlds are created for jeevas to exhaust the karmas – i.e. as Ishwara Sankalpa. All these worlds rest upon pure infinite consciousness, which is verily my Self.

 

ūrdhvamūlo'vākśākha eṣo'śvatthaḥ sanātanaḥ .

tadeva śukraṃ tadbrahma tadevāmṛtamucyate .

tasmim̐llokāḥ śritāḥ sarve tadu nātyeti kaścana . etadvai tat .. 1..

2-III-1. This peepul tree with root above and branches down is eternal. That (which is its source) is certainly pure; that is Brahman and that is called immortal. On that are strung all the worlds; none passes beyond that. This verily is that (which you seek)

The root of this creation is Brahman, which is pure consciousness. This changless Self, appears as this universe in mind boggling infinite, inexhaustible detail. Despite the overwhelming detail ridden duality, nothing whatsoever has any existence, apart from the Self – which is pure consciousness, on which appears this phenomenon. This immutable, irrefutable, experience of existence-Being, which one refers to in first person – as “I” – is verily that infinite Brahman – the source of all creation and yet unmodified whole! This infinite Brahman am I.