KathaUpanishad

vi̱jñāna̱ sāra̍thir ya̱ stu̱ mana̍ ḥ pragraha̱ vā̍n naraḥ |
so̱'dhvana̱ ḥ pāra̍m āpnoṯi̱ ta̱ d viṣṇo̎ ḥ para̱ mam pa̱ dam || 9 ||
vijñāna = insight;
sārathiḥ = as the charioteer;
yaḥ naraḥ tu = that person who;
manaḥ pragrahavān = with the mind as the reins;
saḥ = he;
adhvanaḥ pāram = the final destination;
āpnoti = reaches, attains;
tat = that;
viṣṇoḥ = of Heavens.
paramam = is the supreme;
padam = place/state;
But he who has understanding for his charioteer, and who holds the reins of the
mind, he reaches the end of his journey, and that is the highest place of Heavens.'
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Johnston gives the following comment:
"This famous simile of the chariot, suggests the setting of the Bhagawad Gita, where
Krishna and Arjuna ride in the chariot between the assembled armies. But, while
Krishna acts as Arjuna.’s charioteer, the simile here is somewhat changed; the lord of
the chariot is Atma, the Human Spirit the presence of parrt of God; he acts through
Buddhi, the charioteer, with Manas, the combined mental and emotional nature, as the
reins; the five powers of perception and the five powers of action which act through the
organs of the body are the horses and the world of objective life is the road. The ideal
is, that the inteliigence and will of Buddhi, which embodies Atma, should rule firmly the
mental and emotional nature in conformity with Atma, so that the mind thinks spiritual
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