उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत
प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत ।
क्षुरस्य धारा निशिता दुरत्यया
दुर्गं पथस्तत्कवयो वदन्ति ॥ १४॥
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata
prāpya varānnibodhata .
kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā
durgaṃ pathastatkavayo vadanti .. 14..
Arise! Awake! Approach the great and learn. Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the wise say-hard to tread and difficult to cross.
Commentary:
Arise, awake! This is a call for us. The Upanishad tells us, “Sleep not, wake up, stand up, gird up your loins.” Prāpya varān nibodhata: Go to competent teachers and Masters and know the secret of this path, because it has already been mentioned that unless the teacher is competent in his approach, knowledge cannot be gained. The competent person has been described as one who is identical with the knowledge, or rather, identical with the object of his knowledge. That is a God-realised man, we may say. A Godman should be your teacher, and until this is achieved, progress is not likely to be speedy. So wake up from your slumber of ignorance. Stand up and prepare yourself for the practice of yoga by contacting great Masters who will bless you with instruction.
Kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā: This path of the Spirit is very subtle, sharp, cutting, invisible to the eyes, like the edge of a razor. The edge of a razor is cutting, sharp, but invisible to the eyes. So is this path. It can cut us if we are not able to walk on it properly. The path to God is invisible to the sense organs. It is said that it is like the path of fish in the water or the path of birds in the air. Birds have a path in space, but we cannot know where that path is. It is invisible. Similar is the path of fish in water; we cannot track them. Likewise is the path of the great souls who tread the path of the Spirit. It is very subtle.
Durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti: A great difficulty is before you. Almost impossible is this achievement. The path of God is an almost impossible endeavour for inefficient people because it is sharp, subtle, invisible, slippery, and not easy to confront. Therefore, take resort to a great Master who will guide you. Do not sleep. Wake up, stand up, and be ready for the great onslaught of this spiritual conquest. This is a great mantra: uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā; durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
Yet do not be frightened. Awake, be up and doing. Do not stop till you have reached the goal. For the sages say that the task is very difficult, like walking on the edge of a razor.[Source] But it is very difficult. It is, as it were, walking on the edge of a razor; the way is long and perilous, but struggle on, do not despair. Awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached.[Source]
Those who dare, therefore, to struggle for victory, for truth, for religion, are in the right way; and that is what the Vedas preach: Be not in despair, the way is very difficult, like walking on the edge of a razor; yet despair not, arise, awake, and find the ideal, the goal.[Source]
When Niranjanananda was in Kankhal, a young man from Varanasi named Kedarnath (later Swami Achalananda), expressed his desire to become a monk. At first the swami discouraged him, saying that the life of a monk is very difficult. He quoted the passage from the Katha Upanishad: “Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, so the wise say — hard to tread and difficult to cross” (1.3.14). But it is equally difficult to stay at home when the fire of renunciation burns in one’s heart: Kedarnath gave up his job and left home. With Niranjanananda’s permission he went to Kankhal in August 1899. Niranjanananda received him cordially, taking him to a dilapidated house where he lived (which is across from the present Mahananda Mission). The next day Niranjanananda gave him an ochre cloth and asked him to repeat the name of Sri Ramakrishna. He taught Kedarnath the basic rule of monastic life: One must live on alms, without possessions, depending on God alone.
Sri Ramakrishna Says —
DOCTOR: “Can you make a horse move forward without first covering his eyes with blinkers? Can one realise God without first controlling the passions?”
MASTER: “What you say is according to the path of discrimination. It is known as jnanayoga. Through that path, too, one attains God. The jnanis say that an aspirant must first of all purify his heart. First he needs spiritual exercises; then he will attain Knowledge.
“But God can also be realised through the path of devotion. Once the devotee develops love for the Lotus Feet of God and enjoys the singing of His name and attributes, he does not have to make a special effort to restrain his senses. For such a devotee the sense-organs come under control of themselves. ….
“One realises God by following the path of discrimination and knowledge. But this is an extremely difficult path. It is easy enough to say such things as, ‘I am not the body, mind, or intellect; I am beyond grief, disease, and sorrow; I am the embodiment of Existence Knowledge-Bliss Absolute; I am beyond pain and pleasure; I am not under the control of the sense-organs’, but it is very hard to assimilate these ideas and practise them. Suppose I see my hand cut by a thorn and blood gushing out; then it is not right for me to say: ‘Why, my hand is not cut by the thorn! I am all right.’ In order to be able to say that, I must first of all burn the thorn itself in the fire of Knowledge. …
MASTER: “Unless a man is guileless, he cannot so easily have faith in God. God is far, far away from the mind steeped in worldliness. Worldly intelligence creates many doubts and many forms of pride — pride of learning, wealth, and the rest. (Pointing to the doctor) But he is guileless. ….
(To the doctor) “The renunciation of ‘woman and gold’ is meant for the sannyasi. He must not look even at the picture of a woman. Do you know what a woman is to a man? She is like spiced pickle. The very thought of pickle brings water to the tongue; it doesn’t have to be brought near the tongue.
“But this renunciation is not meant for householders like you. It is meant only for sannyasis. You may live among women, as far as possible in a spirit of detachment. Now and then you must retire into solitude and think of God. Women must not be allowed there. You can lead an unattached life to a great extent if you have faith in God and love for Him. After the birth of one or two children a married couple should live as brother and sister. They should then constantly pray to God that their minds may not run after sense pleasures any more and that they may not have any more children.” ….
MASTER (to the doctor): “There is such a thing as love for love’s sake. It is very good if one can grow such love. Prahlada loved God for the sake of love. A devotee like Prahlada says: ‘O God, I do not want wealth, fame, creature comforts, or any such thing. Please grant me the boon that I may have genuine love for Thy Lotus Feet.'” (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)
….Brahman alone is real and the world illusory — that is reasoning. And everything but Brahman is like a dream. But this is an extremely difficult path (BG 12.5). To one who follows it even the divine play in the world becomes like a dream and appears unreal; his ‘I’ also vanishes. The followers of this path do not accept the Divine Incarnation. It is a very difficult path. The lovers of God should not hear much of such reasoning. That is why God incarnates Himself as man and teaches people the path of devotion. He exhorts people to cultivate self-surrender to God. Following the path of devotion, one realises everything through His grace — both Knowledge and Supreme Wisdom. God sports in this world. He is under the control of His devotee. (Source: Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna)