The analogy of the two birds mentioned in the Katopanishad, and also in the Mundaka and Svetasvatara, unfolds many nuances about the jivatma who is essentially a unique blend of the human and the divine, pointed out Sri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal in a discourse. Two birds are shown to dwell on the same tree as inseparable companions. The former represents the individual self and the latter the Supreme soul. The entire gamut of the bitter-sweet human experience in a jivatma’s life is represented by the bird that is involved in tasting the fruit. This analogy vividly captures the value of the wonderful in-built capacity that places a jivatma in dual roles as both a participant and a witness.

Source: The Hindu September 11, 2016 22:41 UTC