Katha Upanishad 3.1
intermediate
ऋतं पिबन्तौ सुकृतस्य लोके गुहां प्रविष्टौ परमे परार्धे। छायातपौ ब्रह्मविदो वदन्ति पञ्चाग्नयो ये च त्रिणाचिकेताः॥
ṛtaṃ pibantau sukṛtasya loke guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe | chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ ||
""There are two who drink the fruits of karma in the world of good deeds, entered into the cave, in the highest space. Knowers of Brahman call them shadow and light, as do householders who perform the five fires and the triple Nachiketa fire.""
What This Means:
Two entities dwell in the heart's cave: the individual self (jiva) and the supreme Self (Atman). One experiences karma (shadow), the other is pure light.
Going Deeper:
This introduces the famous "two birds" metaphor found in the Mundaka Upanishad - one eats the fruits, the other watches.
How To Apply This:
Within you are two: the experiencer caught in action, and the witness untouched by it. Know both.
#two selves#cave#karma