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Nachiketaa
Read his full story in
Kath
Upanishad
In this story, a boy is
told by his father to go to Death. He goes to Death and the King of Death
sends him back to live. During the Vaidik times, there was a Muni named
Uddaalak Muni, son of Arun and the grandson of Baajshravaa. Once he
performed a Yagya. In that Yagya one had to donate whatever he possessed,
so Uddaalak Muni called Braahman and donated whatever he had. Nachiketaa
was the 16-year old son of Muni Uddaalak. Seeing his father donating "so
called" all his possessions, including a large herd of cows, Nachiketaa
asked him - "Father, You are not donating all your possessions, you are
donating only lots of sick cows who cannot even lift their heads if they
lower their heads to graze. Who is going to praise you for this kind of
donation?"
His father pretends not to hear, but Nachiketaa doesn't stop asking. He
again asks - "Father, I am also your possession, to whom you will give
me?" His father gets irritated by a series of his questions, so he replies, "I will give you to Yam Raaj." His father said it only in anger, but the boy took it seriously. He
thinks, "I am one of the best disciples of my father, then why does he say
this to me? What is the purpose he wants to achieve by giving me to Yam
Raaj? When he wants to give me to Yam Raaj, then I will certainly go to
Yam Raaj, even if he has said it in fury, his orders must be followed." So
he said to his father - "Our ancestors have never hesitated to give their
lives for Truth, by doing so please give me the permission to go to Yam Raaj." Muni repented his words, but seeing his son's honesty he allowes
him to go to Yam Raaj and Nachiketaa leaves home to go to Yam Raaj. Just a
thoughtless sentence said in a non-serious mood, "I will give you to Yam
Raaj" takes Nachiketaa to the Lord of Death - Yam Raaj.
Nachiketaa at Yam's Gate
As Nachiketaa comes to
Death or Yam, the King is not at home. He is very busy in carrying out his
duties. The boy sits at the door and says, "No problem, I will wait for
him." He cannot go back. It is said that the Buddha also, after six or
seven years of searching, sat down in meditation with the resolve not to
rise again until he had found the Eternal in this very life. Nachiketaa is
also doing the same.
He waits there for three days and three nights - without food, water and
sleep. When Yam comes back, his wife informs him that "some extraordinary
Braahman guest is at the door to see him. Since a guest is like Agni Dev,
he must be served and offered food. This Braahman boy has been here for three
days and three nights without food, water and sleep, he shall be pacified only
when you yourself serve him." Yam receives him cordially with hospitality
and says to himself, "He is very young but he has done a daring act. What
is he up to?" Then he says loudly - "O Boy, I am a very poor host, so I
give you three boons as the compensation for spending three days and three
nights at my door without food, water and sleep."
The First Boon:
Forgiveness
Nachiketaa asks his first boon for his father, that his father should not
be angry at him when he returns home. He should be happy to see him in the
same way as he was when he looked at him when he was born. Yam promises -
"Your father will see you again as he saw you for the first time and his
heart will be at peace." This boon was very essential because without
forgiving somebody one cannot open the doors of Death. [Normally people
ask for everybody's forgiveness, and forgive everybody before dying.]
The Second
Boon: Kundalinee
The second boon he asks for, after setting to his house in order and at
peace, - "I have heard that there is a land in which one lives free from
old age and is forever young. They also say that you know an Agni Vidyaa
(fire sacrifice or Yagya) that leads to this land. Teach me that sacrifice
as my second boon." So Yam tells him about that Yagya too.
The Third Boon:
Immortality
Yam said - "Nachiketaa, Now you ask for your third boon." Nachiketaa said
- "I want to know the secret of life and death. When you take away the
life of somebody, where does he go? Is that the end, or there is something
which you cannot kill? And if that is the end, then also I want to be
certain; and if it is possible to go beyond death, then show me the way.
Teach me the truth. I am your obedient student." Death is very pleased to
hear this from Nachiketaa because although he has met lot many people
during his work, but very few people wanted to learn anything from him.
Death is ready to teach him this but he wants to give him a final test
before he imparts that knowledge to him, so he says - "Nachiketaa, You are
very young. Many people have asked me this question before, so if you like you can
read what they say about death. Besides, it is a difficult concept to
understand, I don't think you can understand it."
Nachiketaa says - "O Death, Harder is better. You are the Lord of death,
so who else can tell me about this better than you; and I want no other boon." Yam
warns him - "I said, it is not easy, the path is sharp as a razor's edge.
You need superhuman tolerance and dedication to know about it. Ask for
some other boon." Nachiketaa wants to say something, that Yam interrupts
him - "Wait, First listen to what I want to say. You can have as many sons
and grandsons as you like, and wealth too, and any number of all kinds of
animals. No strings attached. All these animals will come to you with lots
of money to maintain them and land to live upon. And more - how long do
you want to live, one century? or two centuries? and everlasting vitality
too." And Yam looks at his face to see his reactions.
Nachiketaa says - "Is that all? But at the end of my life you will take me
away." Ignoring him Yam says - "If you don't want these, ask for something
else. Give me a complete list of your desires and I will fulfill all of
them." After a short pause he spoke again - "Perhaps, Nachiketaa, you are
too young to choose which pleasures you should ask for. Let me show you
something." He creates a scene before him - of a contest among celestial
beauties. Yam described each beauty's characteristics and said - "You will
not see such girls on Earth and they will never get old." Nachiketaa is
still silent. Yam further says - "OK, I agree, it is difficult to choose,
you may take them all."
When desires are unified and the will becomes nearly invincible, every
human capacity becomes stronger. To desire something is to will it. If a
person has attained this state, he can succeed in fulfilling all his
feats. The boy replies pondering over them - "They are no blessings, you
are offering me a curse because even if I live for thousands of years,
wouldn't I end up in the same situation?" Death is silent. It is true.
When Praan goes, Praan goes, whether one lives for five years or five
thousand years, it doesn't matter. Nachiketaa continues - "Tell me which
sensual pleasure lasts forever?" Death is again silent. The boy further
says - "And after everything, won't you come to me and cut my life's
thread? Then what is the use of all those pleasures? O Death, While I am
mortal, my life is not my own. As long as you allow me to live, I live;
when you say "come", ad I have to go. What kind of life is that? Look, who do you
think I am, that you can buy me with these trinkets? You may keep them for
yourself and then tell me for how long they can satisfy you?"
Yam Raaj knew that this child cannot be diverted, so he grants
him the third boon also.
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