Kathopanishad - Nachiketa and Angel of Death - Part 1

Upanishads, the great philosophical and Spiritual Scriptures of ancient India contain many great practical and immortal lessons for our day to day life; regardless of time or place – in the form of stories or dialogues between teacher and a student or between some learned people or sages. 

One of such great Holy Scripture is Kath Upanishad - pronounced as one word ‘Kathopanishad’.

It tells the story of a young prince named Nachiketa. 

It starts with a short conversation between Nachiketa and his father and then the rest of the Upanishad is dedicated to the dialogues - in form of questions and answers between Nachiketa and Yamraj - the god* of ‘Death’.
                          This is how the story begins:

Nachiketa’s father, Ushan Vaajshravas (son of Vaajshrava) - was performing a Vishwajit Yajna - a Vedic ritual. Nine-year-old prince Nachiketa was playing outside with his friends when he noticed a thousand cows sitting in the field. 

He went to his father and asked what was going on.

The king was busy talking to his ministers and advisors - discussing the details of the Yagna.  He did not want to be interrupted. 

So he told Nachiketa to go away and not to disturb him. 

The boy was curious – he walked around and found out that those thousand cows were being given in alms to the poor Brahmans /priests. 

He looked at the cows closely and thought: 

              पीतोदका - जग्धतृणा - दुग्धदोहा  - निरिन्द्रियः 
              (Peetodka - jagdhTrina - Dugdhdoha -Nirindriyah)

'These cows have drunk all the water they could, have eaten all the grass they could - and have yielded all the milk they could and are barren; cannot produce any more offspring.' 

He went back to his father and said: These cows are so weak and frail that they have no energy to even drink the water or eat the grass on their own. They are too old – can neither produce milk nor any offspring. 
               'अनन्दा नाम ते लोकास्तान्स गच्छति ता ददत '
                ‘Anandaa naam te Lokastaans Gachhati Ta Dadat’

'Joyless is the worlds which he attains who gives such Dakshina – gifts or alms (to the priests or poor)'

The father did not like his nine-year-old son to preach to him what is right and what is not. 

He angrily said “I am giving all that I have” and shooed him away. 

But the boy kept coming back to his father asking the same question over and over again. 
Each time, the father was getting angrier. 

                         स होवाच पितरं तत कस्मै मां दास्यतीति 
                 'Sa hovaach Pitram - tat kasmai maam daasyateeti?'
“Tell me, father  - if you are giving away all that you have - then - to whom will I be given to?” Nachiketa asked. 

                      द्वितीयं तृतीयं तं होवाच - मृत्यवे त्वां ददामीति 
              'Dviteeyam, triteeyam tam hovaach - Mrityuvay tvaam dadaameeti'

After being asked a second time and third time - the father lost his temper and shouted: 

“Unto Death, I shall give thee”. 

              ~~~~~~~~~~      ~~~~~~~~~~~

                    To be Continued 

                                     ' Rajan Sachdeva '

Note:*The word god does not really convey the proper or actual meaning of the Sanskrit or Hindi words Deva and Devata; pronounced Dev and Devtaa respectively, meaning ‘giver’ or provider. Therefore, father, mother, teacher, and anyone else who provides physical or financial security and knowledge is also called Dev, such as Pitri-dev, Maatri-dev, Guru-dev, etc. 

In English however, the word Dev has been translated occasionally as an angel and mostly god with a lower case g.