In ancient India, yajnas , or sacrifices, were
very common. These were ceremonial
offerings to the gods,for which variouskinds of food articles served as oblations.Once upon a time, a sage named
Vajashrava was performing such a yajna.
It was a very big affair. Many sages,&scores of scholars, had assembled in Vajashrava’s hermitage. This particular
form of yajna requires one to give away all
of his property to charity. And do not forget
in those days one’s wealth was
calculated by the number of cows one owned.
Nachiketa, Vajashrava’s teenage son,
was watching the sacrifice. There was
merriment and a festive mood all around,
But the boy’s mood was different, and his
truthful face showed it. Why? Because he
was looking at the pathetic herd of cows
his father had assembled for the sacrifice.
“Charity is a noble act,” the boy thought to
himself, “and milk cows are of immense
benefit to poor people. But my father has
offered only his oldest and skinniest cows.
These poor animals are so old that they will
probably fall down and die of old age on
their way home. One should not be miserly
while making a show of generosity. This
isn’t charity; it’s a lie.”
But Nachiketa was only a child. What could
he do?
Well, he could at least offer himself
as a part of the sacrifice. He went to his
father and said, “Whom will you give me to
? ” The sage was busy, being the man of
the hour, and did not pay much attention to
what his son was saying. But when
Nachiketa kept repeating his question, he
got annoyed and said:
“Whom do I give you
to? I offer you to Yama, the god of death.”
Nachiketa hadn’t expected this. He
thought: “Why such indifference ? Am I
really so worthless? I am worthier than
many of my father’s disciples. I might not
be the best, but I’m certainly not the
worst!” Even so, Nachiketa decided to go
willingly to the abode of death so that his
father could keep his promise.
Nachiketa told Vajashrava of his decision
.For once, the sage actually heard his son.
But surely he didn’t mean what he said
!Nachiketa prevailed on his father to carryout the promise. He reminded him that
,because death is inevitable, one should
cling to virtues like truthfulness. Truth, he
said, is strong enough to survive the decay
of the body. Nachiketa won the argument.
So with his father’s approval, Nachiketaleft his home for the abode of Yama. When
he reached Yama’s palace, Yama was out
on an errand. When he came back three
days later, Yama was pleased to find the
young guest waiting for him. He said: “You
have lived in my house for three nights
without food. So please ask for three
boons—one for each night you have
waited.” Nachiketa replied: “First of all, my
father is anxiously waiting for me back at
home. May he be calm, and may he
recognize me and talk to me lovingly when I
am with him again, and not think that I am
a ghost. This is the first boon I pray for.”Yama readily granted this.
Then Nachiketa said: “I have heard that the inhabitants of heaven are very happy. There is nothing like disease, hunger or old age there. Please tell me in detail the sacrifice which enables one to go to heaven.”
Yama taught his young guest everything
about the sacrifice, right down to the grade
of bricks required for the altar. When
Nachiketa was able to repeat the
specifications verbatim, Yama was
impressed by the boy’s intelligence. In fact
,Yama was so pleased that he declared that
from then on, the sacrifice would be known
as “Nachiketa.” Yama also gave him a
necklace of jewels. Then he asked him
what his final boon would be.
Nachiketa said: “I have a doubt about the
fate of a human being after death. Some
say that we survive the death of the body
, but there are others who don’t hold this
view. I would like to learn the truth from
you. This is the third boon I ask of you.”
Yama was already pleased with the lad’s
intelligence and self-confidence, but still
,he had to test whether his visitor was fit for
the knowledge of the Supreme Self. So
rather than granting the boon immediately
,he said: “On this matter, even the gods
have doubts. This matter is highly subtle
and not easily comprehended. Ask for
something else.”
Nachiketa replied, “Since even the god
shave doubts about this, and you are a rare
instructor of this subtle knowledge, I
consider no other boon to be worth praying
for.”
Yama began to tempt the lad. He said: “I
am a god whose will never fails. I can grant
wealth and long life. I shall make you a
ruler over a vast territory. Behold, I offer
these dancing girls to you. They will sing
and play to your heart’s content. And I’ll
give you many other enjoyable things as
well. These are what ordinary men are
always yearning for, and now they are all
yours. Just don’t ask me about the
problem of death.”
But it’s no use asking a spiritual genius not
to be curious about death. Natchiketa was
not so easily tempted. He replied, “All
these things you are offering are so fragile
.Man’s life is also short and limited. He
can’t be satisfied with wealth. Can a man
who knows of higher goals be happy with
even a long life of music and frolicking
?Man enjoys many things through the sense
organs, but these organs, too, lose their power after some time. So my mind is not
drawn to these ordinary enjoyments. I
would rather have supreme knowledge.”
Yama realized that Nachiketa could not be
fooled by the lure of wealth. The lad had
passed his test. Yama was pleased to tell
him about the subtle path of knowledge.
What Yama told Nachiketa is contained in
the Katha Upanishad, which is a part of the
Yajur Veda. Here are the fundamentals of
Yama’s teachings:
The Atman, which is pure consciousness,
lives in each of us; that is how we know
that we are conscious. Our body and our
mind appear to be conscious because of
the pure consciousness that is our real essence
, our real ‘I’, or Atman.
Without the sun, we wouldn’t see anything.
But the defects of our eyes do not change
the sun. Similarly, the defects of our body
or mind do not limit the Atman.
We delight in enjoying external objects
through our sense organs. But anyone who
wants the knowledge of the Atman must
check this natural flow of the senses
outward, and instead come face-to-face
with the indwelling Atman. A discriminating
person concentrates on what is real, not
what tastes good or feels good. Such an
individual can direct his whole mind to the
Atman.
The Atman is distinct from the body, the
mind, and the intellect. Our body is like a
chariot; we ride in it. The sense organs are
like the horses, the mind the bridle. Our
intellect is the charioteer trying to steer the
chariot of the body. Ordinary people can’t
follow the straight path because of their
weak intellects and their uncontrolled minds.
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