Nachiketa : Part 3 : First two varas

This is Part 3 of the four part series on Katopanishad, summarizing the conversation between Lord Yama and Nachiketa.

Nachiketa : Part 1 : The donation

Nachiketa : Part 2 : The journey

Part 3 : First two varas, as told by Lord Yama

I find it perplexing and often annoying to be constantly equated to taxes. Death and taxes, they say, are the only things that are certain. I am sure you have seen people evade taxes, but I bet you don’t hear of people evading me. People do not really look forward to meeting me and having a conversation. A notable exception was Nachiketa.

I was out on one of my errands, closing the books on several people who seemed shocked that it was their turn. I wonder why that reaction, though. Long ago, I had quizzed Yudhishtira (the eldest of the Pandavas) about what he considered as the most surprising thing in this Universe. The wise Yudhishtira replied that the way people go about their lives, completely ignoring their inevitable appointment with me, is a matter of constant surprise. My conversation with the Pandavas is a story for another day. For now, let us get back to my meeting with Nachiketa.

As I headed back home from my travels, I felt a sense of calm in the pathway. It seemed like time had slowed down. As I got to my doorstep, I saw a boy with such radiance the likes of which I had not seen anytime before. “Welcome Nachiketa,” I said.

Taittiriya Upanishad tells us that a guest at your home should be treated with reverence, like how we would treat God. I was horrified to see our young guest had waited for me for three days without accepting any hospitality from our household.

“You are here to see me per your father’s wish. You have waited here for three days, without taking any food or water, and that is not good karma for us” I said. Nachiketa stood up, and did namaskaara to me, gently bowing his head and touching my feet. I helped him up, and it was my turn to bow my head, “Nachiketa, kindly accept my apologies for having made you wait.”

The young boy showed no signs of fatigue or impatience. Rig Veda calls me the king of pitrus, the ancestors, but my presence did not seem to overawe Nachiketa. In fact, I was as eager about this meeting as he was.

How do I redeem myself from the way we have treated a guest, I wondered. What can you offer to someone who probably wants nothing? Still, I had to try. “Please wish us well, Nachiketa, for there is no fire that rages more than the wrath of a learned one. Ask me for three boons, one for each day you have waited for me,” I said.

“I want things to go back to how they were,” started Nachiketa, “and become better.” I sensed a hesitation in his voice. “Please take your time, and complete your thoughts,” I said. “I would like to get back to the body I have left behind,” the young boy steadied his voice, “with my father accepting me back with joy. Bless him to become a changed man, so that he should never want to do such a thing again. This is my request as the first boon.”

I must admit I was very curious about what Nachiketa would ask for his three wishes. As you can imagine, the possibilities were endless, covering the entire spectrum of human desires and greed. His first request seemed reasonable, and there wasn’t much in it to debate. I readily agreed, and assured him that Udhalaka would welcome him back with love and that he would no longer be prone to the bouts of temper that started this saga in the first place.

A casual observer of these proceedings might conclude that Nachiketa is just out to reclaim his life, and would use this opportunity to seek things that ordinary humans strive for throughout their lives. Perhaps material wealth and glory, given that I did not place any limits on what he can ask for. From my own standpoint, I was neither casual about what was happening, nor was I just an observer. “What else is on your mind?,” I asked him.

“I am aware that our ultimate goal is to attain moksha (eternal salvation). I am told that in moksha, we are no longer trapped in the cycles of unending dualities — of life and death, happiness and misery, ups and downs and so on,” continued Nachiketa. “Our scriptures tell us that swarga (heaven) is a temporary station, a stopover on the way to moksha for the deserving. The ones who don’t make the cut return to the cycles of life.” So far, so good. I braced myself for the question. I have seen the undying devotion of men and women to material wealth, and I have seen their agony at having to leave it all behind when it is their time to meet me.

“You have learned the secret of the path to devotion and moksha, and through your penance, you have also understood the role of Agni (the fire god). Pray, tell me why Agni is considered the most important bridge between us and Vishnu, and why do most of our rituals involve Agni?,” asked Nachiketa.

I expected tough questions, and I was prepared. Anyone truly wanting to know the answer to this complex question needs to have shraddha, or an open mind that something that they don’t know or cannot perceive can actually exist.

Agni is perhaps the shortest bridge between us and Narayana, the Supreme. Agni is pure, and also purifies anything that it touches. From a figurative view, Agni is the only way a devotee can offer something to Narayana, and actually see it getting consumed. From being the starting point of Rig Veda, to being an inseparable part of most Santana rituals, Agni occupies the highest pedestal in our lives. I am happy that Nachiketa asked me a question which can reveal the importance of Agni to the world.

“Nachiketa, I will explain the secrets of reaching Narayana through Agni. For Agni represents much more than just the fire you can see. Agni is that devathe(deity) in whom you can discover and worship Narayana more easily than in some of the other elements. You are highly knowledgeable already, and I am happy to teach this to someone who is so deserving,” I said.

“The secrets to reach Narayana are packed in units of three, and let us spend some time unpacking these units and understanding them, “ I continued. “The first trio is about discovering Narayana in Agni (in the ritual fire), in kaala (time), and in oneself. In every brick in the yagna kunda (ritualistic fire pit), every day of our lives, and in our own selves we should discover the supreme.”

I saw Nachiketa taking this all in with rapt attention. I sensed that he would not interrupt me with questions, so I continued. “The next trio are the three types of Vedas — prose, poetry and musical — covering the four Vedas (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Saamaveda, Atharvaveda). All three types shine light on the path to reach Narayana, and they contain in them the secrets of creation and the creator. Vedas help us discover the divine and Agni is widely regarded as a vehicle for this discovery.”

There is much more that happened by way of conversation on the Vedas and Agni, but by now I am sure you are wondering what is on Nachiketa’s mind for the third boon. Before we get there, let us look at how we ended the second topic. “The final trio are the three karmas that we are expected to do to reach the divine. They are — yagna, daana and tapas. While each of them have a complex vedic meaning, in our everyday lives, they are easily attainable. Whatever we do, doing it with purity and as an offering to the supreme is yagna, everything of value we give to others without expecting anything in return is daana, and living a disciplined life as guided by the Vedas is tapas.”

There is nothing more satisfying for a teacher than a student who is eager, and is able to grasp concepts when clear and is able to challenge and debate when things are not clear. I felt fortunate to have found Nachiketa as a keen student of Sanatana Dharma, and without thinking it through entirely, offered him my gold necklace as another gift in addition to the three varas. “Nachiketa, the knowledge that I taught you about Agni will hence be known by your name as Naachiketaagni. Let this knowledge gain reputation far and wide, along with your name.”

I have to admit that I was not fully prepared for Nachiketa’s reaction. “Thank you Lord Yama,” he said with folded hands, “for naming this body of knowledge after me. I will do my best to live up to your expectations. However, I respectfully decline the offer of your gold necklace, for I do not wish to be tied down by such material bonds.”

I realized that these two varas were probably the easy ones, and braced myself for what was to come. I knew Nachiketa would not disappoint. I was proven right, as you will see in the final part of this story when Nachiketa asked the final vara.