Nachiketa

Nachiketa

Nachiketa (Sanskrit: नचिकेत) also known as Nachiketā (Sanskrit: नचिकेता, Bengali: নচিকেতা Odia:ନଚିକେତା) or Nachiketas (Sanskrit: नचिकेतस्) was the son of the sage Vājashravas (Sanskrit: वाजश्रवस्, lit. famous for donations) also known as Vājashravā (Sanskrit: वाजश्रवा) is the child protagonist in an ancient Hindu fable about the nature of the soul and Brahman. The story is told in the Katha Upanishad (c. 5th century BCE), though the name has several earlier references. He was taught Self-knowledge, the separation of the human soul (the supreme Self) from the body, by the god of Death, Yama. Nachiketa is noted for his rejection of material desires which are ephemeral, and for his single-minded pursuit of the path of realizing Brahman / Moksha i.e. emancipation of the soul from rebirth.

The word 'Nachiketa' has various meanings which are interrelated with its other meanings.

The Rigveda 10.135 talks of Yama and a child, who may be a reference to Nachiketa. He is also mentioned in the Taittiriya Brahmana, 3.1.8 Later, in the Mahabharata, the name appears as one of the sages present in the Sabha (royal assembly) of King Yudhishthira (Sabha Parva, Section IV,) and also in the Anusasana Parva (106). However, the primary story, dealing with the dialogue between Nachiketa and Yama, comes from the later Katha Upanishad, which is summarized below.

Vājashravasa, desiring a gift from the gods, started an offering to donate all his possessions. But Nachiketa noticed that he was donating only the cows that were old, barren, blind, or lame; not such as might buy the worshiper a place in heaven. Nachiketa wanting the best for his father's rite, asked: "I too am yours, to which god will you offer me?". After being pestered thus, Vājashravasa answered in a fit of anger, "I give you to Death (Yama)".

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