Questions of Death – Stories from Kaṭhopaniṣad - Story

 

Nachiketa is a small boy who woke up and went to the Godavari for his bath. With his Nithya-karma (Daily routine and prayers) being done after his bath he praised all the gods in four directions and the above and below. After he praises the sun and takes his wet and soggy clothes back to his home near the banks. When he goes, he calls his father. He says we need to cook for today’s meal and says he needs this and that for the meal with good taste. Soon he hears no reply from his father. So, he started to search for his father. He was not able to find it. He goes up and down the streets and runs to every corner of the house in search. Soon he finds his father on his bed. 

He finds it suspicious that his father won’t sleep in the early morning as he would start his routine early and not this late. Nachiketa then goes near his father and tries to wake him up. He doesn’t, he refuses, he doesn’t react.

Soon he tries to push his dad while he lay like hay. His body was cold. His mouth which would utter Nachiketa was immobile. Soon he checks for a heartbeat. When he was a child, he used to lean on his father and hug him to the chest tightly to hear the heartbeat. He hears silence. The same silence that the universe heard before creation. The same silence which the universe will hear when it is destroyed. He rushes and takes the wrist and tries to sense the pulse while it doesn’t beat. Soon all fail he tries to review his father from the ultimatum. He tries to splash water, tries to give medicines while the body doesn’t take them in and refuses to accept like Nachiketa’s heart that his father died. 

Soon he understands that his father is dead. Like a dried leave his father is fallen into deep sleep. Like those rivers take those dried leave to the ocean the soul, the Atma of my father left his father to the underworld. The world of Yama. The world of death. The world where all his forefather resides till their rebirth. 

Soon he finds that there is no way he can get his father back by his manual power. Soon he finds that he needs to call the gods and angel to help. So, he remembers his father taught him that south is the direction of Yama the God of Death and need to be chanted his hymn every 3rd part of the day. So, he starts to say those hymns.

यमाय नमः

यमाय धर्मराजाय मृत्यवे चान्तकाय च

वैवस्वताय कालाय सर्वभूतक्षयाय च

औधुम्बराय धग्नये नीलाय परमेष्ठिने

वृकोदराय चित्राय चित्रगुप्ताय वै नमः

चित्रगुप्ताय वै नमः ॐ नमः इति

(Yamaya nama

Yamaya dharma rajaya, mrutyuve cha anthakaya cha

Vaivaswathaya kalaya sarva bhootha kshayaya cha

Oudhumbharaya dhagnaya neelaya parameshtine

Vrukodharaya chithraya chithra gupthaya vai nama

Chithra gupthaya vai nama om nama ithi)

Meaning: Salutations to Lord Yama, the god of death and justice. Yamaya dharma Rajya: Salutations to Lord Yama, the ruler of righteousness. Salutations to Lord Yama, the conqueror of death and the destroyer. Salutations to Lord Yama, the son of Vivasvan (the Sun god) and the lord of time. Salutations to Lord Yama, the one who brings about the destruction of all beings. Salutations to Lord Yama, who holds a staff and a noose. Salutations to Lord Yama, who has a blue complexion and is supreme. Salutations to Lord Yama, who rides a buffalo and is depicted beautifully. Salutations to Lord Yama, the hidden and mysterious one like the Fig flower which resides inside fig fruit. Salutations again and again to the mysterious and hidden Lord Yama.

He repeats this for a lot of times. He closes his eyes which overflow with tears and wipes them and again chants it. Soon the time passed but his belief didn’t go. He said and in the Yamakandha kalam arrived and soon lands trembled and shook to the core. Soon a black and huge buffalo came with golden ornaments. Soon a huge man with a perfect body. With huge muscles and a huge crown. With the horns of the dead cow, he adores comes slowly. He then comes near Nachiketa.

Nachiketa froze too cold with the ominous presence of the god of death. He froze to death and turned and made his waist around his body just like he trying to escape death. Soon Yama comes out his buffalo and comes near Nachiketa. Soon he touches him and says Nachiketa fell to his feet and said “Bless me the lord of death. The god of the almighty is the cycle keeper of the world. The person who upholds the dharma and righteousness in the current world.”

“Say me my child you called the person who is never called to the Midgard. I was considered not fortune. You made me happy. So, I grant you three Boons ask them.”

“Please return my father to Midgard for another span of me and let him live happily in his living time without any problem.”

Yama reply “Dadasthu (Amen)”

“Please tell me the secret why all are sacrificed to the fire. What is the significance? “Asked Nachiketa

“Nachiketa all matter is made from this fire. And all the matter returns to fire. Those who wish to be in the cycle of nature will be given to fire.” Replied Yama

“Nachiketa because you asked the question from now on the fire will be called Nachiketa-Agni.” Said Yama

Yama then asked, “Ask your third boon.”

“O lord and almighty teach me what happens after death. Teach me what is death.” Asked Nachiketa

“Nachiketa it hard to give that secret, instead I give you long years to live have it.” Replied Yama

“O lord of death you are the person who could tell me the right answer to it please answer it.” Again, asked Nachiketa.

“Nachiketa even gods don’t understand this properly ask for 1000 Goats, Cow, Buffalo, Horses and Elephants I may provide you those all don’t ask this.” Replied Yama

“O Dharmaraja, I may only live for another 70 – 80 years. Whatever I get as wealth will be lost if I'm dead. If I learn this secret and teach another 100 my name will be retained to be immortal, and my wealth of knowledge will not be erased. I don’t want any of this wealth and boons. I just need this knowledge.”

Yama refused many times, but Nachiketa didn’t he asked again and again. In the end, Yama agrees and says “Nachiketa to gain this knowledge you need to leave your passion, your desire. You did it and proved to be worthy. Now it's time for you to learn the Atama Vidhya.”

Then Yama sat on a chair of silk and silver and a golden desk and asked Nachiketa to sit down near him.

“Nachiketa first you should know why you should learn Atma Vidhya to understand death. Death is just a stop we all endure before the next birth. But when it happens you feel the same pain of leaving the last breath as equivalent to the first birth of your child in another time. But in the middle, you go through me as a medium to judge your karma and decide what will be your next birth.

But for you to attain rebirth there is a medium which I carry which remembers all the birth it has taken. From a low amoeba to a high-level spirit like Yakshas, I need a material. And that is your Atama.

तं दुर्दर्शं गूढमनुप्रविष्टं

गुहाहितं गह्वरेष्ठं पुराणम् ।

अध्यात्मयोगाधिगमेन देवं

मत्वा धीरो हर्षशोकौ जहाति ॥

Meaning: He (the Atman), difficult to be seen, full of mystery, the Ancient, primaeval one, concealed deep within, He who, by yoga means of meditation on his self, comprehends Atman within him as God, He leaves joy and sorrow far behind.

The material is in a delusional state. It is there but not there but its presence can be felt by five senses. So Atama is the key to learning after death. But normal people are not trained enough to drive their ataman to moksha or liberation in a way to no rebirth and becoming one with the Parabrahma (Supreme consciousness).

For that first, you should know what you should do to your Atama. Hearing this instruction makes it easy to do but in the reality of Midgard, it becomes very tough as other factors affect your way of living.

स मोदते मोदानीयान् हि लभ्ध्वा।

Meaning: To have a blissful Athman you must rejoice all. It gives the atman real happiness. 

After you give happiness to you. The true self. When you come to know that your body is controlled by your atman and not your min or heart you will realise that all are having atman and the Chaitanya (Action done by atman) is the truth. 

उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत।

Meaning: Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.

To achieve the Atama Vidhya is by destroying the ignorance that you are you. You should be your asthma. Atama did all till that by the help of yoga, Veda and Vedanta you give eternal happiness to your Atama. When you destroyed the ignorance and the illusion (Maya) of your body you will come to know You are eternal, you are the Parabrahma, and You are eternally happy. This pity materialistic happiness may make your body the Maya pleasures but not the Atama but gives pain.

अन्यो वा अरेऽथो अन्योऽरे नेहैवार्थे प्रियः प्रियार्थे।

अर्थं च नियच्छति मन्यमानो यः,

स एव सः सुखमेधते परं च॥

सुखं ब्रह्मचर्यं विषयं प्रियं च।

द्वयं भूतानां मनसाऽनुविचिन्वन्।

सुखं च ब्रह्मचर्यं च यो वेत्ति,

प्रियं च ब्रह्मचर्यं वेत्ति द्विषः॥

(Meaning: Different is the good and different is the dear,

 they both, having different aims, fetter you men.

 He, who chooses for himself the good, comes to wellbeing,

 he, who chooses the dear, loses the goal.

 The good and the dear approach the man,

 The wise man, pondering over both, distinguishes them.

 The wise one chooses the good over the dear,

 The fool, acquisitive and craving, chooses the dear.)

When the pleasure to your body gives pleasure which are very nice and dear to you, it is not good. The good is one which is good to your Atama. The one which is chosen by the wise. 

नविरतो दुष्चरितात् नासन्तो नासमाहितः।

नासन्त-मनसो वापि प्रज्ञानेनैनम्-अप्नुयात्॥

Meaning: Those who crave for worldly pleasures and various enjoyments cannot focus on the Atma (soul) and therefore cannot attain supreme knowledge. As you mentioned, one should abstain from these temporary pleasures and instead strive for supreme knowledge (Vairagya). By striving with this understanding of the Atma, one can attain liberation and merge with the Parabrahma (supreme consciousness) after death, just as a part rejoins the whole.

Moved by the immense knowledge he received; Nachiketa fell at the feet of Yama Dharmaraja. He asked Yama, "How can this complex idea be understood by ordinary working-class people, and how can they attain liberation?"

Yama responded, "Your narration of this story will enable people to attain moksha."

Curious, Nachiketa inquired, "Who is Parabrahma?"

Yama laughed and replied, "Everyone is Parabrahma. I am Parabrahma, all eleven Rudra are Parabrahma, all 24 avatars of Vishnu are Parabrahma, and you are Parabrahma."