The story so far reveals Nachiketa’s noble qualities. He had shraddha, an understanding of the context of the shastras and Vedic rituals, and was mature enough to sacrifice himself and abide by the words of his father. In this mantra, Nachiketa objectively says that “I am well qualified as a student.” He says he is the first among the many, which justifies that he is truly an adhikari.
The shastras specify that students are of three calibres — the best, mediocre, and worst. The best student is one who is acutely intelligent, able to understand and infer the guru’s perspective. He understands the guru’s needs and fulfills them even before they are explicitly expressed. Mediocre students are those who merely accomplish the instructions of the guru. They do nothing more and nothing less. Worst students do neither. They take no initiative and do not even accomplish what is told. They only keep receiving from the guru.
Nachiketa is telling his father that it is truly unbecoming of him to behave miserly when their forefathers were true givers. His forefather was Vajashravah, which means one who has become famous for his charity.
The message contained in this mantra is the essence of Sanatana Dharma — the philosophy of rebirth. The concept of rebirth, or the theory of reincarnation, is based on the law of causation, which presents two other laws: the law of destiny and the law of karma. The law of destiny connects the present to the past. The present is not an accidental happening; it is a continuous chain of life connecting the dead past. The law of karma extends into the unborn future. The law of causation covers the past, present, and future. If we understand this concept of causation, we become the masters of our lives and take full responsibility for our situations. The majority of problems in life are then resolved.
By comparing life to a corn that decays, dies, and is born again, Nachiketa is speaking of the next janma. The metamorphosis of life passes through these phases — birth, growth, disease, decay, and death. The Bhagavad Gita speaks of two types of people in the world — those who have gone and those yet to go. Just as the corn decays, the cycle of birth and death continues. So why lead a life of adharma?
Delusion and attachment are the primary reasons one clings to one’s pocket of wealth. Sage Adi Shankaracharya, in Bhaja Govindam, says:
नलिनीदलगतजलमतितरलं तद्वज्जीवितमतिशयचपलम् ।
विद्धि व्याध्यभिमानग्रस्तं लोकं शोकहतं च समस्तम् ॥ ४॥
Water on a lotus leaf is extremely unsteady; so too is life very unstable. Understand that the world is consumed by disease and conceit and is afflicted with sorrow.
In Chapter 3, Verse 20 of the Gita, Lord Krishna emotionally appeals to Arjuna: “Verily, by action alone many wise men and kings like Janaka attained moksha.” Arjuna wanted to abandon action, but Lord Krishna urged him to fight the war and attain perfection through karma, like the wise men. One should perform karma not merely for oneself, but with an eye on the welfare of the world, and thereby attain moksha.
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।
लोकसङ्ग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ 20 ॥
karmaṇaiva hi saṃsiddhimāsthitā janakādayaḥ |
lōkasaṅgrahamēvāpi sampaśyankartumarhasi ||
The son of Vivasvan, the Sun God, is Lord Yama. Nachiketa enters the house of Lord Yama.
Heaven and hell are not geographical places; they are states of mind that one experiences. One may go through pleasant experiences in life, which is heaven (punya), or tragedies, which is hell (papa). Even when things are going well, one can still be discontented, miserable, overly desirous, or complaining. Likewise, one may be going through a difficult phase in life and yet use the opportunity to struggle and shine. Heaven and hell are mindsets, not physical destinations. Although we say that our karma puts us through difficult or pleasant times, we can go a step further and say it is also defined by how we process these experiences in our minds.
When Nachiketa enters the house of Lord Yama, Yama is not present. So Nachiketa waits for three days and three nights without food or water. He stands at the gate, as it was the culture in those days not to enter a house if the head of the family was absent. He puts himself into a self-imposed fast.
The significance of fasting is that it is an act of self-control and self-imposed discipline. It is tapas and a prerequisite for a sadhaka to lead a life of adhikari and receive Brahma Vidya. Contrary to this is incessant sense contact. A person who leads a life of constant indulgence is unfit for spiritual study.
Our Hindu culture highlights how a brahmana should be received. A brahmana is one of highly sattvic nature — evolved, mature, cultured, pure, and righteous — and is therefore highly respected and revered. To have a brahmin boy waiting and not be received by the head of the family is considered highly disrespectful.
A brahmana is said to be like a double-edged sword, like fire. Fire, when kept under control and used rightly, becomes a symbol of worship. The same fire, when uncontrolled, can burn down a house and cause catastrophic destruction. Fire must be handled delicately. Similarly, a brahmana can clear the forest of samsara for you so that you can walk the spiritual path. He creates a way out of samsara. If not treated properly, he can curse and destroy.
One interpretation is that a brahman entering the house like fire symbolizes the burning desire — mumukshatva — for spiritual knowledge. Fire refers to the inner fire, Vaishvanara, to achieve the goal conceived by the intellect. The nature of the mind is to drift away from the goal. So how fired are you to ensure your mind is kept in check and does not fall prey to its nature? The intellect must be ignited so that it leads the mind toward the goal. Otherwise, it becomes a prey to the mind. You burn desires and propel the intellect forward. This is the fuel energy to reach the goal.
After three days, when Lord Yama returns, he seeks to appease Nachiketa. He orders water to be brought to receive the brahmana and wash the feet of the man of wisdom. Lord Yama grants Nachiketa three boons, since he waited for three days and three nights.
