Naciketas (Nachikethas) was a famous hermit boy by his intelligent. Katopanishad is the exhortation given by Yamadeva the God of Death to this hermit boy. There is a story to substantiate this statement.
There
was a hermit by name Vajasravas the father of Nachikethas, once performed
sacrifices. At the end of the
sacrifices, hermit Vajasravas gave as alms, cows which had grown lean by old-age
and lack of food. Nachiketas felt
grieved at this action of his father. He
asked his father, “Father! To whom are you going to give me?” On hearing this enraged Vajasravas replied
his son, “You are to be given to Yama.”
On
hearing these cruel words of his father, the boy Nachikethas went to the palace
of Yama who had been away. For three
days and nights the boy waited there without food and drink.
When
Yama returned, the boy Nachikethas was happy and cheerful and Yama was pleased
with him. Yama promised Nachikethas to
give three boons and he asked him what boon Nachikethas wanted.
The
clever Nachikethas asked the first boon that “Give me the boon that my father
will be pleased and not angry with me.”
The
second was, “Advise me how to attain heaven.”
And the third was “Tell me solution of the mystery, whether the soul
remains after the death?”
On
listening to the intellectual Nachikethas, Yama granted the first two boons and
said to him, “Dear! Child! Nachikethas! This is a difficult question.” So ask for another boon such as long life,
power over the world, and all the pleasures of the world and so on.
Then
the intelligent Nachikethas replied: “The things you have promised to give me
are useless things because after a while the organs of sense will become
fragile. The life also will end. So please tell me. I want the answer to my question.”
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