Daily Reflections....

The Seeker.

Simple stories from Upnishads are pregnant with great wisdom. Absract laws of metaphysics are easily explained in them.Children understand these subtle truths sitting in their granny’s lap,listening to bedtime stories.Later as adults they seek guidance from them in the time of crisis. One such story is the story of Nachiketa-son of Rishi Gautam who solves the riddle of life for us…….

It was a common practice among the Rishis of Vedic times to organise Yajnas and donate magnanimously to get name and fame.So Rishi Gautam also organised a yajna and decided to give away all his possessions to the Brahmins. He was so carried away by this idea that he did not realise that the cows he was gifting away were old and sick.His son Nachiketa witnessed all this with dismay.He knew very well that such gifts would not get his father any credit,neither in this world nor in the other.Intelligent as he was,he thought of an idea that would make the donations worthy.He saw his father busy attending to the Brahmins and just then he asked him”Father you have given away all your possessions,to whom do you plan to give me?”His father brushed him aside. Nachiketa persisted with his questions. Gautam got irritated and said “I give you to Death”This reply surprised Nachiketa and he understood that his father had said this in a fit of anger.Yet he decided to honour his father’s order.He also knew that going to the house of death was nothing new,he had seen everyone going to the house of death.Thinking so he proceeded to the house of death.

Yama, the lord of house of death, was not at home when Nachiketa reached his abode. Nachiketa had no choice but to wait.He waited at the gate for three days and three nights without any food and water.When Yama returned,he was disturbed to see a young Brahmin boy fasting at his gate.He immediately instructed his servants to arrange for a suitable welcome for the Rishi son. Yama was scared as he knew his lapse could get him into trouble so to make amends he politely offered Nachiketa to ask for three boons. Nachiketa knew that his father must be repentful of his order and worried about him.He wanted to ease his mind.He requested Yama to calm his father and enable him to recoganise him when he went home. Yama was pleased to grant him this boon and was impressed by Nachiketa’s sense of duty. As a second boon Nachiketa asked Yama to explain the procedure to go to heaven. Yama explained him the procedure in detail the –right from laying of bricks for the altar ,the lighting of the fire,the offerings to be made and the mantras to be chanted.He also explained that who so ever performed this yajna would go to heaven and be free from the fear of birth and death.Next Yama quizzed Nachiketa about what he had explained. Nachiketa repeated the whole procedure in detail.Yama was pleased and honoured to have such a student.He proclaimed that hence forth the procedure will be known as the “Nachiketa ‘s Sacrifice”.Yama urged Nachiketa to ask for the third boon. Nachiketa composed himself and asked “Is there life after death?””What happens to man when he dies?”Yama was surprised to hear this query. He explained to Nachiketa that this was difficult to understand and even the gods could not understand this mystery.He requested Nachiketa to ask some other boon.He offered Nachikleta all the opulence,power ,prosperity,long life,children and infinite the pleasures of life.Nachiketa heard Yama’s offer with profound attention and after good thought insisted on his query.He reminded that whatever Yama offered was transient in nature and what Nachiketa wanted to know was the ABSOLUTE TRUTH! And also if it was a mystery then who would be better to reveal it to him than the immortal god of death. Yama was pleased to see Nachiketa’s resolve and sincerity.

Yama described that two options are always open to man-the path of shreyas and the path of preyas. Shreyas is the path of wisdom and good deeds. Those who choose this path do face difficulties but these are temporary.They ultimately achieve their goal of immortal knowledge. Those who tread the path of preyas get instant pleasure but reach nowhere.They revolve in the ever ending cycle of birth and death. Yama explained further that only a true seeker can get to the TRUE ESSENCE. This true essence is the immortal self in us. Sooksham (minutest) se sooksham tu hai sthul (big) itna,ki jisme yeh Brahmand(universe) sara samata is the only MYSTERY.One who has realised the self in him and in all,becomes free from the fetters of the world. The soul never dies,it is only the body that is rendered useless and gets amalgamated in the panchtatvas. To really live in this truth is the only aim worth striving for.He encouraged and congratulated Nachiketa for his forte to tread this path of shreyas.

To-day we thank Nachiketa to unravel this mystery for us so much so that this irrefutable truth is known even to illiterate people in our country!

Forever in Gratitude to Her Divine Grace!