बहूनामेमि प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः ।
किँ स्विध्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाऽद्य करिष्यति ॥
Nachiketa thought , “let me be the first to do among those who are going to die. Everyone is going to die. I will go a little earlier. Like corn which ripens and falls and then , comes up again. Everything is temporary. People are dying and I will also die. It’s just that I am going a little early , I am going to go to the Lord of Death.”
Nachiketa knew that his father said it in anger , but he still went to death. This is very beautiful. This Upanishad is about dialogue of this young boy and the Lord of Death.
What is death? What is the ultimate secret that nobody is able to unwind? What is that? There is another story related to Nachiketa. Once , Vajashravas was praying on a river bank. He accidently left all his belongings on the river bank and came back home. He told his son , “I forgot my pot. Go and get it.” By the time Nachiketa went to the river bank , the water had risen and the flood had washed away all his father’s belongings – yoga mat , pitcher , water pot , etc.
Nachiketa came back and said that all those belongings were lost. Vajashravas got angry and said , “You are useless. Why you didn’t do anything? You better die. You are good for nothing. Get lost. ” Nachiketa immediately died there. That is why you should never say negative things if you are a good sadhak. Your words carry power. If you call someone stupid , even though that person is not stupid, he will become stupid. Vajashravas was such a great sadhak. He said , “You are good for nothing, you better die” and that boy fell on the floor and died right then. When his son died , Vajashravas became miserable. “Oh My God! What I have done?”
अनुपश्य यथा पूर्वे
प्रतिपश्य तथाऽपरे ।
सस्यमिव मर्त्यः पच्यते
सस्यमिवाजायते पुनः ॥
Now the experience of death is described here – what happened to Nachiketa. The spirit of Nachiketa left the body and went to the abode of Yama , the lord of death. Yama told him , “You have come here just because your father’s words are so powerful and they had to be fulfilled. It is not your time yet. Go back. You still have to acquire knowledge and give love.” Nachiketa was dead for one whole hour while his father lamented and prayed. Suddenly , the boy got up and looked effulgent. Having met death and then coming back to life was the most wonderful thing. It was then that he propounded the whole fire ceremony , named after Nachiketa. He described what death is. It is nothing to be afraid of. Nachiketa proclaims that death is beautiful , that there is no fear , there is eternal silence. If you have read about people having near death experiences , they all say the same thing. They go through a tunnel and see a light. Sometimes the light tells them that it is not yet time and they should go back. The same thing happened some thousands of years ago to Nachiketa. He went through effulgent light , but was told that it was not his time and that he should go back. So , Nachiketa came back after an encounter with death. This is one story. What is death? Is it to be something afraid of? How does death happen? Honour death , people who commit suicide are not honouring death. You must remember this. The craving for living , results in suicide not in death. There is a big difference. They can’t bear the pain , they can’t get rid of it. Their life is important for them, not death. So , they commit suicide. That which is different from the body , different from everything around that is changing , is central to spiritual growth.
