Index…                                                                                                                                                    Previous…

Kathopanisad

Chapter 1 Valli 1 Mantra 20

Lecture

Mantra

Boon 3: “Self-Knowledge for Me”

Yaa iyam prete vichikitsaa manushye
asti iti eke ayam na asti iti cha eke;
etat vidyaam anushishtah tvayaa aham
varaanaam eshah varah triteeyah.

Nachiketas says to Yama:

Yaa iyam prete vichikitsaa manushye -- “This doubt that arises, consequent on the death of a man
asti iti eke ayam na asti iti cha eke; -- some say ‘It exists’ and others say ‘It does not exist’
etat vidyaam anushishtah tvayaa aham -- this (doubt) wishing to clarify it, I seek your direct instruction (due to your competence).
varaanaam eshah varah triteeyah. -- Of all the boons (that are available for me to choose from), this is the one (that I have chosen as my) third boon.”

1. Among men there exists a huge doubt about the existence of the Spirit in man, and, if so, a greater doubt arises whether this Spirit is the same as the supreme, universal Spirit or Brahman. Only death can prove whether such an entity exists, but the dead person cannot report his finding to the living! Thus it is taken on faith or not accepted at

2. Mankind is split sharply into two distinct camps: those who believe that God exists and those who don’t. Revolving around this uncertainty is the entire subject of religion among Believers and non-believers endlessly go on quarreling with each other. They even come to hate or distrust each other on this point. In extreme cases, men will even kill each other in religious strife, if they feel that the other is a threat to them. The Hindu-Muslim riots that partitioned India are a case in recent history. The Jews and the Muslims in Palestine/Israel are another case; Roman Catholics against Protestants are another.

3. Vidyaam: “I seek to know”. The knowledge that is asked for in this boon is very special for this important reason. As we shall see, it appears so innocently asked, yet it is the knowledge that can solve all religious strife; and resolve the mystery of this whole universe. This is the doubt that Nachiketas wants to clear up, not out of curiosity but out of his genuine search for the Truth, a search for which he is willing to stake his all. He considers himself to be the disciple of Yama, and has so far proved very worthy.

Anushishtah Tvayaa: “instructed directly by you”. There are many who may claim to know the secret about the existence of God. The majority teach it as a subject in school. They read up on what has been said about God and then pass that “knowledge” on to others. Sadly, they themselves have no direct experience with what they teach others.

4. Nachiketas is confident that Lord Yama must know about this secret from direct experience of it. Yama, more than anyone else, would be the most ideal teacher of this secret, for he deals with Death all the time, and is sure to know whether Spirit exists or not. Approaching the right person, Nachiketas has great hope of having his doubt

Lord Yama’s Response

What remains to be seen is whether Lord Yama would be willing to part with this secret. If he is willing, what are the conditions the student has to fulfill to qualify to receive it? This is how the discussion proceeds from here onward.

Lord Yama, who knows every thought that goes on in the minds of men, knows better than anyone that a sincere desire for God is rare on earth. As much as he would love to impart such knowledge to the seeker of Truth, he has to first check out the intensity of the demand made by Nachiketas. This is routine for Yama. Very few would pass the tests that Nachiketas now goes through to prove that he is worthy of receiving this knowledge.

Next…