Text:
ओं सहनावितिशान्तिः । ओं उशन्ह वै वाजश्रवसः सर्ववेदसंददौ ।
तस्य ह नचिकेता नाम पुत्र आस ॥ १ ॥oṃ sahanāvitiśāntiḥ | oṃ uśanha vai vājaśravasaḥ sarvavedasaṃdadau |
tasya ha naciketā nāma putra āsa || 1 ||1. From desire, as story tells, the son of Vajasrava made a gift of all his wealth; he had a son, so the story goes, by name Nachiketas.
Shankara’s Commentary:
Ushan, desiring for the fruits of the sacrifice. Ha and vai are two particles which have the force of recalling to mind what had passed. Vajasravasah: vaja means food, srava means fame; the compound, therefore, means one who had attained fame by the giving of food; or, the compound may be a proper name. The son of Vajasrava is Vajasravasah. Vajasravasah, it is said, performed the Visvajit sacrifice (in which all is given away) desirous of its fruits. During the sacrifice he gave away all his wealth. The performer of the sacrifice had a son named Nachiketas.