Text:
एष तेऽग्निर्नचिकेतः स्वर्ग्यो यमवृणीथा द्वितीयेन वरेण ।
एतमग्निं तवैव प्रवक्श्यन्ति जनासस्तृतीयं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व ॥ १९ ॥eṣa te’gnirnaciketaḥ svargyo yamavṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa ।
etamagniṃ tavaiva pravakśyanti janāsastṛtīyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva ॥ 19 ॥19. This is thy fire, Oh Nachiketas, which leads to heaven and which you craved for, by the second boon; people will call this fire thine alone; Oh Nachiketas, demand the third boon.
Shankara’s Commentary:
Oh Nachiketas, this is the fire leading to heaven that you craved for, by the second boon; and the expression ‘the boon has been granted’ should be supplied by way of concluding what has been said again, people will call this fire by thy name; this is the fourth boon which I granted being delighted with thee; Oh Nachiketas, demand the third boon. The meaning is that Death considered himself a debtor if that were not granted..