Adyaya I, Valli I - The story of Vajasravasa

Text: तमब्रवीत्प्रीयमाणो महात्मा वरं तवेहाद्य ददामि भूयः । तवैव नाम्ना भवितायमग्निः सृङ्कां चेमामनेकरूपां गृहाण ॥ १६ ॥ tamabravītprīyamāṇo mahātmā varaṃ tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ | tavaiva nāmnā bhavitāyamagniḥ sṛṅkāṃ cemāmanekarūpāṃ gṛhāṇa || 16 || 16. Delighted, the high-souled Death told him. ‘I give thee here this other boon; by thy name alone, shall this fire be known; and take, thou, this garland also of various hues. Shankara’s Commentary: How? He said to Nachiketas, being delighted with, i....

Text: त्रिणाचिकेतस्त्रिभिरेत्य सन्धिं त्रिकर्मकृत्तरति जन्ममृत्यू । ब्रह्मजज्ञं देवमीड्यं विदित्वा निचाय्येमाँ शान्तिमत्यन्तमेति ॥ १७ ॥ triṇāciketastribhiretya sandhiṃ trikarmakṛttarati janmamṛtyū । brahmajajñaṃ devamīḍyaṃ viditvā nicāyyemām̐ śāntimatyantameti ॥ 17 ॥ 17. The three-fold Nachiketas, being united with the three doing, the three-fold Karma, crosses birth and death, knowing the adorable, the bright, the omniscient fire born of Brahman and realising him, attains thorough peace. Shankara’s Commentary: Again he praises Karma; the three-fold Nachiketas, i....

Text: त्रिणाचिकेतस्त्रयमेतद्विदित्वा य एवं विद्वाँश्चिनुते नाचिकेतम् । स मृत्युपाशान्पुरतः प्रणोद्य शोकातिगो मोदते स्वर्गलोके ॥ १८ ॥ triṇāciketastrayametadviditvā ya evaṃ vidvām̐ścinute nāciketam | sa mṛtyupāśānpurataḥ praṇodya śokātigo modate svargaloke || 18 || 18. The three-fold Nachiketas, knowing these three, who propitiates the Nachiketa fire with this knowledge, casts off Death’s meshes behind him, travels beyond grief and rejoices in heaven. Shankara’s Commentary: He now concludes the fruits, of the knowledge and the performance of sacrifice and with them, the present topic....

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....

Text: येयं प्रेते विचिकित्सा मनुष्येऽस्तीत्येके नायमस्तीति चैके । एतद्विद्यामनुशिष्टस्त्वयाऽहं वराणामेष वरस्तृतीयः ॥ २० ॥ yeyaṃ prete vicikitsā manuṣye’stītyeke nāyamastīti caike | etadvidyāmanuśiṣṭastvayā’haṃ varāṇāmeṣa varastṛtīyaḥ || 20 || 20. (Nachiketas said) This well-known doubt as to what becomes of a man after death,—some say he is and some, he is not,—I shall know being taught by thee. This boon is the third of the boons. Shankara’s Commentary: Thus much, which has been indicated by the two boons, is alone to be understood from the preceding Mantras and Brahmanas, which are mandatory or prohibitory in their import but not the knowledge of the true nature of the entity of the atman....

Text: देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा न हि सुविज्ञेयमणुरेष धर्मः । अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व मा मोपरोत्सीरति मा सृजैनम् ॥ २१ ॥ devairatrāpi vicikitsitaṃ purā na hi suvijñeyamaṇureṣa dharmaḥ | anyaṃ varaṃ naciketo vṛṇīṣva mā moparotsīrati mā sṛjainam || 21 || 21. Here, even the gods of yore had doubt. Indeed it is not easy to know—subtle is this matter—Oh, Nachiketas, ask for some other boon. Press not this on me; give this up for me....

Text: देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं किलत्वं च मृत्यो यन्न सुज्ञेयमात्थ । वक्ता चास्य त्वादृगन्यो न लभ्यो नान्यो वरस्तुल्य एतस्य कश्चित् ॥ २२ ॥ devairatrāpi vicikitsitaṃ kilatvaṃ ca mṛtyo yanna sujñeyamāttha | vaktā cāsya tvādṛganyo na labhyo nānyo varastulya etasya kaścit || 22 || 22. Thou sayest, Oh Death, that even the gods had doubts here and that this is not easy to know. None other like thee, who could tell of this, can be found; no other boon can at all equal this....

Text: शतायुषः पुत्रपौत्रान्वृणीष्वा बहून्पशून्हस्तिहिरण्यमश्वान् । भूमेर्महदायतनं वृणीष्व स्वयं च जीव शरदो यावदिच्छसि ॥ २३ ॥ śatāyuṣaḥ putrapautrānvṛṇīṣvā bahūnpaśūnhastihiraṇyamaśvān | bhūmermahadāyatanaṃ vṛṇīṣva svayaṃ ca jīva śarado yāvadicchasi || 23 || 23. (Death says) ask for centenarian sons and grandsons, many cattle, elephants, gold and horses. Ask for wide extent of earth and live yourself, as many autumns as you like. Shankara’s Commentary: Though thus addressed, still Death said, to tempt him again....

Text: एतत्तुल्यं यदि मन्यसे वरं वृणीष्व वित्तं चिरजीविकां च । महाभूमौ नचिकेतस्त्वमेधि कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि ॥ २४ ॥ etattulyaṃ yadi manyase varaṃ vṛṇīṣva vittaṃ cirajīvikāṃ ca | mahābhūmau naciketastvamedhi kāmānāṃ tvā kāmabhājaṃ karomi || 24 || 24. Some boon equal to this, if thou thinkest fit, demand—wealth and longevity; be king of the wide earth, Nachiketas, I shall make thee enjoy all thy desires (pertaining to earth and heaven)....

Text: ये ये कामा दुर्लभा मर्त्यलोके सर्वान्कामाँश्छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व । इमा रामाः सरथाः सतूर्या नहीदृशा लम्भनीया मनुष्यैः । आभिर्मत्प्रत्ताभिः परिचारयस्व नचिकेतो मरणं मानुप्राक्शीः ॥ २५ ॥ ye ye kāmā durlabhā martyaloke sarvānkāmām̐śchandataḥ prārthayasva | imā rāmāḥ sarathāḥ satūryā nahīdṛśā lambhanīyā manuṣyaiḥ | ābhirmatprattābhiḥ paricārayasva naciketo maraṇaṃ mānuprākśīḥ || 25 || 25. Whatever desires are difficult to realise in the land of mortals, ask, as thou likest, for all such desired objects. These nymphs have their chariots and lutes; and women like these are not enjoyable by mortals; with these, by me given, have thy services performed....

Text: श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत्सर्वेंद्रियाणां जरयंति तेजः । अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते ॥ २६ ॥ śvobhāvā martyasya yadantakaitatsarveṃdriyāṇāṃ jarayaṃti tejaḥ | api sarvaṃ jīvitamalpameva tavaiva vāhāstava nṛtyagīte || 26 || 26. (Nachiketas says) Ephemeral these; Oh Death, these tend to the decay of the fire (vigour) of all the senses in man. Even the longest life is, indeed, short. Thine alone be the chariots, the dance and music. Shankara’s Commentary: Though thus tempted, Nachiketas unagitated like a large lake, said: svobhavah, enjoyments whose existence the next day is a matter of doubt; the enjoyments enumerated by you are ephemeral; again....

Text: न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यो लप्स्यामहे वित्तमद्राक्श्म चेत्त्वां । जीविष्यामो यावदीशिष्यसि त्वं वरस्तु मे वरणीयः स एव ॥ २७ ॥ na vittena tarpaṇīyo manuṣyo lapsyāmahe vittamadrākśma cettvāṃ | jīviṣyāmo yāvadīśiṣyasi tvaṃ varastu me varaṇīyaḥ sa eva || 27 || 27. Man is not to be satisfied with wealth; if wealth, were wanted, we shall get it, if we only see thee. We shall also live, as long as you rule. Therefore, that boon alone is fit to be craved by me....

Text: अजीर्यताममृतानामुपेत्य जीर्यन्मर्त्यः क्वधःस्थः प्रजानन् । अभिध्यायन्वर्णरतिप्रमोदानतिदीर्घे जीविते को रमेत ॥ २८ ॥ ajīryatāmamṛtānāmupetya jīryanmartyaḥ kvadhaḥsthaḥ prajānan | abhidhyāyanvarṇaratipramodānatidīrghe jīvite ko rameta || 28 || 28. What decaying mortal living in the world below and possessed of knowledge, having reached the company of the undecaying and the immortal, will delight in long life, knowing the nature of the delight produced by song and sport? Shankara’s Commentary: Again, having approached those whose age knows no decay and who are immortal and knowing of some other surpassing benefit to be had from them, how çould a mortal, himself living on earth below (below, relatively the Antariksha, i....

Text: यस्मिन्निदं विचिकित्सन्ति मृत्यो यत्साम्पराये महति ब्रूहि नस्तत् । योऽयं वरो गूढमनुप्रविष्टो नान्यं तस्मान्नचिकेता वृणीते ॥ २९ ॥ yasminnidaṃ vicikitsanti mṛtyo yatsāmparāye mahati brūhi nastat | yo’yaṃ varo gūḍhamanupraviṣṭo nānyaṃ tasmānnaciketā vṛṇīte || 29 || 29. Oh Death, tell us that in which men have this doubt, and which is about the great hereafter; no other boon doth Nachiketas crave, than this which entered into the secret. Shankara’s Commentary: Com.—Therefore, giving up the idea of tempting me by promise of ephemeral objects, tell us, Oh Death, that which was solicited by me, i....