The First Boon Of Nachiketas

Nachiketas is in Yamaloka. He has already spent three days there without being attended to. When Yamaraja came to know about this, he became upset. Nachiketas was a guest in Yamaloka. His time to die had not come. On the earth, his body had not died; there was still life in his body. His entire prana had moved into the brahma randhra, but it was still there. It had not come out of the brahma randhra.

According to Kundalini Yoga Shastra, when the life forces of the body go up to the brahma randhra, the body becomes cold as if it is dead. But if you feel the top of the head, it will be warm. Nachiketas's body was in this state. Only his sukshma sharira was in Yamaloka, visiting there.

Another similar story is that of Satyavan and Savitri. But Satyavan's case is different. Satyavan had actually died. His life on earth was over. Savitri accompanied him to Yamaloka and brought him back. Here, Nachiketas was a guest—an unattended guest. It is very dangerous to leave a guest unattended. As we saw in the earlier episode, an unattended guest is a fire that can burn.

Now, Yamaraja wants to fix the damage. He offers to give three boons to Nachiketas in exchange for the three days he spent in Yamaloka unattended. Nachiketas was very clever. He said:

'शान्तसंकल्पः सुमना यथा स्याद् वीतमन्युर्गौतमो माऽभि मृत्यो। त्वत्प्रसृष्टम् माऽभिवदेत्प्रतीत एतत् त्रयाणां प्रथमं वरं वृणे॥'

This is the 10th mantra of the first chapter, first valli. Clever Nachiketas kills two birds with a single shot in the first boon itself. He asks, 'When you send me back home'—taking it for granted that Yamaraja is going to send him back home—this is what 'त्वत्प्रसृष्टम्' means. When you send me back home, my father Gautama should not be angry with me. He should be kind to me, just as he used to be. He should talk to me with affection. He should bless me. He should not have any ill feelings toward me.

Nachiketas thinks that his father is upset with him because he pestered him with the question, 'Whom are you going to give me to? Whom are you going to give me to?' Now, Gautama should not say, 'I have already given you away. Why have you come back? Have you run away from there? You have no right to be here.' Nachiketas is worried about this as well. He thinks, 'I can tell him that with your permission I have come back, but he may not believe all this.' So, he requests Yamaraja to bless him in such a way that his father’s mind becomes favorable towards him so that he doesn't have to explain anything. His father should recognize him at once. This, too, Yamaraja should ensure.

Yamaraja replies:

'यथा पुरस्ताद् भविता प्रतीत औद्दालकिरारुणिर्मत्प्रसृष्टः। सुखं रात्रीः शयिता वीतमन्युः त्वां ददृशिवान्मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुक्तम्॥'

Of course, he will behave with you. Your father will treat you with affection, just as he used to before. He will have no anger towards you. He will know that I have released you back to earth. He will sleep peacefully because he will realize that the rules of dana have not been broken. You have not run away from here.

'मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुक्तम्'—Mrityu here means Yamaraja. He will know that you have been released. He will know that you didn't escape from here somehow.

Thus, two things are assured here: Nachiketas can return to earth, and his father will treat him with affection.

Knowledge Bank

How is Varuna worshipped or celebrated in modern times?

Whenever a kalasha (water pot) is installed as part of any puja, Varuna is invoked into it and worshiped first. He is also invoked into mandalas as the guardian deity of the west direction.

Definition of Bhakti

Listening to the qualities and greatness of Bhagavan melts the heart and makes the mind continuously focused on Bhagavan as the Supreme Lord. This unbroken, steady flow of thought fully centered on Bhagavan is called Bhakti.