Agni-vidyā

The following is the statement of śruti, narrated yamaraja gave this agni-vidyā to naciketa.

lokādimagnim tamuvāca tasmai

yā iṣṭakā yāvatīrvā yathā vā |

sa cāpi tatpratyavadadyathoktam

athāsya mṛtyuḥ punarevā’ha tuṣṭaḥ ||1.1.15||

Yamaraja revealed to naciketa that fire which is the foremost of the world. He taught about the type of bricks, the number of bricks, and the manner of arranging them. And naciketa repeated as he was told. Being satisfied with it, yamaraja said again (in the next mantra).

Yamaraja taught that agni-vidyā in the form of virād-upāsana which is the foremost to naciketa - lokādimagnim tamuvāca tasmai. It is said to be the foremost of the world because virād being the first embodied one where the total creation has come, becomes the object of the meditation.

Yamaraja also taught naciketa everything related to fire (the ritual) as follows - yā iṣṭakā yāvatīrvā yathā vā:

• the type of bricks used to build the homa-kunda.

• the number of such bricks to be used.

• the arrangement of bricks (shape) specific to that ritual.

All these are told by yamaraja. Naciketa being so brilliant absorbs everything that is orally taught to him. sa cāpi tatpratyavadadyathoktam - and he also repeated what was told by yamaraja as it is with understanding. This reflects his memory and intellectual power (medhāśakti) - the power to receive, retain, and reproduce the teaching. There after being satisfied with the repetition of naciketa - athāsya mṛtyuḥ tuṣṭaḥ, yamaraja who desires to give another boon (besides the three boons), punarevā’ha - again told (in the next mantra).

tamabravīt prīyamāṇo mahātmā

varam tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ |

tavaiva nāmnā bhavitā’yamagniḥ

sṛṅkām cemāmanekarūpām gṛhāṇa ||1.1.16||

Being delighted, generous yamaraja told naciketa. I am giving you an additional boon here and now. This fire will be named after you only. And may you accept this colourful mala.

prīyamāṇo mahātmā - generous yamaraja who is filled with joy by seeing the qualification of the disciple, tamabravīt - told naciketa that varam tavehādya dadāmi bhūyaḥ - he is giving naciketa the extra boon out of happiness. tavaiva nāmnā bhavitā’yamagniḥ - he said that this agni-vidyā will become famous by naciketa’s name alone. sṛṅkām cemāmanekarūpām - moreover he gives this mala consisting of many colourful gems and has a jiggling sound to naciketa as an extra gift. Or another meaning of sṛṅkām is a noble path consist of karma. Or the knowledge of ritual which is the means for manyfold results.

Yamaraja continues the teaching in more detail in the next mantra.

triṇāciketastribhiretya sandhim

trikarmakṛttarati janmamṛtyū |

brahmajajñam devamīḍyam viditvā

nicāyyemām śāntimatyantameti ||1.1.17||

One who has performed this naciketa fire ritual three times, who has three types of association, and who performs three basic karma, he crosses over birth and death. Having understood and meditated upon the adorable, brilliant virād, one attains this peace.

triṇāciketaḥ - one who has performed this naciketa fire three times. It can also mean one who knows the ritual, studies the relevant portion of veda of this ritual and performs the ritual itself.

There are certain qualifications needed for the ritual to be effective. One should be tribhiḥ etya sandhim - having three types of relationship namely with the mother, the father and the teacher, by properly attaining their instructions, because they are considered as the source of valid knowledge. Another meaning of tribhiḥ etya sandhim is having been exposed to śruti, smrti, and role models (noble people), or one who has acquired knowledge from seeing directly, inference, and śāstra. If a person has connected with these three sources, then clarity of knowledge is very evident. trikarmakṛt - one who performs three folds of basic karma namely prayer, study of scripture, and sharing. A person who has the above qualifications and performs naciketa’s fire three times, tarati janmamṛtyū - he will gain heaven, where one is free from birth and death in relatively long time.

viditvā - having known this virād, who is brahmajajñam - born of hiranyagarbha (total subtle aspect of Īśvara), devam - who is effulgent, because of shining being endowed with brilliant qualities (knowledge), īḍyam - who is praiseworthy, nicāyya - one should meditate upon this virād, visualise with the sense of identity (I am virād), combines with the naciketa’s fire, imām śāntimatyantameti - one attains abundant quietude in brahmaloka, where one can attain moksa by studying with brahmaji. This kind of moksa is called kramamukti - freedom attained by stages. If one attains moksa now and here is called sadhyomukti.

In the next verse, yamaraja concluded the topic of agni-vidyā with the result of the performance of ritual together with meditation.

triṇāciketastrayametad viditvā

ya evaṃ vidvāmścinute nāciketam |

sa mṛtyupāśān purataḥ praṇodya

śokātigo modate svargaloke ||1.1.18||

Having known these three, one should invoke the nāciketa-fire thrice. Such a meditator is removed from the noose of death even before death. Being the one who transcends grief, he rejoices in brahmaloka.

trayametad viditvā - having known these three-fold details (which brick, how many bricks (720 pieces represent days and nights in one year), and how to arrange them), triṇāciketaḥ - one performs nāciketa’s fire three times. ya evaṃ vidvāmścinute nāciketam - such person having meditated upon virād as oneself, mṛtyupāśān purataḥ praṇodya - he is removed from the noose of death before the falls of the body. Shackle of death while living is in the form of unrighteous conduct, ignorance, likes and dislikes. These are obstacles for a qualified person to attain brahmaloka, also obstacles for us to attain moksa. śokātigo - being one who is beyond grief, free from mental sorrow, modate svargaloke - he rejoices in the brahmaloka after the fall of the body. It must be remembered that brahmaloka is still a material world, but in which the joys dominate and sorrows are insignificant.

eṣa te’gnirnaciketaḥ svargyo

yamavṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa |

etamagnim tavaiva pravakṣyanti janāsaḥ

tṛtīyam varam naciketo vṛṇīṣva ||1.1.19||

Oh Naciketa! This fire (ritual) that leads one to heaven (has been taught) to you.

This is the one that you asked for as the second boon. People will speak of the

fire (ritual) as yours only. Oh Naciketas! Please choose the third boon.

eṣa te’gnirnaciketaḥ svargyo - this fire ritual which is means for heaven yamavṛṇīthā dvitīyena vareṇa - has chosen by naciketa as the second boon. Yamaraja has fulfilled the second boon by teaching him the agni-vidyā completely as requested. etamagnim tavaiva pravakṣyanti janāsaḥ - moreover people will refer to this fire ritual by naciketa’s name alone. The extra boon of naming this agni-vidyā as naciketa’s fire because yamaraja is very pleased with naciketa. This mantra concludes the second boon. Now yamaraja asked naciketa to choose his third boon - tṛtīyam varam naciketo vṛṇīṣva.