Third boon

Introduction for the next mantra which is the contain of naciketa’s third boon.

What has gone by was only the subject matter of karma in veda, having the contain in the form of injunction and prohibition, which is indicated by two boons of naciketa, but it was not the true knowledge regarding the reality of the self. The first boon was in the form of naciketa’s father’s peace of mind which is the result for the present world. The second boon was in the form of means to heaven, which is the result for the other world. When these two are put together, it represents all the possible phalam - result of karma in the dualistic world, which is anātma. This is the subject matter of the first portion of veda, which is subject to be negated since it is mithyā.

Since the self-knowledge has not been told, thus satisfaction of the student is not there yet. Therefore the subsequence mantra are the teaching of self-knowledge, which is the knowledge of oneness between the self and brahman. The purpose of self-knowledge is for absolute freedom, characterised by freedom from any superimposition of activities, accessories, and their results (subject matter of the first portion of veda). They are the seeds of samsāra - the life of becoming. Even though the first portion of veda is to build qualifications for self-knowledge, but all qualifications will be negated when oneness is seen, just like one needs a boat to cross to another soar, but when the destination is reached, one shouldn’t hold on to the boat anymore.

One will not have full-satisfaction even with the attainment of the first and second boons without self-knowledge. This self-knowledge is the contain of the third boon of naciketa. This is the idea unfolded by śruti.  Since a qualified student for self-knowledge is the one who has dispassion - vairagyam for the result of karma which is limited, therefore temptation is made by yamaraja to naciketa in the following mantra to show us the limitation of karma-phala and to show the level of vairagyam of the student.

Being told by yamaraja, “may you ask for the third boon, oh naciketa”, naciketa said:

yeyam prete vicikitsā manuṣye

astītyeke nāyamastīti caike |

etad vidyāmanuśiṣṭastvayāham

varāṇāmeṣa varastṛtīyaḥ ||1.1.20||

Here is a doubt regarding a man who is dead. Some (people say) that he exists

(after death) and some (others say) that he does not exist (after death). Instructed

by you, I would like to understand this. Among the boons, this is the third boon.

The second boon of naciketa was strictly related to the first part of Veda. Now, through the third boon, naciketa is asking for ātmā-jñānam. We are now transitioning from karma-kāṇḍa to jñāna-kāṇḍa. This is an important mantra. The entire Kaṭhopaniṣad is about the answer to the third boon.

Naciketa expresses his doubt with regards to the death - yeyam prete vicikitsā manuṣye. In short, what happens after death? astītyeke - some say that the individual survives after death. Since we use the expression that “he is gone” even though the dead body is right there. Therefore, we seem to believe that there is a surviving principle other than the dead body. People call this surviving principle as ātmā, jīva, soul etc.

nāyamastīti caike - some people think the self of this type is not there. They do not believe in surviving souls, they consider the death of the body is the death of the individuals. We are not able to resolve this confusion, because there is no perception or conclusive knowledge by inference for us, after the death of the body. Since ātmā is not perceptible, it remains outside the scope of scientific investigation (apauruṣeya viṣayaḥ). In summary, naciketa wants to know if there is a principle other than the physical body, and what is the truth of that principle?

Since the ultimate human goal is being completely satisfied, and it depends upon the satisfaction of one’s true self, therefore etad vidyāmanuśiṣṭastvayāham - naciketa asked (ātma-jñānam) to be taught by yamaraja. varāṇāmeṣ - this is the remaining third boon naciketa chose among the boons.

For the purpose of examining naciketa, whether he is qualified for self-knowledge which is the means for moksa, yamaraja tells in the following mantra.

devairatrāpi vicikitsitam purā

na hi suvijñeyamaṇureṣa dharmaḥ |

anyam varam naciketo vṛṇīṣva

mā moparotsīrati mā sṛjainam ||1.1.21||

Regarding this, doubts have been entertained even by gods long ago. It cannot be easily understood. This ātmā is subtle. Oh naciketa! Choose another boon. Do not compel me. Give up this (question directed) to me.

devairatrāpi vicikitsitam purā - a long time ago, the doubts regarding the self were entertained by devatā. na suvijñeyam - because it is not very well comprehensible by people who are dominated by basic instinct only, even though it was listened. The true nature of the self is difficult to understand, and even devatā still doubts about it, therefore yamaraja wants to make sure that naciketa is the correct person to receive this knowledge, who has sadhana-catustaya (four-fold qualification), namely viveka - discrimination ability, vairagya - dispassion towards the material world, samādisadkasampatti - six-fold values, and mumukṣutva - desire of liberation. If the knowledge gets into the wrong hands, a wrong tradition will be formed and the misunderstood teaching will be transmitted down in that tradition. This is the reason the teaching was kept under tight wraps.

The reason why ātmā is difficult to understand aṇureṣa dharmaḥ hi - is because this self which is called dharma (the sustaining principle) is subtle, not available to be experienced by sense organs. The word dharmaḥ etymologically means that which sustains the creation. Ethics and morality are also called dharmaḥ because only they keep the society in harmony. Ātmā is also called dharmaḥ because it is the ultimate principle of the creation, it sustains the entire creation.

Therefore yamaraja asked naciketa to choose another boon - anyam varam naciketo vṛṇīṣva. moparotsīrati - yamaraja asked naciketa not to pressurise him just like creditor pressure a debtor, and to give up this request boon - mā sṛjainam. The teacher deliberately poses obstacles to the student, if the student is not serious, he will use these obstacles as an excuse and drop his pursuit. He first tests whether naciketas has an intense desire for liberation - mumuksutva.

After being told in this manner, naciketa said:

devairatrāpi vicikitsitam kila

tvam ca mṛtyo yanna sujñeyamāttha |

vaktā cāsya tvādṛganyo na labhyo

nānyo varastulya etasya kaścit ||1.1.22||

Regarding this indeed, doubt has been entertained even by devatā, Oh Lord Yama! You also say that this cannot be easily understood. Moreover, like you, another teacher of this (subject) cannot be found. No other boon is equal to this.

Naciketa conveyed that he got the message from yamaraja, that doubts about self-knowledge were indeed there even by devatā - devairatrāpi vicikitsitam kila. But this reason for discouragement becomes his reason for encouragement. Even the gods are not clear about this knowledge and therefore, it is extremely rare. Since it is rare, it must be valuable and therefore it is worth seeking.

vaktā cāsya tvādṛg - therefore this self-knowledge is fit to be taught only by the learned person like yamaraja who is the sustainer of dharma, anyo na labhyo - not by others. This teaching is not easily accessible which means that naciketa cannot acquire this

knowledge by himself. He needs a qualified guru. Compared to a human guru, a

celestial guru is better. Even among gods, yamaraja is the best choice because the

question is centered on life after death. He should know what is destroyed and what is not. Naciketa knows that he can never get another (great) guru like yamaraja on this subject. Thus, he concludes in this verse that there is no other boon equal to this - nānyo varastulya etasya kaścit, since any other boon only gives temporary results. This boon alone is the means of absolute freedom.