Death receives Nachiketas
तिस्रो रात्रीर्यदवात्सीर्गृहे मे-
ऽनश्नन् ब्रह्मन्नतिथिर्नमस्यः ।
नमस्तेऽस्तु ब्रह्मन् स्वस्ति मेऽस्तु
तस्मात्प्रति त्रीन्वरान्वृणीष्व ॥ ९॥
tisro rātrīryadavātsīrgṛhe me-
‘naśnan brahmannatithirnamasyaḥ .
namaste’stu brahman svasti me’stu
tasmātprati trīnvarānvṛṇīṣva .. 9..
Yama said: O Brahmin, salutations to you! You are a venerable guest and have dwelt in my house three nights without eating; therefore choose now three boons, one for each night, O Brahmin! May all be well with me!
Commentary:
“My dear boy,” says Yama, “you have stood at my house for three nights without taking anything from me, without taking food and drinking water. You are a respectable holy man. Holy respectable Brahmacharin, I have made a great mistake in not being present when you came, and I made you starve. You did not drink even water. Namaskar. Prostration to you. I salute you and prostrate myself before you, great Brahmin, the glory of tapas. May peace be unto me. Do not curse me. As a recompense for the trouble that I have given to you, please ask for three boons. I shall immediately, instantaneously, grant you these three boons.”
This is an introduction to the Kathopanishad.
Swami Vivekananda Says —
So the boy went to Yama’s world. But even gods are sometimes not at home, and three days this boy had to wait there. After the third day Yama returned. “O learned one,” said Yama, “you have been waiting here for three days without food, and you are a guest worthy of respect. Salutation to thee, O Brahmin, and welfare to me! I am very sorry I was not at home. But for that I will make amends. Ask three boons, one for each day.”[Source]
