Verse Sanskrit Transliteration English Translation
1 ऊशान ह वै वाजश्रवसः सर्ववेदसं ददौ । तस्य नचिकेता नाम पुत्र आसीत् ॥१॥
ūśāna ha vai vājaśravasaḥ sarvavedasaṁ dadau । tasya naciketā nāma putra āsīt ॥1॥
Once upon a time, Vājaśrava, desiring reward, performed a sacrifice in which he gave away all his possessions. He had a son by name Nachiketas.
2 तं ह कुमारं सन्तं दक्षिणासु निरूप्यताम् । श्रद्धाविव स्वर्गकामो ददौ ॥२॥
taṁ ha kumāraṁ santaṁ dakṣiṇāsu nirūpyatām । śraddhāviva svargakāmo dadau ॥2॥
As the gifts were being distributed, faith entered the boy, who was still a lad, and he thought...
3 पितो यथा गृहीत्वा शृणोत्यनित्यमात्मनः । कस्येदं स्यादिति होवाच पितरम् ॥३॥
pito yathā gṛhītvā śṛṇotyanityamātmanaḥ । kasyedaṁ syāditi hovāca pitaram ॥3॥
“Father! To whom will you give me?” – thus said Nachiketas, realizing the transitory nature of life.
4 द्वितीयं तृतीयं पुनः होवाच न मेऽमृत्युप्राप्तः प्रहासिषि स्यात् ॥४॥
dvitīyaṁ tṛtīyaṁ punaḥ hovāca na me’mṛtyuprāptaḥ prahāsiṣi syāt ॥4॥
He said it a second time, then a third time. The father, angry, said: “I give you to Death!”
5 स होवाच पितरमःसुविदितं पुरस्तादहं प्रेत्येति । कथं तदस्म्यदितः करिष्यामीति ॥५॥
sa hovāca pitaramahsuviditaṁ purastādahaṁ pretyeti । kathaṁ tadasmyaditaḥ kariṣyāmīti ॥5॥
Nachiketas said: “Look, my father! You said, ‘I give you to Death.’ Think of what will be my fate.”
6 अनूपश्च बहवो नानारत्ना अनुकृष्णवदनुष्ठिताः । किं तेन प्रेत्य भवति मनुष्य इति ॥६॥
anūpaśca bahavo nānāratnā anukṛṣṇavadanuṣṭhitāḥ । kiṁ tena pretya bhavati manuṣya iti ॥6॥
“Like grain, mortal decays, and like grain, is born again. Such is the fate of man.”
7 तं ह कुमारं सन्तं मन्युमानाह मृत्यवे । त्रिभिः सन्दधे मृत्यवेऽदददिति ॥७॥
taṁ ha kumāraṁ santaṁ manyumānāha mṛtyave । tribhiḥ sandadhe mṛtyave’dadaditi ॥7॥
Angry, the father said: “I give you to Death” — thrice he declared it.
8 स गत्वा मृत्युपुरं प्राविशत् स त्र्यहमृत्ये न जीवन्नश्नन्नशेते ॥८॥
sa gatvā mṛtyupuraṁ prāviśat sa tryahamṛtye na jīvannaśnannaśete ॥8॥
Nachiketas went to the abode of Yama (Death). For three nights he remained there, without food, without drink, without sleep.
9 तस्मै वैश्वानरः प्राविशदात्मा मृत्युः प्रीत्यब्रवीत् ॥९॥
tasmai vaiśvānaraḥ prāviśadātmā mṛtyuḥ prītyabravīt ॥9॥
Yama returned and said: “O Brahmana guest! A Brahmana guest is like fire (Vaiśvānara). Bring water, O Death!”
tisro rātrīryadavātsīrgṛhe me’naśnannagnirvasatibrahmannatithiḥ syāḥ । namaste’stu brahman svasti me’stu tasmātpratipratyāmasi me varān trīn ॥10॥
|
“Since you have stayed in my house three nights without
food, O Brahmana guest, you are fire. Salutations to you, O Brahmana! Peace
be to me! Therefore, ask of me three boons in return.” |
sa hovāca naciketāḥ । anitye naitadvitena jīvitam avāpya nāsyatvaṁ mahatyai vā prītyai । yasmin ayaṁ kāścana jīvanti manuṣyāḥ । tasmād vittaṁ na nīyam asti tava gṛhītvā jīviṣyāmo yāvad āyuṣam ॥
Nachiketa said: "Ephemeral are these; O Death, even the life of these is short. Thine are the chariots, dances, and songs. A man becomes not satisfied with wealth. Shall we retain wealth when we see thee?"
12 श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत्सर्वेन्द्रियाणां जरयन्ति तेजः । अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते ॥
śvobhāvā martyasya yad antaka etat sarvendriyāṇāṁ jarayanti tejaḥ । api sarvaṁ jīvitam alpam eva tavaiva vāhās tava nṛtya-gīte ॥
"Tomorrow-wasting, O Death, is the life of man; it snatches away the vigor of all the senses. Even the whole life is short. Thine be the chariots, thine the dances and songs."
13 न वित्तेन तर्पणीयो मनुष्यः । लप्स्यामहे वित्तमद्राक्ष्म चेत्त्वा । जीविष्यामो यावदीशिष्यसि त्वं । वरस्तु मे वरणीयः स एव ॥
na vittena tarpaṇīyo manuṣyaḥ । lapsyāmahe vittam adrākṣma cet tvā । jīviṣyāmo yāvad īśiṣyasi tvaṁ । varas tu me varaṇīyaḥ sa eva ॥
"Man cannot be satisfied with wealth. If we obtain wealth, we shall again live as long as thou reignest. But only that boon is to be chosen by me."
14 अजीर्यताममृतानामुपेत्य जीवत्यन्यः क्षणमात्मोपजव्यः । नायं वृणीत यदयं नचिकेतः न वित्तमेतं यदनेन लभ्यम् ॥
ajīryatām amṛtānām upetya jīvaty anyaḥ kṣaṇam ātmopajavyaḥ । nāyaṁ vṛṇīta yad ayaṁ naciketaḥ na vittam etaṁ yad anena labhyam ॥
"Living among the decaying mortals, when he himself decays, Nachiketa does not choose wealth, which is obtained by mortal desires."
15 येयं प्रेते विचिकित्सा मनुष्येऽस्तीत्येके नायमस्तीति चैके । एतद्विद्यामनुशिष्टस्त्वयाहम्वराणामेष वरस्तृतीयः ॥
yeyaṁ prete vicikitsā manuṣye ’stīty eke nāyam astīti caike । etad vidyām anuśiṣṭas tvayāham varāṇām eṣa varas tṛtīyaḥ ॥
"There is this doubt about a man who has passed away — some say 'he exists,' and others 'he does not exist.' This knowledge, taught by thee — that I choose as the third boon."
1.1.16 एष तेऽग्निर्नचिकेतः स्वर्ग्यो यं वृणीषेऽनुप्रब्रूहि तं मे । अन्तः प्रेत्यानन्दमेत्य सर्वान्सङ्गच्छस्वैत्यमृतान्मोदमानः ॥
eṣa te ’gnir naciketaḥ svargyo yaṁ vṛṇīṣe ’nuprabrūhi taṁ me । antaḥ pretyānandam etya sarvān saṅgacchasvaityamṛtān modamānaḥ ॥
"This, O Nachiketa, is the Fire that leads to heaven, which thou hast chosen. Know it from me; it leads to the attainment of bliss beyond death. This is the support of the eternal."
17 लोको नास्ति नास्त्ययं लोको नास्ति चेदिति चिकीर्षवो भवन्ति बहवोऽनुपश्यन्ति च तं प्रपद्यन्ते ॥
loko nāsti nāsty ayaṁ loko nāsti ced iti cikīrṣavo bhavanti bahavo ’nupaśyanti ca taṁ prapadyante ॥
"Many doubt, saying 'there is no such world'; others say 'it exists.' This mystery has not been understood. Teach me this, O Death; this boon is the third that I have chosen."
18 देवेभ्यः पूर्वेभ्यः संप्रवृत्तोऽस्मि नचिकेतः पञ्चाग्निविद्या । तं चिन्तयित्वा चिकीर्षवो भवन्ति य एष धीरः कथमेतद्ब्रवीति ॥
devebhyaḥ pūrvibhyaḥ saṁpravṛtto ’smi naciketaḥ pañcāgni-vidyā । taṁ cintayitvā cikīrṣavo bhavanti ya eṣa dhīraḥ katham etad bravīti ॥
"Even the gods of old had doubt in this matter. Verily, it is not easy to know, subtle is this law. Choose, O Nachiketa, some other boon; do not press me; spare me this one."
19 देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा न हि सुविज्ञेयं अणुरेष धर्मः । अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व मा मोपरोत्सीरति मा सृजा माम् ॥
devair atrāpi vicikitsitaṁ purā na hi suvijñeyaṁ aṇur eṣa dharmaḥ । anyaṁ varaṁ naciketo vṛṇīṣva mā moparotsīr ati mā sṛjā mām ॥
"Even by the gods this was doubted before. It is not easy to understand — subtle is this matter. Choose, O Nachiketa, another boon; do not press me; release me from this."
20 नचिकेताः । अनित्ये नित्यं वरेणैष वृणोमि न हि त्वमप्यस्य वस्तुनः कथ्यः । नान्यं तस्मात् कस्यचिदस्ति मार्गो यन्मृत्योः प्रणिपत्याविमुक्तः ॥
naciketāḥ । anitye nityaṁ vareṇaiṣa vṛṇomi na hi tvam apy asya vastunaḥ kathyaḥ । nānyaṁ tasmāt kasyacid asti mārgas yan mṛtyoḥ praṇipatyāvimuktaḥ ॥
Nachiketa said: "On this point of immortality I choose the boon; for I shall not obtain such a teacher as thee on this. No other boon is comparable to this."
21 श्वोऽहं भावि इवैतदिति वै नैर्यत्यन्ति वैश्वा। अनेन हि न प्रेतोऽभविष्यति कश्चन।
śvo'haṁ bhāvi ivaitad iti vai nairyaty anti vaiśvā. anena hi na preto'bhaviṣyati kaścana.
“Tomorrow it will be like this,” thus is the thought of mortals. With this thought the Fire-sacrifice (Nachiketa Agni) is not attained by anyone who has died.
22 अन्या चर्तुर्या प्रार्थनीया, अन्या चर्तुर्या प्रीयते। तयोस्ते धीरः संपरिगृह्य विविनक्ति धीरः।
anyā ca rturyā prārthanīyā, anyā ca rturyā prīyate. tayoste dhīraḥ saṁparigṛhya vivinakti dhīraḥ.
The good is one thing, the pleasant is another. Both bind a man. Of the two, the wise one, having considered, chooses the good; the dull one chooses the pleasant for the sake of the body.
23 श्रेयो हि धीरः अभि प्रीयसो वृणीते, प्रीयो मन्दो योगक्षेमाद् वृणीते। तं हि श्रेयो वृणीते, न प्रीयसो यः।
śreyo hi dhīraḥ abhi prīyaso vṛṇīte, prīyo mando yogakṣemād vṛṇīte. taṁ hi śreyo vṛṇīte, na prīyaso yaḥ.
The intelligent man chooses the good over the pleasant. The dull man chooses the pleasant for the sake of preservation and enjoyment.
24 न त्वा कमानन्त कात्था न कामा, बहूनि हि सन्ति। अपि सर्वं जीवन्तो न आप्नुवन्ति।
na tvā kamānanta kātthā na kāmā, bahūni hi santi. api sarvaṁ jīvanto na āpnuvanti. O Nachiketa!
The desirable things remain desirable even if one possesses them; they cannot make one immortal.
25 अपि जीवशतं मह्यमदृष्टं चित्तमस्मि। सर्वं तव एव भवतु, न वै तव जीवितेन।
api jīvaśataṁ mahyam adṛṣṭaṁ cittamasmi. sarvaṁ tava eva bhavatu, na vai tava jīvitenā.
Keep your horses, keep your music, keep your daughters. O Death, I seek not these. What mortal, being aware of old age and death, would delight in long life while you stand near?
26 अपि सर्वं जीवितं अल्पमेव, तव एष ते वाञ्छा न परेण संप्राप्तुं। नचिकेतोऽनुशिष्यामि न ता वरणे।
api sarvaṁ jīvitaṁ alpameva, tava eṣa te vāñchā na pareṇa saṁprāptum. naciketo'nuśiṣyāmi na tā varaṇe.
Even the longest life is short indeed. Yours be the chariots, the dance and song. No boon of yours will I accept except the knowledge of the Self.
27 अपरं च भवति वायुः। न जीवितं तवायुषा। नैवेन सम्पर्यायं कृतं तव जीवितेन।
aparaṁ ca bhavati vāyuḥ. na jīvitaṁ tavāyuṣā. naivena samparyāyaṁ kṛtaṁ tava jīvitena.
The pleasures you promise are fleeting, O Death. With life, wealth, and pleasures, you cannot give immortality.
28 अपि यद् यत् च कामान् ददासि, न तैः तृप्तिं लभेत नृणाम्। तस्मान्नचिकेतः न वृणीते।
api yad yat ca kāmān dadāsi, na taiḥ tṛptiṁ labheta nṛṇām. tasmānnaciketaḥ na vṛṇīte.
All the pleasures you offer wear out the vigor of the senses. Even the longest life is meagre. Therefore Nachiketa chooses not these.
29 यमः: एतत् सर्वं जीवितं अल्पमेव। नैव वाञ्छा न परेण सम्प्राप्तुं। स तु ब्रवीति यः आत्मविद्यां वरणेति।
yamaḥ: etat sarvaṁ jīvitaṁ alpameva. naiva vāñchā na pareṇa samprāptum. sa tu bravīti yaḥ ātmavidyāṁ varaṇeti.
Yama said: This is the boon you have chosen, O Nachiketa—the knowledge of the Self, which is hidden in mystery and hard to understand. This indeed leads to immortality.
