THE

Braves

Narrations:
S.Ramanathan

Nachiketa
We can call him as realised soul.Ayoung lad with loving nature.
Obiedient and sincere.
Can intrepret as an extraodinary intelegent and brave. The sages of Bharath
ie India were fully praising the boy -Nachiketa.
Very young age he achive the poornanjaana-the ultimate knoledge directly from
YamaRaja-god of death.
Then he turned as a sage -propegater missinery with a clearcut vission
of the knowledge to the people for the future world to maintain peaceful and polite
social setup with out cste cread and politics.
The sages of anciant India leads a holly lifestyle.There vission and mission
is the welfare of the whole Universe.For that they preaching Vedaas and performing
Yanjaas (penance& sacrifices)
There abodes can call Thapovans or Parnasaalaas or Cottages.
Uddhaalaka and his wife Viswavaaradevi lived in such a style in anciant India.
Uddalaka was famous sage and learned one.He performed many sacrifices.
He called also as Vaachasravas.
With all good qualities his one diffect was is a short tembered man.

That is the story behined Nachiketa.

Viswavaaradevi praised daily to the god for brave boy. " Oh! god bestow me with a son"
After long prayers they got a brave boy.
They named their son as Nachiketa. The golden coloured boy with sprinkling eyes and with
smiling lips.And a whole a beautiful one.
Nachiketa become toddler-humble And mumble one, shaped bravely and strout.
Nachiketa was a early riser,hearing the hyms and keerthans chanting by his mother during her
daily morning rituals.
Nachiketa helping his mother to feed the cow and milking.After that only he have his first
cup of milk prepared by mother. Like was his routine.
Cows were considered as wealth in those days.
one day Nachiketa asked " Mother why we
are worshiping the cow? Its because of their motherly
actions dear. She replied.Through milk they nourishing
humen beings of the universe. So the cows consider as
"Gomatha" the mother.worshiping cow is like one who
worship his own mother. Its gives the most prousperous
punya.
Nachiketa asked: Mother ! Punya means what?And
what is the use of that? Oh! nachiketa punya means the
fruit of our karma or the after effect of our actions.It leads us
to eternal glory or to leads us to swarga ie heaven.
Nachiketa again asked: Mother what is karma ?what is
heaven?
Nachiketa karma is our actions. Heaven-swarga-means
Godly life.Gods lives in heaven such a style.
but mother I like only knowledge the ultimate knowledge.
only.
Ok lad dont worry you go and meet father is able to guide.
Nachiketa left mother and met father .But vajasravas neglet
his son. Same movement one friend sage of his father came
there.
The saint fondled and offer one fruit to Nachiketa.
But he declined and asked Oh! sage I want knowledge only.
Nothing else.
With permission of Vajasravas the sage took Nachiketa to
his hermitage.And give & preach the vedas and various forms
of rituals and hyms.
After a long period Nachiketa asked again Oh!reverd guro!
I like to know the eternal knowledge!but how ?
The sage told dear Nachiketa the eternal Knowledge we called it " Agni Vidya"
you can attain it only from Yama-the god of death.
Then Nachiketa returned to his parents.
At that time Vachasravas started a great sacrifies - yanjaa.
the morning yanja mandapa filled with neighbours.
the sages satarted chanting hyms -the veda manthras.
Nachiketa stood a corner very patiously hear all the

hyms.
After completing the yanja everybody had the prasadam and meals
Veda yajamana-owner-offered the dhakshina to all.So many cows
are collected for that.Most of the cows are ailed and very old.
Nachiketa questined his father the purity and sincerity of the
offering.And asked Oh! father to who you are going to offer
me iam very dear to you.?
The short tembered man with anger told yes Nachiketa you
are very dear to me,so I like you to offer Yama !
Hearing this the main priest with fear asked to Vajasravas
what foolishness you are telling? the present words are to be
fulfilled!Alas!what can we do now?
No! father no! don't worry ! I will manage myself !
I like to meet yamaraja.Thats my life mission.
I like to move now itself ,with mothers permission and
blessings.
Nachiketa take permission from mother and left the asram.
In the deep forest he sat in padmassan posture and slip to deep
meditation.
After some time Nachiketa felt he is somewhere in a new world.
In a cloudy-fog atmosphere he saw a beautiful golden palace.
Then he saw two guards coming infront of him and asked.
oh! young boy who are you ?for what you are here ?this is the palace of
Yamaraja- the god of death.
Nachiketa replied with folded hands. I am Nachiketa son of the great
sage vajasravas.I like to meet Yamaraja himself. Where is he?please go And
inform .
The guards left and came back within few minutes and told. oh! brave

boy you have wait fewmore days to meet him .he is out of station.he will
back on within three days.
Nachiketa replyed. Ok sir I will wait for him. the guard left the place.
Nachiketa sit errect in the doorfront of the palace.
The third day Yamaraja returned and saw a boy sitting infront of his
palace.In an amazing tone he asked. My young lad why are you here?
Then Nachiketa stood up and replyed very humbly and devotion.
Oh !lord ! Iam Nachiketa son of the geart sage Vajasravas.I like to
attain the ultimate knowledge-the Agnividya from you directly.Once mother
told me that you you are supream persanality of such knowledge.That is why
I came here.
Good ! young boy, but it s difficult to teach you,its not an easy thing to attain such
a knowledge. Any how I like you very much,you are not an ordinary one thats why
you you are here.Iam very much pleased on you .you asked three boons from me
and satisfy with that and can moove back to your parents.
Nachiketa keptmum for a second and asked. Oh god Icame here becuse of my
fathers short tembered nature.Now he may worying about that. Oh lord give full
patients and peace to him.That is my first boon.
Ok Nachiketa! asked the second one.
Ok lord I heard from some saints that the gods and goddesses have no fear on
oldage and ailment.they are deathless. I also like godhood and want to know the
knowledge fire - the Agni vidya from you.
Yamaraja felt in dilema for awhile.And told
Oh brave boy !you are a dedicated one. A dedicated soul can only capable to
attain such knoledge. So listen with care .then Yamaraja preached him the
Agnividya.
After that Yamaraja asked to Nachiketa.Letme see if you can repeat the teachings
taught from me .
Nachiketa repeated every thing he taught from Yamaraja.
Enough!enough! my boy now you are learned person.
From now itself this knowledge be know as " NACHIKETAGNI "
And natuarely you will also attain godhood.With this words he garland
Nachiketa with beautifull gems.And teach him the Athmavidya also.
Story of Nachiketa is narrated in" Kathopanishat "in Krishna-Yajurveda.
The style of collective effort among teaher and student in katopanishat
is as follows: Om saha naavavatu
Sahanu bhunaktu
Saha veeryam karavaavahai
Tejaswi naavadheetam astu
Maa vidvishaavahai
Om shaanthih shaanthih shaanthih.(May god protect us together.
May he nourish us together..Let us be engaged in bold and collective effert.
Let our noble study be full of lusture. Let us not have ill feelings between us.)