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Namaskaar. In this Part 5 of Kathopanishat commentary by Shri V. Subrahmanian, the boons of Naciketas are discussed between him and Lord Yama and the teachings now subtly veer towards the all important ultimate teachings of Vedanta – Atmavidya or Knowledge of one’s Self
QUOTE
The fruit of performing the ‘nAchiketAgni’ fire ritual is said in this mantra:
Mantra 18:
त्रिणाचिकेतः त्रयमेतद् विदित्वा
य एवं विद्वान् चिनुते नाचिकेतम् ।
स मृत्युपाशान् पुरतः प्रणोद्य
शोकातिगो मोदते स्वर्गलोके ॥
त्रिणाचिकेतः He who performs the nAchiketa sacrifice thrice त्रयमेतद् these three factors विदित्वा having known य he एवं thus विद्वान् knower चिनुते performs नाचिकेतम् the nAchiketa sacrifice स he मृत्युपाशान् the snares of Death पुरतः earlier प्रणोद्य casts off शोकातिगो crossing over sorrow मोदते rejoices स्वर्गलोके in heaven.
He who, having known the three, has performed three times the nAchiketa sacrifice, throws off, even here, the chains of death, overcomes grief and rejoices in Heaven.
The manner of performing the nAchiketa sacrifice was described by Yama while teaching it to Nachiketa (mantra 1.1.15). Therein these three factors were expounded : one. The class of bricks, two. The number of bricks and three. The manner of placing them for the sacrifice to be performed. The Fire, agni, will have to be known as oneself by the person engaging in this sacrifice. With this knowledge one will have to perform the yaj~na. Upon doing this he will cast off these snares of Death – unrighteousness, ignorance, attachment, hatred, etc. even before the fall of this body. Upon death, he will attain the heaven designated by the position of virAT, the waking individual in the cosmic scale verily as the virAT himself. In this specific heaven, he will remain rejoicing, freed from sorrow. Continue reading