Katha Upanishad

The Katha Upanishad tells the story of a young boy, Nachiketa, son of the sage Vajasravasa. Nachiketa is witnessing his father donate all his possessions in an act of penance, and in a spirit of youthful inquiry, repeatedly asks to whom he was to be donated. Angered by the boy's questioning, his father exclaims "I give you to death!"

To stay true to his father's word, the boy departs to the abode of Yama, the God of death. Upon arriving, he patiently waits three days for Yama to return. His sincerity is rewarded by Yama with three wishes, one for each day he was kept waiting.

His first wish is for his father to be happy upon seeing his return. His second wish is to learn a fire sacrifice that provides passage to heaven, which is explained to him and named the Nachiketa sacrifice in his honor. His third wish is simple - "I would like to know what happens after death."

Yama attempts to dissuade him by offering wealth, pleasures, and power. Undeterred, Yama goes on to paint a detailed portrait of the subtle nature of reality according to Brahmanic philosophy. Many of the verses and concepts of the Katha Upanishad can be found in the Bhagavad Gita.

Katha 1.1.3

He thought to himself: The worlds one goes to by giving away cows no longer able to eat, drink, give milk, or bear children, must be joyless indeed.


Even the young Nachiketa is capable of seeing the insincerity of his father's sacrifice, as he watches old and infertile cows being taken away. He remarks that "the worlds one goes to from such a miserly sacrifice must be joyless indeed". The story may be indicating that the father had no mind to fulfill the vows of the Visvajit sacrifice, and was merely making a symbolic gesture by giving away old cows.

  • pītodakā — having drank water

  • jagdhatṛṇā — having eaten grass
    Specifically refers to cows or other grass-eating animals (jagdha).

  • dugdhadohā — milked out
    Specifically refers to cows that no longer give milk.

    दुग्धदोह

  • nirindriyāḥ — barren, impotent
    Nirindriya (निरिन्द्रिय), a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms nir and indriya (इन्द्रिय), literally translating to "without senses/faculties".

  • anandā — joyless, cheerless
    Distinct from ānanda (आनन्द) which refers to happiness, joy, and delight.

    अनन्द

  • nāma — verily, indeed

  • te — those

  • lokāstān — worlds

  • sa — he

  • gacchati — go

  • tā — them

  • dadat — by giving

Katha Upanishad