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 1.1.4

He said to his father: Father! To whom will you give me? He said this a second and a third time. Then his father replied: Unto death I will give you. 


Nachiketa reasons that as one of his father's possessions, he is also to be donated, and asks who is to be donated to. Further reinforcing the story's underlying suggestion of insincerity in the Visvajit sacrifice, his father Vajasravasa is angered by the question, and after being pressed repeatedly, exclaims "to death I shall give you".

While this is a common method of rebuke, the implication by the standards of Dharma is that the father's word must be carried out with absolute obedience.

  • sa — he

  • hovāca — said

  • pitaraṃ — unto his father

  • tata — Father

  • kasmai — to whom

  • māṃ — me

  • dāsyasīti — will you give

  • dvitīyaṃ — a second time

  • tṛtīyaṃ — a third time

  • tam — to him

  • hovāca — said

  • mṛtyave — unto death

  • tvā — you, your

  • dadāmīti — shall give

Katha Upanishad