Yamadev said, "O Nachiketa, do not ask about death!"

- Known yet unknown - Munindra

- Nachiketa very cleverly replies that Yamaraj himself has said that even the gods themselves cannot easily understand this subject. Then where do you get such an opportunity?

The child Nachiketa who reaches the gate of Ya Maraj asks Yamaraj as his first boon that when he returns from here to Prithvi Loka, his father will be free of anger and be as happy with him as he was before. Nachiketa's paternal devotion to his father, who got angry with him and gave Nachiketa to the god of death, is unbroken.

As another boon, Yamaraj gives him the knowledge of the appearance of the fire which is the source of the eternal world, which is the basis of the world and resides in the heart of man, and especially he tells Nachiketa that everyone has seen the fire burning outside in the world; But this is the fire that resides within a person and such inner fire will be known as 'Nachiket fire' in the world of fire. This fire will be the giver of immortality, free from the bonds of death.

Now when Yamaraj asks Nachiketa to ask for a third boon, Nachiketa expresses great doubt. It asks the question whether a person dies, does he have any existence or not? In the mind of Nachiketa, there is a curiosity that when a person dies, his body is destroyed, then the soul remains, or the soul is also destroyed?

Nachiketa's question was very subtle and broad, because the implication was that he wanted to know the nature of the soul. Is the form of that soul perishable or eternal? Is that soul happy or sad? And so his curiosity leads him to ask, if the soul is happy or sad, is it virtuous or sinful? And if he is virtuous or sinful, is he a doer-consumer or a non-consumer?

There is so much depth in the answer to Nachiketa's question that it occurs to Yamaraj that the subject of the soul is very profound and subtle and that the questioner is therefore a mere child. What is the intelligence-power of such a child? Also, if there is not enough intelligence in it, the self-described knowledge of the soul will fail. Therefore, Yamaraj realized that if knowledge is given to an undeserving person, it creates mischief. Therefore, such a disaster will not be created!

This knowledge is beneficial to the questioner; But if such knowledge is given to an unauthorized person, great upadhi is created. Such an incident had also happened in the past and this incident is mentioned in 'Chhandogya Upanishad'. Brahma himself preached to Virochana, the king of demons, but this Virochana was not an authority on self-knowledge, he was not qualified for it. The result was that he could not properly understand the knowledge given by Brahma and took his own body as God. He founded Dehatmavad and became its Acharya. In this way, even though Brahma himself preached Brahmavidya to Virochana, the king of demons, that teaching proved ineffective and spreading ignorance.

Hence Yamaraj tells Nachiketa that, 'Actually this subtle religion is not easy. O Nachiketa, you seek another bridegroom, do not insist on me.' Yamaraj's point was that you give up your curiosity to know this Brahmavidya. Yamaraj has told him to ask for a boon, so it was natural that he had to accept Nachiketa's word; But they say to Nachiketa that you free me from this matter i.e. give up your demand too.

Nachiketa very cleverly replies that Yamaraj himself has said that even the gods themselves cannot easily understand this subject. Then where do you get such an opportunity? Where does one get such a preacher? Hence Nachiketa insists on the answer to this.

It is true that Yamaraj is most qualified to answer Nachiketa's question. All the remains of a dead person are in the hands of Yamaraj, so who knows more about the condition of a person after death than this god of death? Who has the real knowledge of it except Yamaraj? Nachiketa questions the condition after death and gives a hint that there is some kind of continuity after the death of a human being. After death there is rebirth, so Nachiketa's purpose in asking this question is not the condition of man after death. He knows very well that after death there is a survival of human existence; But he has opened the whole window on the subject of the soul by questioning the state after death. Standing near death, he has spoken of the undead. He is not so much interested in death as in the non-dead element.

Nachiketa has come to heaven. There is no aging here; But Nachiketa does not want to be stuck in the emptiness of heaven. He wants to know about Amrit Tattva from Yamaraj. Dehatita wants to know from Yamaraj about the nature of the soul and is therefore determined to ask for this third boon he has received.

Yamadeva had no difficulty in granting the first two boons, but this third role was much more difficult, for in the first role he sought the earthly pleasure of the father, in the second role he sought the immortality of Swargaloka, gradually making more and more subtle and profound demands to provide knowledge. Chahta Nachiketa's third demand is transcendental. As if Vamana does not have three huge steps! But this third step puts Yamadeva himself in a quandary, because it is not easy to attain this very subtle and very elusive Self.

Nachiketa is a wise man whose curiosity grows progressively and hence the first boon he asks for is ordinary, the second boon heavenly and the third boon transcendental. Like a skillful, shrewd person he is moving further and further along the path of enlightenment and when Yamaraj discourages him, he says that there is no one else as uniquely wise and adept in this subject as you. So I want to get that Brahman knowledge from you.

Yamaraj asks him to ask for centuries-old sons and grandsons, countless cows, elephants, horses and a dowry of gold. Choose the vast empire of the earth or I will give you as many sharadas (years) as you want to live. But you should stop asking for this bride. If you ask for any other boon like this, I will give that too. May I make you a great earth emperor with wealth and long life and make you the consumer of all your desires. Yamaraj then goes on to say:

Ama Rama: Sarthan: Sutarya

नहीदशा लाम्बण्या मुन्णाईः.

Abhirmatprattabhih Paricharayasva

Nachiketo die madanuprakshi:..

('Kathopanishad': Verse - 25)

(All the pleasures that are unattainable in mortal world, let him willingly seek them. Here are beautiful girls, including chariots and instruments. The like of which shall never be found by mortals. Attend to thee by those (forests) I have given. But, O Nachiketa, about death. Don't ask.)

Here Yamaraj asks Nachiketa to give all the important worldly pleasures. Yamaraj is ready to give him long life, immense wealth, vast power and the means of indulgences that fulfill all his desires; But he is told to stop asking questions about death.

The knowledge that Nachiketa seeks is of the immortal world beyond death, and Yamadeva puts Nachiketa to the ordeal, testing his heart for attachment to earthly things. Only one who passes such a test is considered the authority to know this immortality. Nachiketa counters his words. (gradually)