The death experience of Nachiketa

By Staff

When we want to bring in conviction about something, we can do it in two ways: One, we can experiment and see for ourselves, what the truth is. Second, we can take reference from someone who has already undergone the experience of it. I will now give you a reference from the Upanishads.

There is an Upanishad called Katopanishad, which is the wonderful release of a personal interview, a direct dialogue that a child had with Lord Yama – the Lord of Death. In Hindu mythology, the presiding deity for death is Lord Yama. He stands for death.

There was a famous King by name Uchaishravas. He was suddenly possessed by a desire to control the entire world and so he performed a VaajaPeya yaga – a fire offering that is done when one wants to rule the whole world.

According to the rules of this offering, one has to give away as offering, all the things of great attachment and of great value. Only then, one can get the position of the Lord of the world.

Kings are always good businessmen; they have to be, otherwise they cannot be kings and have control over such vast property. They will see what minimum they can give and what maximum they can get out of it.

This King, started giving offerings - cows that were at the fag end of their lives; that had given all the possible milk they could give for a lifetime; that had given birth to as many calves as possible in their lifetime; that were ready to die. He was offering all such worthless things.

Chat With The Devotees Of Paramahamsa Nithyananda