Fasting to death
P.K.Ramakrishnan
http://peekayar.blogspot.com
murthy
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To post to this group, send email to sams...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/samskrita?hl=en.
Hnbhat B.R.
ब्राह्मण इति । एकपार्श्वेन एकपार्श्वशयनादिना नरान् स्वापकारिजनान् रोद्धुमपकृतेर्निवर्तयितुं
ब्राह्मण एवार्हति अत: मूर्धाभिषिक्तानां राजन्यानां प्रत्युपवेशने न विधि:, एतेन विधिविरुद्धकरणे त्वां पापं प्राप्स्यतीति बोधितम् ।। 2.111.17 ।।
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,
Research Scholar,
Vidya R
From: murthy <murt...@gmail.com>
To: sams...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2011 6:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Samskrita] Fasting to death
Hnbhat B.R.
Having been told that he will be gifted to Yama, the God of Death, Nachiketas went to a secluded place and thought:
Mantra 5: बहूनामेमि Among many students I rank प्रथमो highest बहूनामेमि Among many मध्यमः I rank as belonging to the middling.
किं what स्विद्यमस्य indeed Yama has ktRVy any purpose यन्मयाद्य करिष्यति that my father can achieve through me.
Among many I am the first; or among many I am the middlemost. But certainly I am never the last. What purpose of the King of Death will my father serve today by thus giving me away to him?
Nachiketas is a very positive-thinking boy. He has complete confidence in himself, his abilities. He cannot see himself as lagging behind. So he makes a self-assessment of himself as someone most of the time ranking highest among his classmates. At the most he allows himself a middling position but never the back-bencher. 'Despite my being a front-ranker my father has decided to give me away to the Lord of death. What purpose indeed of Yama does my father intend to fulfill by giving me to him? Certainly, without expecting anything in return from Yama, just in a fit of anger has my Father uttered those words of sending me away to him.' Nachiketas sees his father is now in a repentant mood for having uttered those harsh words. Deciding that even those words uttered by the Father should not become futile, Nachiketas addressed his Father, with a view to console him:
Mantra 6: अनुपश्य Consider यथा पूर्वे the way your forefathers behaved प्रतिपश्य तथा परे and consider also how the others behave now. सस्यमिव Just like corn मर्त्यः man पच्यते decays सस्यमिवाजायते पुनः and is reborn like corns sprouting.
Nachiketa said: Look back and see how it was with those who came before us and observe how it is with those who are now with us. A mortal ripens like corn and like corn he springs up again.
The young boy Nachiketas now addresses his father: Recall to mind the conduct of your ancestors. Their ways have to be followed by you as well. Also see how the noble minded of the present times behave. They too are worthy of emulating. In all of their dealings one can never find contemptible behavior. It is only the ignoble that behave contrary to the adorable ones. One can never hope to attain to immortality by disgraceful conduct. Mortal man dies and is born again even as plants die and sprout. Returning to this world of mortals is no praiseworthy endeavor. Go ahead and stick to your words. Send me to the abode of Yama, the Lord of Death.
Nachiketas has virtually delivered a sermon to his father who could protest no longer. He sent his boy to the world of Yama. Reaching Yama's residence, Nachiketas, finding that Yama was away refused to enter the mansion. He opted to remain outside, refusing even food, spending three nights in waiting. This shows he was endowed with immense forbearance, titikShA, involving his remaining without food, outside the house. We have already seen his concern for his father's welfare. These are some of the qualities that favour a spiritual aspirant.
Nachiketas was observing the custom of a male not entering and staying in another's house if the man of the house was away. Eventually Yama returned from his circuit. Reporting Nachiketas' arrival and waiting, Yama's household gives him a piece of advice on what is to be done to welcome Nachiketas:
Mantra 7: वैश्वानरः verily fire प्रविशति enters गृहान् houses ब्राह्मणः in the form of a Brahmin अतिथिः guest तस्यैतांhim this kind of शान्तिं propitiation कुर्वन्ति do हर fetch वैवस्वत O son of vivasvAn उदकम् - water.
Verily, like fire a brahmin guest enters a house; the householder pacifies him by giving him water and a seat. Bring him water. O King of Death!
When a brahmin guest arrives at a house, it is verily the God of Fire, vaishvAnara that comes in his form. The idea is this: the brahmin who has a lot of power born of austerity, tapas, is capable of bringing prosperity or destruction to the house where he enters. It is therefore incumbent upon those who receive him to pacify him by the appropriate protocol. He is given water for washing his feet, offered a seat of honor, etc. This is the method of noble householders in respect of a brahmin guest. Therefore, remind the people of Yama's household that he, Yama, fetch water to conduct the brahmin guest, Nachiketas, into the house, with due honor. In case there is a lapse in this, or such a protocol is ignored, the scripture warn of accrual of sin for the householder. What befalls such an errant householder? In reply comes the next mantra:
Mantra 8:
आशा-प्रतीक्षे संगतं सूनृतां च
इष्टा-पूर्ते पुत्र-पशूंश्च सर्वान् ।
एतद्वृङ्क्ते पुरुषस्य अल्पमेधसः
यस्य अनश्नन् वसति ब्राह्मणो गृहे ॥ 8 ॥
आशा-प्रतीक्षे - hopes and expectations संगतं - the reward of his intercourse with pious people सूनृतां च - the merit of his kindly speech इष्टा-पूर्ते - the good results of his sacrifices and beneficial deeds पुत्र-पशूंश्च सर्वान् - and his cattle and children as well एतद्वृङ्क्ते - destroys these अनश्नन् वसति ब्राह्मणो - The brahmin who dwells , fasting गृहे- in a house यस्य पुरुषस्य अल्पमेधसः - that foolish householder's (house).
