Nachiketa and Yama — The Boy Who Asked About Death

Ek pita ne gusse mein keh diya — aur ek bete ne use sach maan liya. Bas yahin se katha shuru hoti hai.

Vajasravasa — ek dhani brahmin — Vishvajit yagna kar raha tha. Aisa yagna jisme apna sarvasva daan karna hota hai, taaki swarg mile. Lekin moh aa gaya. Swasth gaayon ki jagah woh buddhi, thaki, bekaar gaayein daan karne laga — jo na doodh de sakti thi, na bachhde paida kar sakti thi, na jinse kisi brahmin ka bhala ho sakta tha. Uska yuva beta Nachiketa pareshaan aankhon se dekh raha tha. Aise kapat-daan se pita ko punya nahi, paap milega. Usne socha — main bhi to pita ki sampatti hun. Kya ve mujhe bhi kisi yogya ko denge?

'Pitaji,' usne dheere se poocha, 'aap mujhe kise denge?' Pita ne andekha kiya. Nachiketa ne phir poocha. Teesri baar poocha — 'Aap mujhe kise denge?' Pita ne — mehmaanon ke saamne jhunjhlaahat aur sharmindagi mein — jhidak kar kaha, 'Main tumhe Yam ko deta hun! Mrityu ko!' Shabd gusse mein kahe gaye the. Lekin un dinon pita ka vachan pavitra hota tha. Nachiketa ne shaanti se pranaam kiya. 'Pitaji, chinta mat kijiye. Main jaaunga.'

To ladka Yam ke dhaam gaya. Aur mrityu-devta ko ghar par nahi paaya. Nachiketa bas dwaar par baith gaya. Intezaar karne laga. Teen din. Teen raatein. Bina khaaye-piye. Jab Yam wapas aaye aur jaana ki ek yuva atithi — ek brahmin ladka — unke dwaar par bhookha intezaar karta raha, to woh sharm se paani-paani ho gaye. Bharat ki parampara mein atithi swayam devta hota hai. Jis ghar mein atithi bhookha rahe, us ghar ka punya nash ho jaata hai.

Yam ne haath jod kar kshama maangi. 'He baalak, mere dwaar par tumhaari jo teen raatein beeti, unke badle mujhse teen vardaan maango. Jo chaho, woh paaoge.'

Pehle vardaan mein Nachiketa ne maanga — mere pita ka krodh shaant ho jaaye, woh apne bete ka khushi se swaagat karein. Doosre mein — us pavitra agni-karm ka gyaan jo swarg le jaata hai. Yam ne khushi se sikhaya. Aur us agni ka naam ladke ke naam par rakha — Nachiketa Agni.

Phir aaya teesra vardaan. Nachiketa ki awaaz gambheer ho gayi. 'Jab koi vyakti marta hai — kuch kehte hain woh rehta hai, doosre kehte hain nahi rehta. Satya kya hai? Mujhe mrityu ka rahasya sikhaaiye.'

Yam ne use bhatkaane ki koshish ki. Unhone apna khazaana khol diya — 'Sau saal jeene waale bete-pote maang lo. Gaayein, haathi, ghode, sona maang lo. Jitni chaaho dharti maang lo. Chaaho to swarg ki apsarayein tumhaari seva mein rahein.' Lekin Nachiketa ne har pralobhan ko haath jod kar lauta diya. 'Yeh sukh kal tak ke mehmaan hain, Prabhu. Aaj hain, kal nahi. Inse indriyaan ghis jaati hain, lekin aatma ki pyaas bujhti nahi. Apna dhan apne paas rakhiye. Mujhe wahi bataaiye jo mrityu ke paar hai. Isse bada guru mujhe teenon lokon mein nahi milega.'

Yam muskuraye. Ladka sabse badi pariksha paas kar chuka tha. Aur unhone use Upanishadon ke dil ka satya sikhaya. Shareer ek rath hai. Indriyaan uske ghode hain. Man lagaam hai. Buddhi saarthi hai. Aur aatma — swayam rath ka swami — na janmti hai, na marti hai. Woh amar hai. Ise jaan lena mrityu ke dar se hamesha ke liye mukta ho jaana hai. Unhone do maargon ki baat kahi — preya, jo man ko lubhaata hai, aur shreya, jo kalyaan karta hai. Gyaani shreya chunta hai. Nachiketa ne preya ko thukra kar shreya chuna tha.

Nachiketa ghar wapas aaya — apni umr se kahin zyada gyaani. Uske sawaal Katha Upanishad ban gaye — Bharat ke sabse pyaare granthon mein se ek. Yeh katha yaad dilaane ke liye sunayi jaati hai — sabse bade sawaal poochhne se mat daro. Aur satya ko aaraam ke badle mat becho. Jo Nachiketa ne mrityu ke dwaar par dhairya se intezaar karke paaya, woh koi dhan kabhi nahi khareed sakta.

Yam ne use jo drishtaant diya, woh aaj bhi har pathshala mein dohraaya jaata hai — shareer ek rath hai, indriyaan uske ghode, man lagaam, buddhi saarthi, aur aatma swayam rath ka swami. Ghode bekabu hon to rath khaai mein girta hai. Lagaam kheenchna saarthi ka kaam hai. Aur swami? Woh to bas sakshi hai — amar, avinaashi.

Do maarg hain, Yam ne kaha — preya, jo man ko lubhaata hai, aur shreya, jo kalyaan karta hai. Gyaani shreya chunta hai, agyaani preya mein bhatak jaata hai. Nachiketa ne preya ko thukra diya tha. Isiliye uska naam amar ho gaya — aur humaara sawaal aaj bhi zinda hai: hum kya chunte hain?