ed Nachiketa. Once
on a time the Rishi Uddalaki endued with great intelligence, approaching
his son Nachiketa, said unto him, 'Do thou wait upon and serve me.' Upon
the completion of the vow he had observed the great Rishi once more said
unto his son, 'Engaged in performing my ablutions and deeply taken up
with my Vedic study, I have forgotten to bring with me the firewood, the
Kusa blades, the flowers, the water jar, and the potherbs I had gathered.
Do thou bring me those things from the riverside.' The son proceeded to
the spot indicated, but saw that all the articles had been washed away by
the current. Coming back to his father, he said, 'I do not see the
things!' Afflicted as he then was with hunger, thirst, and fatigue, the
Rishi Uddalaki of high ascetic merit, in a sudden wrath, cursed his son,
saying, 'Do thou meet with Yama today!' Thus struck by his sire with the
thunder of his speech, the son, with joined palms, said, 'Be appeased
with me!' Soon, however, he fell down on the earth, deprived of life.
Beholding Nachiketa prostrated upon the earth, his sire became deprived
of his senses through grief. He, too, exclaiming, 'Alas, what have I
done,' fell down on the earth. Filled with grief, as he indulged in
lamentations for his son, the rest of that day passed away and night
came. Then Nachiketa, O son of Kuru's race, drenched by the tears of his
father, gave signs of returning life as he lay on a mat of Kusa grass.
His restoration to life under the tears of his sire resembled the
sprouting forth of seeds when drenched with auspicious showers. The son
just restored to consciousness was still weak. His body was smeared with
fragrant unguents and he looked like one just awaking from a deep
slumber. The Rishi asked him, saying, 'Hast thou, O son, acquired
auspicious regions by thy own acts? By good luck, thou hast been restored
to me! Thy body does not seem to be human!' Thus asked by high-souled
father, Nachiketa who had seen every thing with his own eyes, made the
following answer unto him in the midst of the Rishis, 'In obedience to
thy command I proceeded to the extensive region of Yama which is
possessed of a delightful effulgence. There I beheld a palatial mansion
which extended for thousands of Yojanas and emitted a golden splendour
from every part. As soon as Yama beheld me approaching with face towards
him, he commanded his attendants saying, "Give him a good seat, verily,
the king of the dead, for thy sake