Nachiketas Responds To The Offer Of Yamaraja

Nachiketas wanted to know from Yamaraja what happens after death.
Yamaraja said, don't ask me this question.
In lieu of that, ask for whatever else you want.
Ask for sons, grandsons, cattle, elephants, horses, gold, land, you decide how long you want to live, I can make you an emperor, enjoy with apsaras, whatever you want I will give it to you.
But don't ask for this knowledge.
Do you know what is the relevance of this?
Knowledge should be given only according to the disciple's eligibility.
There are various levels of knowledge, various depths of knowledge.
There is a saying, don't give a garland in the hands of a monkey.
What will the monkey do?
It's not going to appreciate its beauty and happily wear it around its neck.
It will simply tear it into pieces and throw it away.
What a disgrace it is.
Our acharyas were very particular - give to someone only as much as he deserves.
Not more.
Let him elevate himself, then give more.

Yamaraja is testing Nachiketas.
Because the knowledge he is asking for in incomprehensible even to the Devas.
Does this young boy deserve it.
What does he want to do with it?

And see how Nachiketas responded to this offer.
श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत्
सर्वेंद्रियाणां जरयन्ति तेजः ।
अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव
तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते ॥ २६॥
These are श्वोभावा - श्वः means tomorrow, that is their nature.
That is the nature of whatever Yamaraja has offered.
Noone knows whether they will be there tomorrow.
Noone knows whether they will be there the very next moment.
And see who is offering these?
Antaka himself.
See the paradox.
Antaka is called Antaka because he is the one who ends everything.
He knows that they are all impermanent.
Nachiketas is calling his bluff.
I want to know what happens after death.
And you want to turn me away by offering all these worthless momentary things.

All of these that offer pleasure to the senses, they themselves are responsible for their wear and tear and push them towards oldness.
They are all vehicles of Yamaraja.
Death travels on these objects of pleasure.
You must have noticed this.
Brahmacharis always look young and fresh.
They don't expose their sensory organs to these objects of pleasure.
That's the reason.

And Nachiketas can live as long as he wants.
What's the use?
If a person is attached to objects of pleasure, enjoyments, then even Brahma's longevity is not sufficient for him.
He will be still unsatisfied.
Nchiketas still continues.
We will see more in the next episode.