Yamaraja Tries To Dissuade Nachiketas

Nachiketas asked Yamaraja - what happens after death?
Is there anything other than the body that goes elsewhere?
Yamarja said - For my sake, will you avoid this question?
Not only my sake, it is in your own interest I am saying this.
You may not understand such a subtle yet complex subject.
Because it is such a subtle topic, even Devas have not been able to understand properly.
Great scholars on earth have tried to give an answer to this question but they have all failed.
Your third boon still remains but ask for something else.
देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा
न हि सुविज्ञेयमणुरेष धर्मः ।
अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व
मा मोपरोत्सीरति मा सृजैनम् ॥ २१॥
This is the meaning of the 21st mantra of the first adhyaya of Prathama Valli of Kathopanishad.

Nachiketas said -
देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं किल
त्वं च मृत्यो यन्न सुज्ञेयमात्थ ।
वक्ता चास्य त्वादृगन्यो न लभ्यो
नान्यो वरस्तुल्य एतस्य कश्चित् ॥ २२॥
Lord! you are saying that even the Devas are not clear about this.
And it is something difficult to understand.
But other than you nobody can be a better teacher for this and there can not be a boon and blessing greater than this.
Nachiketas was not ready to give up.
Yamaraja must have got goosebumps seeing this.
Still Yamaraja wanted to test him more.

शतायुषः पुत्रपौत्रान्वृणीष्व
बहून्पशून् हस्तिहिरण्यमश्वान् ।
भूमेर्महदायतनं वृणीष्व
स्वयं च जीव शरदो यावदिच्छसि ॥ २३॥
Ask for long-lived sons and grandsons, ask for cattle, elephants, horses, gold, land, as much as you want. I can grant you the power to decide how long you want live.
You can choose when you want to die.
But don't force me to answer this question

एतत्तुल्यं यदि मन्यसे वरं
वृणीष्व वित्तं चिरजीविकां च ।
महाभूमौ नचिकेतस्त्वमेधि
कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि ॥ २४॥
Yamaraja is making it amply clear that he has the answer to the question of Nachiketas.
But he says - not only these, I can make you an emperor
Or कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि - I can make you achieve whatever you desire.

ये ये कामा दुर्लभा मर्त्यलोके
सर्वान् कामाँश्छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व ।
इमा रामाः सरथाः सतूर्या
न हीदृशा लम्भनीया मनुष्यैः ।
आभिर्मत्प्रत्ताभिः परिचारयस्व
नचिकेतो मरणं माऽनुप्राक्षीः ॥ २५॥

सर्वान् कामाँश्छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व - Everything in this universe has got a name and a form.
Chhand here means words with a measure, words specifically indicating an object or an emotion or something.
What Yamaraja says is - You name it, I will give that to you.
Apsaras, ordinary men can not even imagine about them.
I will send them to you, they will serve you, they will make you happy.
मरणं माऽनुप्राक्षीः - But don't ask me this question about death.

In the next episode, we will see the response of Nachiketas to this.