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NOVEMBER, 1928
KATHAKA UPANTSAD
205
On the whole, the most numerous coincidences are with texts belonging to the YajurVeda, and we may conclude from this that our Upanişad most probably belongs to that Veda and to that Sakhd of it which is known as the Kathaka.
The story of Naciketas is found also in the Taitt. Br. iii, 11, 8, 1-5, a text which must. undoubtedly belong to an older period than our Upanişad. We are told there that Usan Våjaśra vasa32 gave away all his earthly goods, and that his son, young Naciketas, three times asked his father to whom he wanted to give him33. At last the father answered him: "To Death I give thee." And when the boy started for the abode of Death a certain (divine ) 34 voice talked to him, advising him to arrive at the house of Death while he was absent. There he was to stay fasting for three nights. When Death, having returned, asked him : "What hast thou eaten the first night?" he was to answer : " Thy offspring"; and likewise concerning the second night : "Thy cattle," and concerning the third : "Thy good actions." Death, apparently scared out of his wits upon hearing this terrible news, now speaks to him: "Hail to thee, O venerable one!" says he," choose a boon "-" Then may I living go to my father "--"Choose a second one"-"Tell me the eternal reward of sacrifice and good works "36, thus he replied. Then he told him about this Nāciketa fire. Then forsooth his sacrifice and good works gave abundant fruit .... "Choose a third one," he said. "Tell me how to ward off (apajiti)36 recurring death", thus he replied. Then he told him about this Naciketa fire. Then forsooth he warded off recurring death.
This story tallies only partly with the Kathaka Upanişad. According to the latter text Usan Vajasra vasa-otherwise the famous Uddâlaka Aruni-gave away all his carthly goods as daksinds.37 His young son Naciketas38, when he saw the sacrificial cows being led away, was seized by longing for the heavenly worlds39 and spoke a verse concerning those cows, which is not to be found in the Brâhmana. Three times he asks his father to whom he is going to give him, until finally the father answers : "I give thee to Death.":40
There must be something like a gap in our present text at this point, for the connection is apparently broken and can only be restored hypothetically. Anyhow, it is quite clear
32 On him cf. Weber, Ind. Stud. ii, p. 201 sq. and infra.
38 That the father, after having given overything else away, should at last have to give even his own child undoubtedly reminds us of the stories of Hariscandra and of the Buddhist Vessantarajataka (Jataka 647; Jätakamālā 7 etc.) But the situations are, of course, entirely different.
36 Thus the commentary. 35 istāpürtayor me 'ksitim brúhi. The Bibl. Ind. edition incorrectly reads me ksitim brühi. 36 The commentary reads apaciti, probably only by misprint.
37 That probably, though not necessarily, means that ho had been celebrating a Sarvamedha. Cf. Hillebrandt, Ritualliteratur, p. 15
98 The name is difficult, and the various explanations suggested are unsatisfactory. The Indian analysis Natciketas (: cit.), which was endorsed by Böhthing, SB. 1890, p. 129 is, of course, without any value whatsoever. But Professor Wackernagel in his Altind. Gramm. ii: 1, 59 has quito correctly pointed out that naci- is the form of nakra to be used as the first part of a compound. There is no word ketas, but it would probably be found to have the same meaning as ketrt. Thus naci-ketas would mean about the same as makara-ketu or makara-dhuaja, well-known epithets of Kama. The son of Uddalaka Aruni, of course, is Sveta-ketu (cf. Professor Lüders, Festschr. Windisch p. 228 ff.); it is, anyhow, remarkable that both names, Naci-kelas and Sveta-ketu, seem to end in the same way. Nakra—though probably originally a colourname--can, however, not be identical with Sveta.
39 Cf. infra. .
40 Hillebrandt, Aus Brahmanas und Upanishaden, p. 116, thought that wo might find here an obliterated trace of a purusamedha in connection with the giving away of all wealth. To me this seems fairly probable, but it cannot be provod satisfactorily.
