KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 1

                                                अन्यच्छ्रेयोऽन्यदुतैव प्रेयस्ते

                                                  उभे नानार्थे पुरुषँसिनीतः ।

                                              तयोः श्रेय आददानस्य साधु भवति

                                              हीयतेऽर्थाद्य उ प्रेयोवृणीते ॥ १॥

                                 ANYAT SREYO NYAD UTA EVA PREYASTE

                                 UBHE NANARTHE PURUSHAM SINITAH |

                         TAYOH SHREY ADADANASHYA SADHU BHAVATI

                              HIYATE ARTHATYAH  U PREYO VRUNITE  ||1

YAMA SAID , ONE IS GOOD OTHER IS PLEASANT. THESE TWO HAVE DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES  AND CHAIN MAN. ONE WHO SELECTS GOOD ALONE IS BLESSED ,BUT ONE WHO SELECTS PLEASANT ,LOSES FROM TRUE END |1

    The shloka is the starting of the teaching of the things that we face in life  and how we get trapped . In life we make decisions all the time . When we select things when we buy groceries or cook or eat . Did we buy things that are healthy and tasty or only tasty . Did we eat too much  and did we indulge . We know what is good  and what give pleasure but is not good . Certain actions will lead to attachments  and increase desires to have bodily pleasures . They appear to be more attractive but lead to attachments or chains . This is very easy to understand - the circle of mind - we do an action and that action leads to impression and that impression leads to desire  and that leads to an action again and this circle continues  and theses desires will lead to reincarnation. This si simple to understand .But how come what is good will also chain us ? The answer is not in the good or bad part ,but in WHY WE DID DO GOOD ACTION? Giving donation for good cause is good but if we did it with desire to be mentioned in the fund raiser or desire to have a plaque put on the wall then that Good action also will lead to attachment and that will bring us back for another life . So the intention with which we do the Good action is the cause of bondage or chains .
 

KATHOPNISHAD ADHYAK 1 CHAPTER 1 ,SHLOKA- 29

                                                 यस्मिन्निदं विचिकित्सन्ति मृत्यो

                                                यत्साम्परायेमहति ब्रूहि नस्तत् ।

                                                    योऽयं वरोगूढमनुप्रविष्टो
               
                                                 नान्यं तस्मान्नचिकेता वृणीते॥ २९

                             YASMIN IDAM VICHIKITSANTI MRYUTYO

                            YAT SAMPARAYE MAHATI BRUHI NASTAT|

                             O"YAM VARO GUDHAM ANUPRAVISHTO

                        NA ANYAM TASMAN NACHIKETA VRUNITE ||29

                    O DEATH -YAMA TELL ME IN WHICH MEN HAVE DOUBT AND

                  WHICH IS ABOUT GREAT PASSING -DEATH-WHICH IS MYSTERIOUS

                            ,NACHIKETA WANTS THAT BOON NOTHING ELSE  ||29

This is the last of the first chapter.So after the exchange between Yama  and Nachiket, Nachiket is telling that he wants only one boon and nothing else. This almost like when we bargain in stores or buying car, The sells man offers the price  and we offer different and he comes with different offer  and then after some exchange we give ultimatum. We offer so called Final price  and if not accepted , walk out. This is similar to that.
    Yam has offered different things to Nachiket instead of the Knowledge about Life after death. and now Nachiket is telling that he does not want anything else but the one that he asked for. The life after death is a topic of discussion in every religion. Many religion believe that we will see GOD after death only . Many have no idea of reincarnation. Many have ideas of ghosts  and heaven  and hell  and Saitan. So in short what happens after death is mysterious  and so all of us want to know  and who is better to tell us than the God of Death - YAMA.

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1 -SHLOKA 28

                                           
                                                        अजीर्यताममृतानामुपेत्य

                                                    जीर्यन्मर्त्यः क्वधःस्थः प्रजानन् ।

                                                    अभिध्यायन् वर्णरतिप्रमोदान्

                                                      अतिदीर्घे जीवितेकोरमेत ॥ २८

                                        AJIRYTAM AMRUTANAM UPETYA

                            JIRYAN MARTYAH KATHASTHAH PRAJANAN

                                     ABHIDHYAN VARNRATIPRAMODAT

                                       ATIDEERGH JIVITE KO RAMET ||28

WHICH HUMAN BEING WHO IS DECAYING (AGING) AND MORTAL HUMAN BEING
WILL THINK ABOUT PLEASURES OF BEAUTY AND LOVE, WHEN HE HAS COME IN                             CONTACT WITH UN DECAYING AND IMMORTAL ||28

   This Shloka is continuation of several previous ones The argument is repeated as to why Nachiketa wants his own boon to be granted rather than accepting the things that are offered by Yama . One can look at life positively or negatively. Some people will think of this Shloka as negative one  and may feel that the Human life is full of beauty  and happiness. So why knock it down . Nachiket is telling Yama that that the Human body ages  and he has used DECAYING as the word for aging . This certainly is true but as in our life we use terms like senior citizens for older people or mature adults for the same , one can also use term like old fart . So here since Nachiket wants to point the negativity of the aging process, he is using term Decaying rather than sugar coated terms for the same process. Certainly we are all mortals .
    When we have not experienced the pleasures of beauty and money  and other things , we could be impressed  and tempted by them . But then all these are sense organ pleasures  and they all END  and they are transient . Also the same things that we could enjoy as young person ,we can not as we get older . So the pleasures END . So when we come in contact with someone who is immortal  and ageless, we would like to et that not just transient pleasures  and mortal body .
    If we have never experienced better than our current life , we may be happy  and content,but when we come across better then we want to have that -this is human nature , So Nachiket wants to know about Immortality.

KATHOPNISHADA- CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA -27

                                                     न वित्तेन तर्पणीयोमनुष्यो

                                                      लप्स्यामहेवित्तमद्राक्ष्म चेत्त्वा ।

                                                     जीविष्यामोयावदीशिष्यसि त्वं

                                                      वरस्तुमेवरणीयः स एव ॥ २७

                                           NA VITTEN TARPANIYA MANUSHYO

                               LAPASYAMAHE  HE VITTAM ADRAKSHAM CHA TWA

                                          JIVISHYAM YAWAT ISHISHYASI TWAM

                                                VARSTU VARANIAYH SA EVA ||27

MAN IS NOT SATISFIED BY WEALTH (ALONE), IF WE ANT WEALTH WE WILL GET IT,
                   
                                                      IF ONLY WE SEE YOU

             WE LIVE AS LONG YOU RULE .SO THE BOON ALONE IS CRAVED FOR ME||27
Nachiketa is telling the Lord of Death that money is  ot everything and when one wants it  and he has seen The Lord of Death, he will get it . But that does not guarantee happiness . The happiness is in MIND  and not in OUTSIDE source . We have seen this in our life . The beef is great for meat eater  and ot for someone who is vegetarian. The first slice of pizza gives you more pleasure than 10th slice - if one is forced to consume that much So Happiness is state of mind . And getting money alone is not enough if ALL THIS IS GOING TO END . So young man or woman may enjoy certain things that older person may not or may not BE ABLE TO enjoy..
    In addition to getting old,there is Death . So the death of physical body ENDS ALL THE BODILY PLEASURE and the Lord of Death is in charge of that . So the wealth can be enjoyed as long as we have physical body and it is in great shape to enjoy it . This is under control of Lord of Death So Nachiketa is telling the Yama that wealth is great but better than that is THE BOON THAT I ASKED FOR.
    With this discussion  and the conversation that is written in these Shlokas , the scripture is telling us the futility of money ,  and physical bodily enjoyments as they all end with death of the physical body . If we want PERMANENT Happiness , we need to go beyond the happiness of physical body which is SHORT LASTING and not same in our life time.

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA 26

                                                      श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत्

                                                        सर्वेंद्रियाणां जरयंति तेजः ।

                                                         अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव

                                                        तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते॥ २६

                            SHVOBHAVA MARTYASYA YAD  ANTAKETAT

                               SARVADRIYANAM JARAYANTI TEJAH |

                                  API SARVAM JIVITAM ALPAM EV

                              TAVAIVVAHASTAV NRUTYAGEETE ||26

O DEATH,THESE THINGS TEND TO DIE , THE SHARPNESS OF SENSES DETERIORATES

                                     IN MAN.EVEN THE LONGEST LIFE IS SHORT.             
         
                THEN WHAT TO TALK ABOUT CHARIOTS AND DANCE AND MUSIC||26

    In this SHLOKA, Nachiketa is answering to the offer made by the Yama. The God of Death offered him the big kingdom and chariots  and dancing and long life. All of theses things are not IMMORTAL.There are 2 things that I would like to point out . One is that all these are sense organ perception  and enjoyments . Second is that no matter how long,the Life ENDS IN DEATH. So even if someone has long life , one day it will end . The problem with sense organ pleasure is that it always ends  and there is Law of Diminishing return. You may enjoy  a song or food or an act. But if you get same food every time you are hungry, the pleasure that it gave you first time is not same when you eat 10th time. The song that you liked first time will not be sounding same or give you same level of enjoyment when you hear it 10th time. When one gets old the senses are not as sharp as they were when you were younger  and food that you could eat without problem will not be as benign as was when you were younger .
    So the aging is not prevented  and so one will die  and the body does get old  and is not in position to enjoy at same level as was at younger age.So Nachiketa is finding holes in the offer that was made by Yama. 

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1 SHLOKA 25

                                                    ये ये कामा दुर्लभा मर्त्यलोके

                                                    सर्वान् कामाँश्छन्दतः प्रार्थयस्व ।

                                                    इमा रामाः सरथाः सतूर्या

                                                    न हीदृशा लम्भनीया मनुष्यैः ।|

                                                  आभिर्मत्प्रत्ताभिः परिचारयस्व

                                                  नचिकेतोमरणं माऽनुप्राक्षीः ॥ २५

                                   YE YE KAMA DURLABHA MARTYALOKE

                           SARVAN KAMAN CHHANDATAH PRARTHYASWA

                                      IMA RAMAH SARATHAH SATURYA

                             NA HIDRASHA LAMBHANIYA MANUSHYEH

                            ABHIR MAT PRATTABHIH PARICHARAYASWA

                               NICHIKETOMARANAM MANUPRAKSHIH ||25

      WHATEVER DESIRES ARE DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN BY MORTALS IN MORTAL LIFE              LIKE  CHARIOTS , MUSIC, THAT CAN NOT BE ENJOYED BY MORTALS, ASK FOR               THEM,I WILL GIVE THEN TO YOU,O NACHIKETA DO NOT ASK FOR STATE OF SOUL                                                                     AFTER DEATH || 25

   This is again continuation of the theme that has been seen in last few Shloka. The Yama is offering different things to Nachiketa  and asking him to ask for something else , rather than insisting on KNOWING the state of soul after Death. This time he is offering things that Mortals can not get or get it easily on Earthly Life . The Earth is called MRYTYULOK. MRUTYU means death .LOKA means PLACE. In Vedic religion there are 7 LOKAS and Earth is one of them .BHU, BHYVAH, SWAHA ,MAHA ,JANAH,TAPAH, SATYA  - are the 7 places or LOKA. So each place has some 'limits' as to what can be enjoyed . So Yama is offering him some of the rare things seen in  present life . Chariots  and musical instrument may sound not great for some one now . But it is like offering Ferrari or Lamborghini automobiles in today's society.

KATHOPNISHADA CHAPTER 1-SHLOKA 24

     
                                                          एतत्तुल्यं यदि मन्यसेवरं

                                                        वृणीष्व वित्तं चिरजीविकां च ।

                                                         महाभूमौनचिकेतस्त्वमेधि

                                                   कामानां त्वा कामभाजं करोमि ॥ २४
 
                                    ETATAT TULYAM  TADI MANYASE VARAM

                                    VRUNISVA VITTAM CHIRAJIVIKAM CH |

                                   MAHABHUMAU NACHIKETAS TWAM EDHI

                                  KAMANAMTWAM KAMA BHAJAM KAROMI ||24

   IF YOU THINK ANY OTHER BOON EQUAL TO THIS BOON,WEALTH, LONGEVITY,

                   KING OF LARGE PORTION OF LAND / EARTH, O  NACHIKETA 

                                         I  CAN MAKE  YOU  ENJOY ||24

   This Shloka is continuation of temptation that is offered by the Lord of Death. One may feel why is he offering all these different things rather than explaining the Life After Death? The answer may be that many of us try to KNOW the answer and get caught at lower level of achievement. As was stated in Patnajali Sutra Yoga, when one starts to do meditation and has some success in it , he will get certain Powers or Sidhhi  and then if one gets entangle in them , by Enjoying the fruits of these powers, then he will not advance  and will not KNOW the knowledge. If we think of these different means as steps of a ladder, MANY OF US GET CAUGHT IN LOWER STEPS ONLY  and never reach the top of ladder. So the temptation that Lord of Death,, so to make sure that the Student is ready and not going to drop out.
    So he is offering him different Pleasures that ARE ALL RELATED TO MORTAL BODY.and sense organ pleasure. So one can see through this . All the offering are related to the enjoyment in THIS WORLD  and nothing to do with OTHER WORLD.