KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 3

                                               स त्वं प्रियान्प्रियरूपांश्च कामान्

                                             अभिध्यायन्नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः ।

                                               नैतां सृङ्कां वित्तमयीमवाप्तो

                                             यस्यां मज्जन्ति बहवोमनुष्याः ॥ ३

                             SA TVAM PRIYAPRIYA RUPANCHYA KAMAN

                             ABHIDHYAYAN NACHIKETA TYASRAKSHIH|

                             NA ETAM SRUNKAM VITTAMYIMVAPTO

                            YASYAM MAJJANTI BAHAVOMANUSHYAH ||3

OH NACHIKETA , YOU HAVE RENOUNCED THE DESIRABLE  AND ATTRACTIVE

   LOOKING THINGS JUDGING THEM BY THEIR REAL MERITS,YOU HAVE NOT 

     ACCEPTED THE PATH OF MONEY IN WHICH MANY MORTALS DROWN ||3

     This Shloka is the first one where the Lord of Death - YAMA, has accepted Nachiketa as the student . He tempted him with various bodily pleasures and so far he had the examination. Now the examination is over  and the results are in. The examiner is telling what mistakes students who failed have made  and what Nachiketa did not do that the failing mortals do or did . He was offered the sons  and grandsons  and also money and kingdom and Nachiketa did not take the bait and he refused to accept what is temporary , changing and not ever lasting. So Yama is happy about that as this type of mortal student is not often seen by him.
    Think about this for a minute. Do you know anyone who is ready for dying or anybody who can resist wealth or great family life - good children, grand children? We always have excuses for not being ready for dying . We hoard things , we collect things ,if not for our own enjoyment then for for our children and next generations. One can look at the amount of wealth that is collected by politicians which they are not in position to enjoy. But the greed does not end -not even with death of physical body. We want life after death in heaven -so we can enjoy all the goodies that have been described from Sura - alcohol to Apsara beautiful girls dancing !So our bodily pleasure desires does not end even when we do not have physical body. But Nachiketa renounced all this  and so Yama is happy  and knows that the student is ready.

KATHOPNISHAD CHAPTER 2 SHLOKA 2

                                                         श्रेयश्च प्रेयश्च मनुष्यमेतः

                                                    तौसम्परीत्य विविनक्ति धीरः ।

                                                   श्रेयोहि धीरोऽभि प्रेयसोवृणीते

                                                  प्रेयोमन्दोयोगक्षेमाद्वृणीते ॥ २

                                   SHREYACHYA PREYACHYA MANUSHYM ETAH

                                        STAU SAMPARITYA VIVINAKTI DHIRAH |

                                          SHREYOHI DHIROPREYASO VRUNITE

                                     PREYO MANDO YOGAKSHEMAT VRUNITE ||2

GOOD AND PLEASANT ARE THE CHOICES FOR THE MAN. THE INTELLIGENT MAN

AFTER EXAMINING  AND DISTINGUISHING THEM CHOOSES THE GOOD , THE

        IGNORANT MAN CHOOSES PLEASURE FOR THE SAKE OF THE BODY||2

This is one of the Shlokas which is stressing the same principle. It may feel that we are repeating the same thing over and over again. But the reason is that the student of this scriptures must know the difference. There are 2 choices for everyone at every step of the life. All of us can tell an examples of theses situations where one has to select what is good. The examination is approaching and we have a choice of going for a party or study . The part gives sens pleasures  and studying is not pleasant for sense organs where one has to wake up early and do the study.It may be a diet control of not eating surgery, sweet or fried food and eat Satwik food , so that the health is better . But the bland vegetables may not give sense pleasure as the ice cream or fried pakodas do . The same can be said about waking up in the morning and doing meditation or sleeping late till 8 am
   The problem with all these situations is that most of us KNOW what is better but tend to select what is better for senses rather than what is GOOD. This is a constant fight between the physical body and the mind  and the intellect.Some one compared this to the strong big elephant  and the little Mahut  one who is suppose to control the Elephant. The elephant is strong and can go any place it wants  and the Mahut can not control it . The Mahut can control the elephant with training of the elephant  and not by strength.The physical body is like elephant and it has to be trained . We with out inelegance decide that we will wake up at 4 am and do meditation . But the body like elephant may not cooperate  and the mind or intellect can not do anything unless the mind is trained .
    So we are told that man must select what is GOOD  and not what is PLEASANT to body on short run as the pleasure is short lived and mortal while the good is everlasting and immortal.

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.