Katha Upanishad

One of the later and more developed
Upanishads, the speculative religious
texts that form the latest stratum of the
oldest Hindu sacred texts, the Vedas. As
with most of the Upanishads, the Katha
Upanishad investigates profound questions, in particular the nature of the Self
(atman). The text tells the story of a
boy, Nachiketas, whose father sends
him to Death in a fit of anger.
Nachiketas goes to Death’s abode, but
finds no one. He waits for three days
before Death returns. To make amends
for ignoring a brahmin guest—which
the text describes as a serious sin—
Death gives Nachiketas three boons, or
wishes. Nachiketas uses the first boon
to be restored to his father’s house and
the second to receive instruction in
performing a sacrificial fire. With the
final boon, he asks what happens to a
person after the death of the body.
Death first tries to evade the question,
then tries to bribe Nachiketas with
other gifts. When the boy insists on an
answer, Death begins to reveal his
secrets; these revelations make up the
bulk of the text. Death’s secrets focus
mainly on the reality of the Self, its eternal and indestructible nature, its subtle
qualities, and the difficulties in realizing it. The Self is the ultimate truth, and
to know it is to know the only thing that
really matters.