कामस्याप्तिं जगतः प्रतिष्ठां
क्रतोरानन्त्यमभयस्य पारम् ।
स्तोममहदुरुगायं प्रतिष्ठां दृष्ट्वा
धृत्या धीरो नचिकेतोऽत्यस्राक्षीः ॥ ११॥
kāmasyāptiṃ jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṃ
kratorānantyamabhayasya pāram .
stomamahadurugāyaṃ pratiṣṭhāṃ dṛṣṭvā
dhṛtyā dhīro naciketo’tyasrākṣīḥ .. 11..
The fulfilment of desires, the foundation of the universe, the rewards of sacrifices, the shore where there is no fear, that which adorable and great, the wide abode and the goal-all this you have seen; and being wise, you have with firm resolve discarded everything.
Commentary:
“You have rejected something very great and grand, Nachiketas. Nobody would do that. What have you rejected? That state which is the fulfilment of every desire. This Vaishvanara-tattva is what is referred to here. That state of Vaishvanara attainable through this sacrifice, this is the fulfilment of all desires at one stroke, not in succession. Today you are granted this, tomorrow another thing, the third day something else, and mostly your desires are apparently being fulfilled stage by stage in a state of succession in this world. All things cannot be had in one moment. But here, at one stroke, instantaneously, in a timeless grasp, as it were, you have all the desires fulfilled in this Vaishvanara-tattva.” Jagataḥ pratiṣṭhāṁ: “It is the very source, the root of this whole cosmos.” Krator ānantyaṁ abhayasya pāram: “The endless fruit accruing from the performance of all good deeds and sacrifices is that great thing. It is the ultimate state of final fearlessness, most adorable, most glorious, the final resort of all beings. I offered it to you and you have got it, and yet with the power of your will and understanding, you have abandoned even that thing. You have abandoned even the bliss and joy of Brahmaloka, to put it in other terms. O Nachiketas, how glorious, how powerful you are! Brahmaloka’s joy, Vaishvanara’s joy, Virat’s happiness you have rejected for the sake of another thing, about which you are questioning me.”