Śivadyuti (शिवद्युति)

“The wisdom that you have, O dearest one, which leads to sound knowledge when imparted only by someone other than a logician, is not to be attained through argument. O compassionable one, you are endowed with true resolution. May our questioner be like you, O Naciketā. Since I know that this treasure is impermanent—for that permanent entity cannot be attained through impermanent things—therefore knowingly did I pile up the Naciketā fire with impermanent things, and have thereby attained relative permanence.“

“Of that Self—which is not available for the mere hearing to many, and which many do not understand even while hearing—the expounder is wonderful and the receiver is wonderful; wonderful is he who knows, under the instruction of an adept. The Self is certainly not adequately known when spoken of by an inferior person; for It is thought of variously. When taught by one who has become identified with It, there is no further cogitation with regard to It. For It is beyond argumentation, being subtler even than the atoms.“

“Living in the midst of ignorance and considering themselves intelligent and enlightened, the senseless people go round and round, following crooked courses, just like the blind led by the blind. The means for the attainment of the other world does not become revealed to the non-discriminating man who blunders, being befooled by the lure of wealth. One that constantly thinks that ‘There is only this world, and none hereafter,’ comes under my sway again and again.”

Death: "O Naciketā, you, such as you are, have discarded, after consideration, all the desirable things that are themselves delightful or are the producers of delight. You have not accepted this path of wealth in which many a man comes to grief. That known as knowledge and that known as ignorance are widely contradictory, and they follow divergent courses. I consider Naciketā to be an aspirant for knowledge, because the enjoyable things, multifarious though they be, did not tempt you."

Namaste. So beginning the second Adhyāya of the Kaṭhopaniṣad, Death has accepted Naciketā as a student after testing him to see whether he still has material desires or if he is actually fit to receive the absolute knowledge. Naciketā has passed Death's test and now Death is going to explain how and why he accepts him as a student.

Namaste. So now I want to introduce the second Adhyāya or chapter of the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. And in this chapter, Death begins his exposition of the Supreme Truth. And the supreme truth is defined in Bhagavad-gītā as: “this knowledge, both intellectual and experiential, knowing which there shall be nothing further to know.”

Naciketā: “This doubt that arises, consequent on the death of a man—some saying, ‘It exists,’ and others saying, ‘It does not exist.’ I would know this, under your instruction. This is the third of all the boons.”

"How can one know thus as to where It (the Self) is, for which both the brāhmaṇa and the kṣatriya become food, and for which Death takes the place of a curry?"

Death: “O Naciketā, this is for you the boon about the Fire that leads to heaven, for which you prayed through the second boon. People will speak of this Fire as yours indeed. O Naciketā, ask for the third boon."

“One who, getting connection with the three, piles up the Nāciketa fire thrice, and undertakes the three kinds of work, crosses over death. Getting knowledge of that Omniscient One who is born of Brahmā (Virāṭ), and realising Him, he attains this peace fully. One who performs the Nāciketa sacrifice thrice after having known these three factors, and he who having known thus, accomplishes the Nāciketa sacrifice, casts off the snares of Death even earlier, and crossing over sorrow, rejoices in heaven.”