Upanishads · Kaṭha 1.22
॥
Devanāgarī
देवैर् अत्रापि विचिकित्सितं किल त्वं च मृत्यो यन् न सुज्ञेयम् आत्थ ।
वक्ता चास्य त्वादृग् अन्यो न लभ्यो नान्यो वरस् तुल्य एतस्य कश्चित्
Transliteration (IAST)
devair atrāpi vicikitsitaṃ kila tvaṃ ca mṛtyo yan na sujñeyam āttha /
vaktā cāsya tvādṛg anyo na labhyo nānyo varas tulya etasya kaścit
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
देवैःdevaiḥby the gods; even by the gods
अत्रatrahere; in this
अपिapieven; also
विचिकित्सितम्vicikitsitamthere was doubt; it was investigated
किलkilaindeed; indeed
त्वम्tvamyou; you yourself
चcaand; as well as
मृत्योmṛtyoO Death; O Yama
यत्yatwhat; since
नnanot; no
सुज्ञेयम्sujñeyamit is easy to know; plainly intelligible
आत्थātthayou say (from √ah — 'to speak'); you assert; you declare
वक्ताvaktāa speaker (from √vac — 'to speak'); an expounder; the proclaimer
चcaand; as well as
अस्यasyaof this; concerning this
त्वादृक्tvādṛkone like you (tvā-dṛś — 'of your likeness'); such as you; your equal
अन्यःanyaḥother; another
नnanot; no
लभ्यःlabhyaḥis attainable; can be found
नnanot; no
अन्यःanyaḥother; another
वरःvaraḥa gift; the choice
तुल्यःtulyaḥan equal; of equal worth; comparable
एतस्यetasyato this; with that
कश्चित्kaścitwhichever; even one
Translation
"Even the gods, you say, were in doubt about this, and it is not easy to know, O Death. But another speaker of it, your equal, is not to be found — and there is no other boon equal to this."
Version
baef5bf93300 · published Jul 26, 2026, 9:13:03 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Naciketas's reply is a model of a pupil's logic, turning the evasion into an argument. You say the gods themselves doubted? — then the question is worthy of the gods. You say it is hard to know? — then one must not let slip the only one who knows: vaktā cāsya tvādṛg anyo na labhyaḥ — "another speaker of it, the like of you, is not to be found". Everything with which Death tried to frighten him has become his measure of value: great obstacles attest a great goal.
nānyo varas tulya etasya kaścit — "and there is no boon equal to this": a calm, final appraisal. Naciketas has already weighed everything that can be asked of Death — and found it all light against one knowledge. This is no youthful maximalism but the exact reckoning of one whom the fear of death has lodged with for three nights: any gift is devalued in the hour he is asking about; only what outlives that hour has worth.
So the mark of a true seeker appears: he cannot be redirected. A weak desire for knowledge settles for a consolation prize at the first "it is difficult"; a thirst does not. Doors, said the Kena Upaniṣad, open to the unrelenting; the Kaṭha shows that unrelentingness in the flesh.