Illumination, Heroism and Harmony Nachiketas General Editor: KIREET JOSHI

A Synoptic Essay on Immortality There are many ways of answering the question, 'What hap-pens after death?' One can speculate on the question by comparing various views on: 'What is life?' 'What is death?' 'From where has life emerged?' 'Can life die?' 'Who dies?' 'Does man die?' 'Does the body die?' 'If the body dies, what happens to man?' 'Is there rebirth of man?' 'What happens to man between death and rebirth?' 'Why should man die?' 'Why should man be born?' 'What is man?' According to some, behind and above the Universe, behind and above man, there is a Supreme Reality. What is the nature

APPENDIX I SRI AUROBINDO on The Intention of the Soul in its Embodiment in the Ignorance of Body, Life and Mind That purpose for which all this exclusive concentration we call the Ignorance is necessary, is to trace the cycle of self oblivion and self discovery for the joy of which the Ignorance is assumed in Nature by the secret spirit. It is not that all cosmic manifestation would otherwise become impossible; but it would be a quite different manifestation from the one in which we live; it would be confined to the higher worlds of the divine Existence or to a typal non evolving cosmos where each being lived in the whole light of its own law of

Illumination, Heroism and Harmony Preface The task of preparing teaching-learning material for value oriented education is enormous. There is, first, the idea that value-oriented education should be exploratory rather than prescriptive, and that the teaching-learning material should provide to the learners a growing experience of exploration. Secondly, it is rightly contended that the proper inspiration to turn to value-orientation is provided by biographies, autobiographical accounts, personal anecdotes, epistles, short poems, stories of humour, stories of human interest, brief passages filled with pregnant meanings, reflective short essays wr

Usha, the Dawn the luminous Emergence that the Aryan forefathers worshipped Page-12 Introduction to the Katha Upanishad The Katha Upanishad contains secret knowledge of the soul and the self, which has been described in terms that evoke a sense of authenticity and assured experience. The Upanishad contains two cycles, each having three chapters. The first chapter of the first cycle narrates the story of the offering of Nachiketas by his father in a fit of anger to Yama, Lord of death, and the bestowing of three boons to Nachiketas by Yama. It also covers the account of the boons asked by Nachiketas, and we are told that w

Yama and Nachiketas by Nandalal Bose Page-16 Story of Nachiketas This is a great story, which tells us of a young student, who was very keen to know the truth. You might have heard this story earlier, but it is always good to hear this story again and again. This will always strengthen us in our aspiration to know the truth. This story is to be found in one of the Upanishads called 'Katha Upanishad'. The story begins with an event in the house of one whose name was Vajashravasa. In those ancient days, there used to be important events when sacrifices were performed. A sacrifice was an occasion when gifts were distributed to a number

Nachiketas, the seer who has realized immortality Katha Upanishad FIRST CYCLE: FIRST CHAPTER 1. Vajashravasa, desiring, gave all he had. Now Vajashravasa had a son named Nachiketas. 2. As the gifts were led past, faith took possession of him who was yet a boy unwed and he pondered: 3. "Cattle that have drunk their water, eaten their grass, yield ed their milk, worn out their organs, of undehght are the worlds which he reaches who gives such as these." Page-37 4. He said to his father, "Me,.0 my father, to whom wilt thou give?" A second time and a third he said it, and h