Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1080
Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c8.1080
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c8.1080
NACIKETAS. A famous hermit. Kaṭhopaniṣad is the exhortation given by Yamadeva (God of death) to this hermit. There is a story to substantiate this statement. The father of Naciketas was the hermit Vājaśravas. This hermit gave as alms, cows which had grown lean by old age and lack of food, at the time of sacrifices. Naciketas felt grieved at this action of his father. He went to his father and sadly asked him "Father, to whom are you going to give me?" The father got angry at the question of the son, and replied; "You are to be given to Yama."