The Philosophy of the Upanishads c5.s3.31

c5.s3.31

The same explanation is to be given of the striking feature, which is constantly recurring in the Upanishads, that a teacher refuses to impart any instruction to a pupil who approaches him, until by persistence in his endeavour he has proved his worthiness to receive the instruction. The best known instance of this kind is Naciketas in the Kaṭhaka Upanishad, to whom the god of death vouchsafes the desired instruction on the nature of the soul and its fate only after the young man has steadily rejected all attempts to divert him from his wish.¹ Indra deals in a similar way with Pratardana,² Raikva with Jânasruti,³ Satyakâma with Upakosala,⁴ Pravâhaṇa with Âruṇi,⁵ Prajâpati with Indra and Vairoćana,⁶ Yâjñavalkya with Janaka,⁷ S’âkâyanya with Bṛihadratha.⁸