What Are the Upanishads – Let’s Start Our Journey with the Kathopanishad (April 2025)
Kathopanishad
As you may recall, last month’s assignment asked kids to share what scripture they wanted to learn about. To our delight, more than 80% of you expressed your desire to explore the Upanishads! We listened and took note of your interest. As a result, we’ll be taking a detour in the next few months to cover some major Upanishads together, starting with Kathopanishad as this month’s assignment.
BTW, have you ever wondered what happens after we die? Or asked, “Who am I, really?” or “What is the right thing to do?” Believe it or not, kids like you have asked these questions thousands of years ago—and the answers were passed down in special teachings called the Upanishads.
Let’s go on a beautiful journey to explore these ancient ideas, starting with one of the most powerful stories ever told: The Kathopanishad—the story of a curious boy named Nachiketa who had the courage to question even Death!
So, What Are the Upanishads?
The word Upanishad means “sitting down close to a teacher.” Imagine a quiet forest, a gentle breeze, and a wise teacher sharing deep secrets about life with a curious student.
The Upanishads are ancient Indian texts that talk about:
- The nature of our true self.
- What happens after death.
- How to live a meaningful life.
- The power of wisdom, silence, and self-discovery.
These are not stories about gods and magic—they are conversations about the deepest truths of life.
Let’s Meet Our First Upanishad: The Kathopanishad
One day, Nachiketa sees his father giving away old, weak cows as part of a ritual. Nachiketa feels this isn’t right. He asks, “Father, to whom will you give me?”
His father, annoyed by the questions, says in anger:
“I give you to Yama, the God of Death!”
Well, Nachiketa takes it seriously… and begins his journey to meet Yamacharya.
Nachiketa arrives at Yamacharya’s home—but Yamacharya isn’t there. Nachiketa waits for three days without food or water. When Yamacharya returns, he feels sorry for making a guest wait. So, he offers three boons (wishes) to make up for it.
Nachiketa’s Three Wishes
- Let my father be peaceful
Nachiketa wants his father to be calm and loving when he returns. Yama grants this. - Teach me the fire ritual
He asks for a special fire ritual that leads to heaven. Yama teaches him this too. - What happens after death?
This is the big one. Nachiketa wants to know:
“Do we still exist after we die? Or do we disappear?”
Yamacharya tries to distract him by offering gold, long life, music, and riches. But Nachiketa doesn’t give up.
👉 He wants truth, not temptation.
Yamacharya is impressed—and begins to teach him.
What Yamacharya Teaches Nachiketa
Here are some of the deep truths from their conversation in a very simple language:
- Atman: Your true self—the part of you that never dies—is called the Atman. It is pure, peaceful, and always free.
- Body and Soul: Imagine your body is a chariot. Your senses are the horses, your mind holds the reins, and your real self—the Atman—is the one sitting inside, quietly guiding.
- Two Paths: In life, we often choose between two paths:
- Preyas (what is pleasant, fun, easy)
- Shreyas (what is right, wise, lasting)
Wise people choose Shreyas, even if it’s harder.
What Character Traits Can We Learn from This?
- Be curious like Nachiketa. Don’t be afraid to ask big questions.
- Be brave in your search for truth.
- Don’t just chase what feels good—think about what is right.
- Your inner self is strong, peaceful, and beyond fear.
Even though this story is thousands of years old, the questions Nachiketa asked are still the ones we ask today.
Assignment for Our Young Explorers
- Points to Contemplate (Just Think – Do Not Start Writing Yet):
- Why did Nachiketa ask for the first boon—to bring peace to his father? (Hint: What does this say about how Nachiketa felt about his family?)
- What did Nachiketa ask for in his second boon? Why was this important? (Hint: It’s something about a fire ritual—why do you think he chose that?)
- What was Nachiketa’s third and final question? Why do you think he didn’t pick something fun or rich? (Hint: Would most people make the same choice?)
- What do these three questions tell us about Nachiketa? What kind of person asks for peace in the family, knowledge for others, and truth for themselves? (Use words like kind, brave, focused, etc.)
- Which of the three questions do you think was the hardest to ask or understand? Why?
- If you were given three wishes like Nachiketa, would you choose the same ones? Why or why not?
- Yama tries to distract Nachiketa with gold, music, and long life—but Nachiketa says no. What does that tell us about how he sees life and truth?
- What does the story teach us about what is pleasant vs. what is right? Can you give an example from your own life?
- If you could ask one question to a wise teacher, what would it be?
- Writing Your Thoughts – In A Fun and Engaging Way!
- The above points are for inspiration; you do not have to answer every question. Just pick whatever questions resonate with you the most.
- When writing about your thoughts, we encourage you to make it personal and engaging. Try using phrases like:
- “I noticed that…”
- “I like how…”
- “If I were in his shoes, I would…”
- “This made me think of…”
- “I’m curious about…”
- Such phrases will help you share your thoughts and feelings in a way that’s easy to understand and grasp.
- Keep the Assignment Short and Sweet!
- Remember, we want to hear from YOU! So, please keep your response short and sweet – no more than 4 minutes of writing. This will help us stay on track and make sure everyone has time to share their thoughts.
Happy thinking, happy writing, happy growing!
Regards,
Harsh Mendiratta
A Couple of Inspiring Thoughts
Wisdom is not about having all the answers. It’s about being brave enough to ask the questions that matter—and to listen deeply. Just like Nachiketa did.
You don’t have to be a sage in the forest to begin this journey. You’ve already started—right here, right now.