The Katha Upanishad by Ekanath Easwaran (from "The Upanishads")

The foundation of Hinduism are the four Vedas – Rig, Yajur, Sama, and, Atharva. These together contain both the ritualistic form of the Hindu Religion, as well as its mystical essence. “Vedanta”, means the end of the Vedas. The Vedantic texts expound the philosophy behind the practice, and are also known as the ‘Upanishads’. Though the exact number of Upanishads has not been formally agreed upon, tradition considers 108 to be most worthy of being called Vedanta. 

The ‘Katha Upanishad’ is to be found in the Yajur Veda, and is one of the popular ones for exposition, perhaps partly due to its narrative form. A young boy, Nachiketa, witnesses his father giving away cows too old to produce milk. Dismayed, he requests his father to give him away too. In a fit of rage, the father consigns him to death: To death I give you!

Unperturbed, Nachikata sets off for the abode of the Lord of Death, Yama. But Yama is not present to greet him, and Nachiketa has to wait for three days for him to make his appearance. Slighting a guest is an egregious offence in Hindu culture, and mindful of this, the courteous Yama offers him three boons. The first two are easily taken care of. But when the boy makes his third request – to be told the secrets of the immortal Self – Yama demurs and tries to put him off, by laying forth an array of worldly temptations. Nachiketa bushes this aside,

These pleasures last until but tomorrow…How can we be desirous of wealth when we see your face and know we cannot live while you are here?

[The inference here is that one who is still swayed by the attractions of the world is by no means ready to receive the sacred secret. But once Death has tested Nachiketa, he finds him a worthy student. The caveat of Hindu spirituality is that wisdom can only be transferred when both Teacher and Student are equally ‘worthy’, meaning that the former is ripe to impart wisdom, and the other is ready to imbibe it.]

            Pleased with Nachiketa’s ardor, Yama begins his instruction. Though the path to be followed is laid out for the Seeker desirous of Enlightenment, the Katha Upanishad seems to lay emphasis on the over-riding nature of Divine Grace,

…behold the glory of the Self through the grace of the Lord of Love.

The Self can be attained only by those Whom the Self chooses. Verily unto them does the Self reveal himself…

            Easwaran remarks on Nachiketa’s shraddha (intense and abiding faith) in his commentary. His commentary of the Katha Upanishad is replete with shraddha as well - scholarly, yet remarkably free of any flights of philosophical fancy. That the Upanishad itself is deeply esoteric is however the very nature of Vedanta.