Vajasravasa, wishing for reward, sacrificed all his wealth. He had a son, called Nachiketas. While he was still a boy, faith entered into him at the time when the cows, that were to be given by his father as presents to the priests, were brought in. He said: “Father, to whom wilt thou give me?” He said so a second and a third time. But father turned round and said to him: “To Death I give thee.”
Then a voice said to young Nachiketas as he stood up: “He (thy father) said, ‘Go away to the house of Death, I give thee to Death’. Go therefore to Death, when he is not at home, and dwell in his house for three nights without eating. If he should ask thee ‘Boy, how many nights hast thou been here?’, say, ‘Three’. When he asks thee, ‘What didst thou eat the first night?’, say, ‘Thy offspring’; ‘What didst thou eat the second night?’, say, ‘Thy cattle’; ‘What didst thou eat the third night?’, say, ‘Thy good works’.”
He went to Death, while he was away from home, and he dwelt in his house for three nights without eating. When Death returned, the following took place: ‘Boy, how many nights hast thou been here?’ He answered, ‘Three’. ‘What didst thou eat the first night?’–‘Thy offspring’. ‘What didst thou eat the second night?’–‘Thy cattle’. ‘What didst thou eat the third night?’–‘Thy good works’.
Then Death said: ‘My respect to thee, O venerable sir, choose a boon’. ‘May I return living to my father?’–said Nachiketas. ‘Choose a second boon’, said Death. The boy replied: ‘Tell me how my good works may never perish’. Death then explained to him the Nachiketa fire (sacrifice), and hence his good works do not perish.
‘Choose a third boon’, said Death. Nachiketas said: ‘Tell me how to conquer death’.
Then Death explained to him this (chief) Nachiketa fire (sacrifice), and hence he conquered death.
full upanishad with commentary