पितृभक्तः नचिकेताःClass 9 Sanskrit Amod Chapter 10 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: पितृभक्तः नचिकेताः

The Vedic literature is arranged as वेदाः, ब्राह्मणानि, आरण्यकानि and उपनिषदः; ten Upanishads are the main ones. This story comes from the कठोपनिषद्.

Vajashravas, a Brahmin fond of giving, performed the विश्वजित् sacrifice. The rule is that one should give one's dearest thing as दक्षिणा, but he gave away old, weak cows that could no longer give milk.

His son Nachiketa feared that such poor gifts would send his father to hell. He asked, 'Father, what is dearest to you? To whom will you give me?' After the question was repeated two or three times, the angry father said, 'I give you to Death (मृत्यवे).'

To obey his father, Nachiketa went to Yama's city. Yama was away, so the boy waited three days without eating or drinking. On the fourth day Yama returned, felt pity for the hungry young guest and offered three boons.

Boon 1: may my father's anger towards me calm down. Boon 2: teach me the fire-knowledge (अग्निविद्या) that leads to heaven. Boon 3: knowledge of the Self (आत्मज्ञानम्). Yama tried many temptations to change the third wish, but Nachiketa did not move; finally Yama taught him what even the wise find hard to get.

Key points to remember

• Source: कठोपनिषद् — one of the ten main उपनिषदः
• वाजश्रवाः: a दानपरः ब्राह्मणः who performed the विश्वजित्-यज्ञ
• Rule: give your dearest thing as दक्षिणा
• He gave weak, old, milkless cows — Nachiketa objected
• Angry father: 'अहं त्वां मृत्यवे ददामि'
• Nachiketa waited three days at Yama's city, without food or water
• Three boons: father's calm, अग्निविद्या, आत्मज्ञानम्
• Yama tested him with temptations; his resolve was निश्चलः
• Passive voice: कर्ता in तृतीया, कर्म in प्रथमा, verb agrees with कर्म
• Passive verb = root + य + आत्मनेपद ending: पठ्यते, दृश्यते

पितृभक्तः नचिकेताः – Notes

1. The gift and the father's anger

• Vajashravas finished the Vishvajit sacrifice and gave दक्षिणा to the priests. A gift should be something dear to the giver — but he handed over cows that were old (वृद्धाः), weak (दुर्बलाः) and unable to give milk.
• Nachiketa thought such a gift was improper (असमीचीनम्) and could bring his father bad results. So he asked politely what his father held dearest; the father replied, 'You, my child.'
• 'Then to whom will you give me?' The father stayed silent; when the boy asked a second and third time, he lost his temper and said he was giving him to Death.
• Thinking point (the margin box): a gift of something useless is not real giving — दानम् means giving up something valuable for another.

2. At Yama's door — the three boons

• Nachiketa knew the words were spoken in anger, yet he went to Yama's city to keep his father's word. Yama was not there; the boy waited three days without food or drink.
• When Yama came on the fourth day, he was moved by the thirsty, hungry young guest (बालातिथिः) and said, 'Ask for three boons.'
• First boon: let my father's anger towards me be calmed. Second: the अग्निविद्या that leads to heaven. Yama gave both gladly.
• Third boon: आत्मज्ञानम्. Yama was amazed — no mortal had ever wanted it. He offered many temptations (प्रलोभनानि) instead, but the boy's decision was firm. Bound by his promise, Yama taught him.

3. पठत अवगच्छत — visarga in famous lines (p. 61)

• र्-form: अम्भोधिः + जलधिः → अम्भोधिर्जलधिः; प्राणैः + अपि → प्राणैरपि; धनैः + अपि → धनैरपि.
• ओ-form: मनः + मधुपः → मनो मधुपो; मत्कुणः + मत्स्यः → मत्कुणो मत्स्यो; दरिद्रः + यस्य → दरिद्रो यस्य; कः + दरिद्रः → को दरिद्रः.
• Dropped (लोपी): उत्तमाः + मध्यमाः → उत्तमा मध्यमा; मकाराः + दश → मकारा दश; ...विध्वंसाः + लक्षणानि → ...विध्वंसा लक्षणानि.
• Rule of thumb: अः + soft consonant → ओ; आः + soft consonant → आ (visarga drops); इः/उः/ऐः + vowel or soft consonant → र्.

4. रम्यसंस्कृतम् — क्रियापदं किं कथयति? २ (कर्मणि प्रयोगः)

• In रामेण ग्रन्थः पठ्यते, the doer (रामेण) is in तृतीया, the object (ग्रन्थः) in प्रथमा, and the verb follows the object: ग्रन्थौ पठ्येते, ग्रन्थाः पठ्यन्ते. Such sentences are कर्मप्रधान — object-centred.
• The verb follows the object's person too: रामेण अहं दृश्ये, आवां दृश्यावहे, वयं दृश्यामहे.
• Passive verb = root + य + आत्मनेपद ending: पठ् → पठ्यते, दृश् → दृश्यते, गण् → गण्यते, वच् → उच्यते, कथ् → कथ्यते, ज्ञा → ज्ञायते, कृ → क्रियते.
• Odd one out in the grid (गणयति, सूचयते, कथयति, धारयति, पूज्यते, ताडयते, घोषयते, चोरयति, क्षालयति): पूज्यते — the only passive form; the rest are active 10th-class forms with -अय-.
• The व्यास–गणेश story is told entirely in the passive: Vyasa composes the Mahabharata, Brahma asks Ganesha to write it; Ganesha writes only if the verses never stop, Vyasa agrees on condition that Ganesha writes nothing without understanding it.

The story in order

Key terms

पितृभक्तः नचिकेताः – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

पितृभक्तः नचिकेताः – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study पितृभक्तः नचिकेताः

⏱ About 40 minutes

1. Story (15 min)
   Read the story and tell it in your own words using the 'story in order' table.
2. Grammar (15 min)
   Learn the passive pattern (तृतीया + प्रथमा + verb with य) and the visarga examples.
3. Practice (10 min)
   Answer 'Try it yourself', take the quiz and play the 🎮 Play game.