The Righteous Path

Rishi Vashishta
The righteous path
By Sri N.V.Deviprasad
Courtesy The Hindu
Scriptures stress that enlightenment is attained only through practice of detachment and discrimination with faith and discipline. Renunciation of material and worldly attainments is the only means to gain salvation. The Kathopanishad throws light on the social, cultural and ethical values while clarifying the path to attain the highest goal of life,. The young Nachiketas was anxious for his father’s welfare when he witnessed his father giving away emaciated cows during the performance of a sacrificial rite. Was not the very purpose of the gift lost and what kind of benefit was in store for such an act of charity that robbed the very spirit of giving? When this doubt was voiced in a subtle manner, the father sent him to Yama’s abode.
As Yama was away for three days the boy waited patiently for him and as a mark of atonement for this inadvertent lapse, Yama offered him three boons. Nachiketas prayed for his father’s wellbeing and then sought instruction from Yama regarding the fate of the soul after death. Yama tested the boy’s firm resolve before imparting the instruction. He offered him all the riches but Nachiketas was not to be tempted since he understood that all wealth, prosperity, etc., were time bound and ephemeral. More importantly, who better than Yama could instruct in this esoteric knowledge?
Yama illustrates the Jivatma’s journey of life with the analogy of a chariot ride. The destination, liberation, is safely reached only by keeping a careful watch over the senses.
The body is like a chariot to which the senses are yoked. The mind is like the reins, with which the charioteer (understanding) controls the horses. The path of the chariot in which the soul rides is the material world of objects. The goal can be reached only by wielding a wise and firm hold over the reins to control the horses to tread in the right direction.
One has to choose between what is good (Sreyas) and what is preferable (Preyas). It is important to realise that what is preferable need not be the good and it is only the righteous path that gives inner peace where there is no desire, dislike, anger, laziness, etc.

In the blog posted on Sages,Rishis and Saints we have mentioned about the Rishi Nachiketa whose story is now detailed above.