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Nachiketas

In the BRAHMANAS, the explanatory portions of

the ancient VEDAS, nachiketas was a special kind

of fire. The word later became personalized as a

character in the KAT H A UPANISHAD. There, Nachik-

etas was a boy banished by his father’s curse to

the underworld. He arrived at the house of YAMA,

the god of death, but was not greeted as a proper

guest. When Yama returned, he offered Nachik-

etas three boons because he had neglected him.

Nachiketas asked to return to his father, to be

restored to life, and to learn the secret of death—

or rather deathlessness. Yama tried to dissuade

Nachiketas from the third request, but the wise

young man persisted. Yama then gave him a teach-

ing on the nature of the BRAHMAN, the ultimate real-

ity, and the nature of the Self, or universal soul.

Further reading: Eknath Easwaran, Dialogue with

Death: A Journey into Consciousness, 2d ed. (Tomales,

Calif.: Nilgiri Press, 1992); Mysore Sivaram, Death and

Nachiketas (New Delhi: Vikas, 1981).

nadi

In certain YOGA systems, a nadi is a subtle bodily

channel used to redirect PRANA (the life force

found within the breath). The goals are to alter

consciousness, strengthen the body, and help

bring about the transformation needed for libera-

tion from the cycle of births.

In HATHA YOGA, prana is forced through these

channels to aid in raising the KUNDALINI at the

base of the spine. The most commonly known

nadi is the sushumna nadi, which travels up the

spinal cord. The ida and pingala nadis are depicted

as widely rippling waves that intersect at each

CHAKRA (psychic center), exactly mirroring each

other as they ascend around sushumna.

Further reading: Swami Sivananda Radha, Hatha Yoga,

the Hidden Language: Symbols, Secrets and Metaphor

(Boston: Shambala, 1989); Pancham Sinh, trans., The

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (New Delhi: Munshiram Mano-

harlal, 1975).

Nagapanchami

The Nagapanchami snake-worshipping festival

takes place on the fifth day of the lunar month of

Shravana (July–August). The worship focuses on

the cobra, to thank the snake for its auspicious

presence and to palliate the serpent world so that it

will not bite. The mythical and mysterious power

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