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finding himself homeless today and fighting
a court case to retrieve his home for some
semblance of decent living. The once-high-
flyer billionaire, Vijaypat Singhania, is not
the only sufferer.
Two weeks ago, a person settled abroad,
reached out to a friend to find some
caregiver to take care of his aged parents.
He expressed practical difficulties in getting
his parents over to stay with him and
helplessness.
Stories, such as above, are real and abound
and span cities, communities and classes.
Little wonder that an act, Maintenance and
Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act,
2007 was enacted. The act obliges children
to maintain their parents/grandparents
and to protect the life and property of such
persons. The act also provides for setting up
of old age homes for providing maintenance
to penurious parents and senior citizens.
It is a travesty that such an act had to be
promulgated in a society like ours, where
historically and culturally, care of the old
has been held as a filial responsibility and
not an obligation.
Let’s take a look at the Kathopanishad,
an ancient Samhita (text or verses). It is
essentially the story of an interlude between
a child, Nachiketa and Yama. Performing
yajna or sacrifice was an important religious
practice in Vedic times. Nachiketa once
saw his father, King Vajashravas, giving
away his old and feeble cattle, which would
not have been of any use to the donees.
Nachiketa pointed this out to his father and
said that it will be better if he himself is
offered as charity, rather than unproductive
cows. The annoyed king retorts that he
will give him away to death instead. An
inquisitive Nachiketa, wishing to meet
death, sets out in search of Yama. Seeing
the trials and tribulations that the child is
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #30 | DECEMBER 2021
going through in his search and impressed
with his determination, Yama presents
himself before Nachiketa and grants him
three boons of his choice. The story goes on
to say that Nachiketa asks for (1) bestowal of
a good relationship with his father, (2) that
his father be taught the right way of sacrifice
and (3) the revelation of the secret of death.
Yama willingly gives Nachiketa the first two
boons, but is hesitant to give him the third
boon, given the subject. But an unrelenting
Nachiketa, persuades Yama to share
with him the meaning of life and death.
Yama goes on to explain the difference
between paramatman (the supreme being
or consciousness), the atman (self or soul)
and the body (a mere carrier or a vestige)
and that the purpose of life is to realise
that the atman is but a microcosm of the
paramatman and moksha is achieved on the
realisation of the Self. Moksha means to get
a release from the cycle of birth and death.
Clearly, the child in Nachiketa understands
the need for love and care towards his father,
regardless of anything and asks for that
boon and in the process gets an insightful
exposition on birth and death.
Kathopanishad: an interlude between a child, Nachiketa
and Yama
Unfortunately, behavioural changes in
humankind and structural alterations
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