1ṛtaṃ pibantau sukṛtasya loke guhāṃ praviṣṭau parame parārdhe / chāyātapau brahmavido vadanti pañcāgnayo ye ca triṇāciketāḥ //
2yaḥ setur ījānānām akṣaraṃ brahma yat param / abhayaṃ titīrṣatāṃ pāraṃ nāciketaṃ śakemahi //
3ātmānaṃ rathinaṃ viddhi śarīraṃ ratham eva tu / buddhiṃ tu sārathiṃ viddhi manaḥ pragraham eva ca //
4indriyāṇi hayān āhur viṣayāṃs teṣu gocarān / ātmendriyamanoyuktaṃ bhoktety āhur manīṣiṇaḥ //
5yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty ayuktena manasā sadā / tasyendriyāṇy avaśyāni duṣṭāśvā iva sāratheḥ //
6yas tu vijñānavān bhavati yuktena manasā sadā / tasyendriyāṇi vaśyāni sadaśvā iva sāratheḥ //
7yas tv avijñānavān bhavaty amanaskaḥ sadāśuciḥ / na sa tat padam āpnoti saṃsāraṃ cādhigacchati //
8yas tu vijñānavān bhavati samanaskaḥ sadā śuciḥ / sa tu tat padam āpnoti yasmād bhūyo na jāyate //
9vijñānasārathir yas tu manaḥ pragrahavān naraḥ / so 'dhvanaḥ pāram āpnoti tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam //
10indriyebhyaḥ parā hy arthā arthebhyaś ca paraṃ manaḥ / manasas tu parā buddhir buddher ātmā mahān paraḥ //
11mahataḥ param avyaktam avyaktāt puruṣaḥ paraḥ / puruṣān na paraṃ kiṃcit sā kāṣṭhā sā parā gatiḥ //
12eṣa sarveṣu bhūteṣu gūḍho 'tmā na prakāśate / dṛśyate tv agryayā buddhyā sūkṣmayā sūkṣmadarśibhiḥ //
13yacched vāṅmanasī prājñas tad yacchej jñāna ātmani / jñānam ātmani mahati niyacchet tad yacchec chānta ātmani //
14uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata / kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā durgaṃ pathas tat kavayo vadanti //
15aśabdam asparśam arūpam avyayaṃ tathārasaṃ nityam agandhavac ca yat / anādy anantaṃ mahataḥ paraṃ dhruvaṃ nicāyya tan mṛtyumukhāt pramucyate //
16nāciketam upākhyānaṃ mṛtyuproktaṃ sanātanam / uktvā śrutvā ca medhāvī brahmaloke mahīyate //
17ya imaṃ paramaṃ guhyaṃ śrāvayed brahmasaṃsadi / prayataḥ śrāddhakāle vā tad ānantyāya kalpate / tad ānantyāya kalpata iti //