ॐ उशन् ह वै वाजश्रवसः सर्ववेदसं ददौ । तस्य ह नचिकेता नाम पुत्र आस ॥ १॥

Om̃ uśan ha vai vājaśravasaḥ sarvavedasaṃ dadau । tasya ha naciketā nāma putra āsa ॥ 1॥

uśan = being desirous [of the rewards of the Viśvajit sacrifice]; ha and vai = equivalent to 'once upon a time'. Vājaśrava = he whose fame, is consequent on the giving of food, he dadau = gave away ; sarva- vedasam = all (his) wealth; tasya = of him; āsa = there was ; ha = as the story goes; naciketā nāma putraḥ = a son named Naciketas.