Outwitting Death in Rowling & Katha Upanishad.

In her book, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", J. K. Rowling includes a story, "The Tale of Three Brothers." In that Death offers the brothers boons of their choice. The first two make unwise choices, but the youngest in effect wisely asks the boon of dying at his choice. (The end comments, purportedly by Prof. Dumbledore point out that everyone has to die eventually.) Even in Hindu semantics, "Mruthyunjaya" means one who is not afraid of death, but can die at his choice but cannot be immortal. Rowling states that her story is inspired by "The Pardoner's Tale" in Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", where all three brothers die almost together.


In Katha Upanishad, due to hasty remarks by his father, Vajasrabasa, his son Nachiketa, meets the (God of) Death & asks for the secret of Immortality. Death tries to put him off but finding Nachiketa stubborn, teaches him that true immortality is the soul's union with the Divine.

So, to put it in medical terms, Rowling proposes a palliative solution, whereas Katha Upanishad provides a prophylactic solution.