Satyakama, the truthful - Story from Chhandogya Upanishad
Part 1 of 2
One day a young boy came to the ashrama of Sage Gautama and said: "Holy
Sire, I want to get the sacred knowledge by serving you. Please accept
me as your student."
The sage asked: "Child, What is your gotra?" (Gotra is one's family name).
The boy replied: "Sire, I asked it of my mother. She said: 'Child, when you were born, I used to be very busy serving guests at home. I had no time to ask the gotra from your father. Now he is no more. So I do not know it. My name is Jabala and yours, Satyakama. So call yourself Satya- kama -Jabala and say that to your Guru."
On hearing it, the rishi smiled and said: "I admire you, child, for saying the truth. I am sure you must be born of a noble gotra. I shall accept you as my student. Go and get me some samid. I shall initiate you in brahmacharya."
The twigs of the sacred peepal tree are called samid.
For studying the sastras, one has to become a brahmachari. And the teacher has to be paid in kind like samid for his service.
The boy brought the samid, and the guru made him a brahmachari by giving him the sacred thread and the Gayatri Mantra. This mantra says: "O God, give me intelligence!"
After a few days, the rishi gave the boy four hundred lean and ill fed cows and said: "Child, take these to the forest and graze them."
The boy said: "Sire, I shall return when these cows multiply into a thousand."
Satyakama built an ashrama for himself in the forest and looked after the cows. All the time he carefully practised the duties of a brahmachari.
Years went by. The number of cows increased to a thousand.
The sage asked: "Child, What is your gotra?" (Gotra is one's family name).
The boy replied: "Sire, I asked it of my mother. She said: 'Child, when you were born, I used to be very busy serving guests at home. I had no time to ask the gotra from your father. Now he is no more. So I do not know it. My name is Jabala and yours, Satyakama. So call yourself Satya- kama -Jabala and say that to your Guru."
On hearing it, the rishi smiled and said: "I admire you, child, for saying the truth. I am sure you must be born of a noble gotra. I shall accept you as my student. Go and get me some samid. I shall initiate you in brahmacharya."
The twigs of the sacred peepal tree are called samid.
For studying the sastras, one has to become a brahmachari. And the teacher has to be paid in kind like samid for his service.
The boy brought the samid, and the guru made him a brahmachari by giving him the sacred thread and the Gayatri Mantra. This mantra says: "O God, give me intelligence!"
After a few days, the rishi gave the boy four hundred lean and ill fed cows and said: "Child, take these to the forest and graze them."
The boy said: "Sire, I shall return when these cows multiply into a thousand."
Satyakama built an ashrama for himself in the forest and looked after the cows. All the time he carefully practised the duties of a brahmachari.
Years went by. The number of cows increased to a thousand.
(to be continued...)
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear from you! I read each and every comment, and will get back ASAP.