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Satyakaam-1

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Chhaandogya Upanishad

Satyakaam-1
Read his story in story form - Satyakaam

This is the story of Satyakaam Jaabaal as produced in Chhaandogya Upanishad---

4-4-1
The young Satyakaam said to his mother Jaabaal - "Mother, I want to be admitted to the life of a student of scriptures. Tell me my family name."

4-4-2
Jaabaal replied - "My child, I do not know what family you belong to. In my youth, when I served many households as a maid, I conceived you. I do not know who your father is. I am Jaabaal, you may therefore call yourself Satyakaam Jaabaal."

4-4-3
After this Satyakaam went to Gautam Haridrumat and said - "May I become your disciple, O venerable Sir?"

4-4-4
Gautam asked him - "Of what family are you my dear?"
Satyakaam replied - "I asked my mother and she said to me that in her youth she served many masters as a maid and then she had me, so she does not know what family I cam from. She said, she is Jaabaal hence I should call myself Satyakaam Jaabaal. Sir, I am therefore Satyakaam Jaabaal."
The sage said - "Only a true Braahman would speak out thus, you have not swerved from truth, I will receive you as my disciple."

Chapter V - Instruction by the Bull

5-1
The bull of the herd, addressing him, said - "Satyakaam!"
"Revered Sir!" Satyakaam replied.
The bull said: "Dear friend, we have become a thousand, take us to teacher's house.

5-2
"I will declare to you one foot of Brahm."
"Declare it, Revered Sir."
The bull said to him - "The East is one quarter, the West is one quarter, the South is one quarter, the North is one quarter. This,
O dear friend, is a foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters and this foot is called Prakaashavat (shining).

5-3
"He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman consisting four quarters as shining, becomes shining on this Earth. He conquers shining worlds - he who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman consisting of four quarters as shining."

Chapter VI - Instruction by Fire

6-1
The bull further said - "Agni (fire) will declare to you another foot of Brahm."
Satyakaam then, when it was the morrow, drove the cows in the direction of the teacher's house. And when they came together toward evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid fuel on the fire and sat down behind the fire, facing the east.

6-2
Agni (fire), addressing him, said - "Satyakaam!"
"Revered Sir!" Satyakaam replied.

6-3
"Dear friend, I will declare to you one foot of Brahm."
"Declare it, revered Sir."
Agni said to him - "The Earth is one quarter, the sky is one quarter, the Heaven is one quarter, the ocean is one quarter. This, O dear friend, is one foot of Brahm, consisting of four quarters and this foot is called Anantavat (endless).

6-4
"He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahm consisting of four quarters as endless, becomes endless on this earth. He conquers endless worlds-he who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahm consisting of four quarters as endless."

Chapter VII - Instruction by the Swan

7-1
Agni further said - "A Hans (swan) will declare to you another foot."
Satyakaam then, when it was the morrow, drove the cows in the direction of the teacher's house. And when they came together toward evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid fuel on the fire and sat down behind the fire, facing the East.

7-2
Then a swan flew to him and said - "Satyakaam!"
"Revered Sir!" Satyakaam replied.

7-3
Dear friend, I will declare to you one foot of Brahm."
"Declare it, revered Sir."
The swan said to him - "Fire is one quarter, the Sun is one quarter, the Moon is one quarter, lightning is one quarter. This, dear friend, is one foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters and this foot is called Jyotishmat (luminous).

7-4
He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman consisting of four quarters as luminous, becomes luminous on this earth. He conquers luminous worlds - he who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahm consisting of four quarters as luminous.

Chapter VIII - Instruction by the Diver-Bird

8-1
The swan further said - "A Madgu (diver-bird) will declare to you another foot."
Satyakaam then, when it was the morrow, drove the cows in the direction of the teacher's house. And when they came together toward evening, he lighted a fire, penned the cows, laid fuel on the fire and sat down behind the fire, facing the East.

8-2
Then a diver-bird flew to him and said - "Satyakaam!"
"Revered Sir!" Satyakaam replied.

8-3
"Dear friend, I will declare to you one foot of Brahman."
"Declare it, revered Sir."
The diver-bird said to him - "The Praan is one quarter, the eye is one quarter, the ear is one quarter, the mind is one quarter. This, O dear friend, is one foot of Brahman, consisting of four quarters and this foot is called Aayatanavat (having support).

8-4
"He who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman consisting of four quarters as Aayatanavat, possesses a support (i.e. home) on this Earth. He conquers the worlds which offer a home-he who knows this and meditates on the foot of Brahman consisting of four quarters as Aayatanavat."

Chapter IX - Instruction by the Teacher

9-1
Satyakaam reached the teacher's house. The teacher said to him - "Satyakaam!"
"Revered Sir!" Satyakaam replied.

9-2
The teacher said - "Dear friend, you shine like one who knows Brahm. Who has taught you?"
"Others than men," he replied. "But I wish, revered Sir, that you alone should teach me."

9-3
"For I have heard from persons like your goodself that only knowledge which is learnt from a teacher (Aachaarya) leads to the highest good." Then he (Gautam) taught him the same knowledge. Nothing whatsoever was left out, yea, nothing whatsoever was left out.

[The main point is when you utter the truth as Satyakaam did, a Guru will accept you as a pupil no matter what your ancestry is
whether you are a Braahman or a lower caste.
The knowledge of what constitutes Brahm can be learned even from a Bull, Fire, Swan, Diver bird.
Brahm Gyaan can only be learned from a Guru who is a Brahm-Gyaanee
]

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/05
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 10/10/12