The story of Satyakāma Jābāla

Once Satyakāma Jābāla said to his mother Jabālā: ‘Revered mother, I would like to live with a teacher as a celibate student. What is my lineage?’

Jabālā said to him: ‘My son, I don’t know what your lineage is. I was very busy serving many people when I was young, and I had you.

As this was the situation, I know nothing about your lineage. My name is Jabālā, and your name is Satyakāma. When asked about your lineage, say, “I am Satyakāma Jābāla.”

Satyakāma went to Gautama, the son of Haridrumata, and said: ‘Revered sir, I wish to live with you as a celibate. I have come, revered sir, to be your disciple’.

Gautama asked him, ‘O Somya, what is your lineage?’

Satyakāma said: ‘Sir, I do not know what my lineage is.

When I asked my mother, she said to me: “I was very busy serving many people when I was young, and I had you. As this was the situation, I know nothing about your lineage. My name is Jabālā, and your name is Satyakāma.” So, sir, I am Satyakāma Jābāla’

Gautama smiled and said to him: ‘No non-brāhmin could speak like this. O Somya, go and get me some fuel [for the sacrificial fire]. I will initiate you [as a brāhmin by presenting you with the sacred thread], as you have not deviated from truth.’

Thus was Satyakama Jabala initiated into the life of a Brahmacharin. After a few days, Maharishi Gautama sorted out four hundred lean and weak cows and said to Satyakama, “Dear boy, take these cows to the forest and graze them.”

Satyakama bowed down with submission and while driving the cows said, “Sir, I shall not return till these cows multiply into a thousand.”
He lived away for many years until they had become a thousand.

One day towards evening a bull came to Satyakama and spoke to him, “Dear boy! Now we are a thousand in number. Take us to the house of the teacher”.Also, the bull said to Satyakama,”I shall teach you one part of the Brahman. He is Prakashavan or the Radiant or the shining.

He who meditates on Brahman as the Radiant, becomes radiant in this world.He who knows this part of Brahman and worships it as such attains other worlds which are luminous.”
Thus having spoken the bull told Satyakama that Agni, the God of fire, will teach him more later.

Then the bull said, ‘Agni will tell you about part of Brahman.’ The next day he drove the cows towards his teacher’s house. At dusk they arrived at a place.Having confined the cows and collected some fuel, he lit a fire and sat down just behind it facing east.

Then the Fire addressed him and said: “Dear boy, I will teach you one part of the Brahman. He is Anantavan or the Endless. One who knows Him to be thus and meditates upon him as Endless, becomes endless in this world”.

Then the fire told him that a swan was going to tell him about the third part of the Brahman.

At dawn, he drove the cows towards the ashrama. At dusk they arrived at a place. Having confined the cows and collected some fuel, he lit a fire and sat down just behind it facing east.

All of a sudden a swan came flying and said, “Satyakama! I shall teach you the third part of Brahman.He is called Jyotishman or the Effulgent. One who knows him thus and meditates upon him as the Effulgent, becomes effulgent in this world.”

Then the swan told him that a waterfowl would teach him the last part of the Brahman.On the following day, once again, Satyakama drove the cows in the direction of his Guru’s ashrama.

Towards evening when the cows came together, he kindled a fire there, added fuel to the fire, penned the cows and sat down near them behind the fire, facing east.Then, a waterfowl came before him and said, “Satyakama! I shall teach you the fourth and last part of Brahman.

He is Ayatanavan or the All-supporting. One who knows him thus and meditates upon him as the All-supporting, becomes That in this world.”
When Satyakama reached the Guru’s ashram with the thousand cows,the Guru asked him, “Dear boy, your face shines with the knowledge of Brahman.

Who taught you that?”

Satyakama told him about his four teachers and said, “Sir, I now request you to expound it to me personally. Because I know that the knowledge received directly from one’s own Guru becomes perfect.

Then Rishi Gautama, the revered teacher of Satyakama, taught him the same thing again by adding more meaning to all that Satyakama had learnt. Thus Satyakama got the full knowledge of Brahman from his Guru and later, he himself became a great teacher.

Source: Chandogya Upanishad