Story of Satyakāma

(SATYAKĀMA JĀBĀLA). A noble hermit. There is a story as given below, in the Chāndogyopaniṣad about the greatness of this hermit.

As his father died in his boyhood, Satyakāma was brought up by his mother Jābālī. Whan it was time to begin education, the boy told his mother, "Mother, I would like to be educated under a teacher, in the Vedas. But I don’s know what clan I belong to. What answer shall I give, when the teacher asks me about my clan?" His mother Jābālī replied. "I also do not know much about the clan of your father who married me when I was a girl. From that day onwards I was engaged in house-keeping. I did not ask your father about the clan. In my younger days I gave birth to you. Shortly after that your father died. Tell your teacher that you are Satyakāma the son of Jābālī."

Having heard this Satyakāma went in search of a teacher. At last he reached the hermitage of the sage Gautama and told him every thing. The hermit was attracted by his truthfulness and behaviour. Believing that Satyakāma was a Brahmin boy, Gautama accepted him as a disciple. The hermit entrusted the boy with four hundred lean cows to look after. The boy accepted the work, and said to the hermit. "When this becomes a group of thousand fat cows, I will bring them back." He lived in the forest looking after the cows. The Devas sympathised with him. Vāyu (wind), the Sun, Agni (fire) and Prāṇa together gave him divine knowledge and wisdom. After this Satyakāma returned to the hermit Gautama with thousand fat cows. Seeing the boy whose face shone with the light of God, the hermit was amazed. "Who gave you divine knowledge?" asked the hermit. Satyakāma told the hermit all that took place. Fully satisfied with the boy, Gautama imparted to him knowledge about the universal Soul (Paramātmā) and Satyakāma became a noble hermit.

Satyakāma got several disciples of whom Upakosala was prominent. He approached Satyakāma as a student. For twelve years he served his teacher and kept up the fire in the firepit for burnt offering, without being extinguished throughout the twelve years, and worshipped the fire god. Yet the teacher did not impart knowledge to him. The teacher’s wife recommended to her husband that Upakosala should be given learning. But the teacher was silent. Upakosala took a vow and fast before the burnt-offering fire pit. Agni Deva felt pity for him and informed him that God is all-pervading and that his teacher would show him the way to God. When he came to the teacher, his face was seen shining. Satyakāma asked Upakosala for the reason. Upakosala told the teacher what the fire god had told him. Immediately Satyakāma taught his disciple the path of yoga (union) by knowledge of the Sāṅkhyas.