One day a young boy came to the ashrama of Sage Haridrumata Gautama and said, “Revered Sir, I desire to live under you as a Brahmachari. Please accept me as your student.”
The sage asked, “Dear boy, of what gotra or lineage are you?”
The boy replied, “Sir, I do not know of what gotra I am. I asked of my mother. She said: ‘I also do not know of what gotra you are. I used to serve many people and I got you in my youth. So I am not sure of what lineage you are. However, I am Jabala by name and you are Satyakama’. So, Sir, I reveal myself to you as Satyakama Jabala.”
On hearing it, the Rishi Haridrumata Gautama smiled and said, “No one who is not a Brahmin can speak thus. Dear boy, bring the sacrificial fuel. I shall initiate you as a Brahmachari, for you have not deviated from the truth.” Thus was Satyakama Jabala initiated into the life of a Brahmachari.
After a few days, Rishi Haridrumata 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.”
Satyakama lived in the forest and looked after the cows.
Years went by. The number of cows increased to 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 quarter of the Brahman or God. He is Prakashavan or the Radiant. He who meditates on Brahman as the Radiant, becomes radiant in this world.” Thus having spoken the bull told Satyakama that Agni, the God of fire, will teach him more later.
At dawn, Satyakama drove the cows towards his Guru’s ashrama.
In the 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 the Fire addressed him and said: “Dear boy, I will teach you one-quarter 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 quarter of the Brahman.
At dawn, Satyakama continued to drive the cows towards the 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. All of a sudden a swan came flying and said, “Satyakama! I shall teach you the third quarter 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 Guru becomes perfect.”
Then Rishi Haridrumat Gautama, the revered teacher of Satyakama, taught him the same thing again by adding more meaning to all that Satyakama had learned. Thus Satyakama got the full knowledge of Brahman from his Guru and later, he became a great teacher.
