The Story
Satyakama, a young boy, approached his mother Jabala and said, “Mother, I wish to live the life of a student of sacred knowledge. Of what family am I?”
Jabala: My child, I do not know of what family you are. In my youth, I was a servant and moved about much, and I do not know who your father is. I am Jabala by name, and you are Satyakama. Call yourself Satyakama Jabala (son of Jabala).
The Test of Truth
Satyakama went to the sage Gautama and said, “I wish to become your student, sir. May I approach you as a teacher?”
Gautama: Of what family are you, my dear?
Satyakama: I do not know of what family I am, sir. I asked my mother, and she answered, “In my youth I was a servant and moved about much. I do not know who your father is. I am Jabala by name, and you are Satyakama.” So I am Satyakama Jabala, sir.
Gautama: None but a true Brahmin (knower of Brahman) would have spoken thus! You have not swerved from the truth. I will initiate you. Bring the firewood for the sacred fire; I will initiate you. You have not swerved from the truth.
The Teaching
सत्यम् (Satyam) - Truth
This story teaches:
- Truth is the highest dharma: Honesty is valued above social status
- Inner purity matters: Character, not birth, determines worthiness
- The power of integrity: Truth itself is the qualification for spiritual knowledge
The Cow Teaching
Gautama gave Satyakama 400 weak and lean cows and said, “Take care of these, my dear.” Satyakama drove them toward the forest, saying to himself, “I will not return until they are a thousand.”
He lived away in the forest for many years. When the cows had increased to a thousand, the bull of the herd spoke to him:
Bull: Satyakama!
Satyakama: Sir?
Bull: We have reached a thousand, my dear. Take us to the teacher’s house. I will teach you one quarter of Brahman.
Satyakama: Please teach me, sir.
Bull: The eastern direction is one part, the western direction is one part, the southern direction is one part, the northern direction is one part. This, my dear, is the four-part quarter of Brahman, called “The Luminous.”
He who knows this and meditates on this quarter of Brahman as the Luminous becomes luminous in this world. He wins luminous worlds—he who knows and meditates thus.
Fire, Swan, and Bird
As Satyakama continued his journey, fire appeared and taught him another quarter. A swan taught him the third quarter. A diver bird taught him the fourth quarter.
Finally, he returned to his teacher.
Gautama: You shine like one who knows Brahman, my dear. Who has taught you?
Satyakama: Beings other than men, sir. But I desire that you teach me yourself. For I have heard from people like you that knowledge learned from a teacher leads most surely to the supreme good.
Then Gautama taught him the same knowledge, and nothing was left out—nothing was left out.
The Profound Message
This dialogue reveals:
- Truth as the foundation: Spiritual progress begins with honesty
- Nature as teacher: Divine knowledge comes through all creation
- Humility in learning: Even after learning from gods, one seeks the human teacher
- The completeness of teaching: When the student is ready, the teacher completes the knowledge
सत्यमेव जयते (Satyameva Jayate)
Truth alone triumphs
Satyakama’s name means “lover of truth,” and his entire life embodied this principle. Through unwavering commitment to truth, he attained the highest knowledge—demonstrating that integrity itself is the path to realization.