There was this great sage Uddalaka who had a son by name Swetaketu. Probably this boy was a bit too much pampered. So unlike other boys who normally went to school, this boy did not, even when he reached an age of 12 years.
In ancient India, a Brahmin boy was supposed to join the school at an early age of say 5 to 8. If he did not, he was ridiculed as ‘Brahma bandhu’ - someone who merely calls himself as Brahmin, but not actually so.
In ancient India, a Brahmin boy was supposed to join the school at an early age of say 5 to 8. If he did not, he was ridiculed as ‘Brahma bandhu’ - someone who merely calls himself as Brahmin, but not actually so.
Finally after much cajoling, Swetaketu goes to school at the age of 12. He spends another 12 years in residential school, learning all worldly sciences. He comes back home very proudly and with conceit that he has learnt everything. He does not even care to show respect to his learned father.
Father Uddalaka understands his son’s plight. He does not get angry at his son’s arrogance but he tries to correct his son. He does not want to force anything on him but chooses to carefully nudge him out of his shallow state of mind.
He asks him
“My son, have to learnt that after learning which you don’t need to learn anything more?”
Uddalaka was hinting at spiritual science.
Swetaketu was well versed in worldly science and he was wrongly under the impression that that is the end. He was not aware of the next stage namely the spiritual science that ultimately leads to eternal peace. And his father Uddalaka wanted to guide him towards that.
Uddalaka further continued
“If you understand the raw material earth, you will understand all those earthen pots, though each one of them may have a different name, shape and usage.
Similarly, if you understand gold, you will understand all those ornaments made of gold.
Similarly, if you understand iron, you will know all the implements that are made of iron such as a nail cutter and so on.
Various names, shapes and usages are only a matter of detail. But if you know the basic material, only then you are in the complete know.
A potter who knows the earth properly, can make any pot. A gold smith who knows gold properly can make any ornament… and so on.
It is important to know the essence.
Have you understood the essence of this entire existence?”
Father Uddalaka was acknowledging the fact that his son Swetaketu has understood various details about this world. But he is trying to hint to him that there is something more.
And that something more is to know the essence of this diverse world. To know the unity behind this diversity.
Swetaketu was humbled. He honestly admitted to his father that no teacher in the school ever taught him any such thing. So he requested his father to teach him that which he could not learn in 12 years of schooling.
In the next episode, let us see how Uddalaka takes Swetaketu into spiritual science , starting from worldly science in a step by step fashion, using the apparatus of worldly science namely – observation, experimentation and reasoning.
A
story of Uddalaka and Swetaketu from Chandogya Upanishad, which is
part of Sama Veda. Upanishads are concluding parts of ancient Indian
Vedic scriptures believed to be at least 5000 years old. The
interpretation is by Dr.King (Copyright © 2019 Dr. King).
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