Raikva- the cart puller!

(From- Chhandogya Upanishad)

The story is based on a King-Janashruti and Raikva- a cart puller. The cart puller was a Sage who lived a very simple life endowed with a special knowledge! His outward appearance was very simple and it seemed as if he was a poor fellow. Neither people knew him nor his name and fame was wide spread. But he had a special quality! He could absorb everything into himself by a special technique of meditation called Samvarga Vidya! On one occasion when king Janashruti came to know that he was compared to a simple cart puller, he felt extremely humiliated and tried his best to know what that speciality that cart puller had!

 The story goes like this——-

There was a king named Janasruti who was a great charitable person. He was always alerted for the benefits of his subjects. Thus, he opened many rest houses and arranged cooked food on an everyday basis for his people. Besides this, he used to give a huge amount of donations to the people. He felt happy seeing people resting in the rest house and enjoying the cooked food.

One summer evening King Janasruti, while resting on the roof of his palace noticed a couple of swans flying over him in the sky. It is believed that the swans were two sages who came in disguise to see the noble king Janashruti. At that time, the swan flying behind said to the swan ahead, ‘Hey, you fool! Can't you see the king Janashruti? Look, the radiance of his reputation looks like the flame of a burning fire rising up to the sky and has spread all over the sky. Don't try to cross over it. Be careful, otherwise it will burn your wings.’

The swan in the front said, ‘Who is this king Janashruti you are talking about? You speak as if he has a great glory and is equal to Raikva with a cart?’

The other swan immediately  asked, ‘Who…Who is this Raikva with a cart? I never heard of him.’

Hearing his question, the other swan replied, ‘Just in the game of dice, a person wins a toss called Krta, he automatically wins the other lower tosses also. Similarly, anyone who did some good work goes to the credit of Raikva. If anyone knows what Raikva knows, then he is also like Raikva. 

Somehow, the conversation was heard by the king Janashruti. He felt extremely humiliated. He became curious to know who this Raikva was! In what way he was superior to him! He couldn't  sleep that night. Next day morning he asked the attendants to go and find Raikva with a cart. The attendants searched all over the kingdom but found none. They came back and gave the news to the king. Once again, the king asked them to search Raikva in the villages where Brahmins live. 

The attendants went to villages and searched for him there. At last, one attendant saw a man sitting under a cart and scratching a rash on his body. Coming close to him the attendant asked, ‘Sir, are you Raikva with a cart?’

The man replied, ‘Yes, I am!’

The attendant came back to the palace and informed the king about the whereabouts of Raikva.

Next King Janashruti went there carrying six hundred cows, some gold necklace and a chariot drawn by mules to meet him. The king said, ‘O Raikva! I am offering you all these six hundred cows, a chariot and a gold necklace. O Bhagvan, please give me the advice of that God to whom you worship?!’

Hearing his words, Raikva was annoyed. He refused to teach him and said, ‘O king! Do you think that spiritual knowledge is for sale? Take all this wealth and keep it with yourself. Go back to your kingdom. I’ll not teach you anything.’

The King came back but didn't give up. Once again, he tried to lure him with more gifts. This time, the king brought one thousand cows, the gold necklace, the chariot drawn by mules and his daughter. He humbly said, ‘O Bhagvan! I am offering all these things with my daughter to be your wife. And this village where you live, but, please give me that knowledge!’

After a while, Raikva said, ‘O king! You have offered so many things but that didn't make me speak. One day both wealth and fame will perish. But, persistently eagerness to know something is a good quality for a student. It is the face of this princess made me speak. So I will teach you!’  

Thus, Raikva said, ‘Air swallows everything! When the sun sets, it disappears in the air. When the moon sets, it disappears in this air. When fire extinguishes, it also disappears in the air! When water dries up, it mingles in the air. These are all views from the divine aspect. 

Again Raikva said, 'Next is about Adhyatmadarshan, then Prana swallows everything. Speech, ears, eyes, and mind of a person, all are functioning due to Prana. No life is possible without Prana. Air and Prana are all consuming and worshiped as gods. There are so many other things which are also worshiped. Air sweeps everything away, fire consumes whatever comes in contact with it, vital breath creates and sustains the creation. Thus, the entire creation is a complex instrument that performs its work under the command of the Soul (Spirit or Atma).

So, O King! Go back to your palace. Give generously without any condition. Don't be proud of the alms you are giving. Nothing was yours that you are giving. It was given by the Spirit to you to  give others. Don't give anything with a desire to earn name and fame. He who understands this truth becomes a wise person and nothing is desired furthermore. Anybody who knows this truth has become a philosopher. He enjoys everything! 

The King was satisfied with the knowledge he gained from Raikva. He gave all the gifts and marriage of his daughter to Raikva. Thus, happily King Janashruti returned back to his kingdom.

However, Samvarga Vidya is a unique technique of Meditation! Samvarga means- Absorb everything into your selves! We know it very well that in this world, every one of us is pulled towards the objects of sense. But we cannot pull anything into our own selves. Like a mirage, we are running after fulfilling our desires that our sense organs demand but we are unable to absorb these within ourselves. We have become the servants of worldly pleasures! Can we make these desires, these sense organs our servants? It can only be possible by Self Control! Consuming all the desires and merging them inside, we can make them our servants. One who understands his own Self, he sees the whole universe as the Brahman and enjoys eternal bliss!