Knowledge is acquired through book learning, question and answer sessions, practical learning and experience. Knowledge gives humility; humility gives character and worthiness to the student. A worthy student creates wealth through his work. Wealth should create dharma or righteousness in life. And when a person lives in dharma or righteousness, he lives in happiness. And we all wish to live in happiness. Knowledge confers on us a bundle of blessings which helps us to live our material lives well. Knowledge of the Vedas and other sacred texts confer on the students all the above blessings and also show the way to self realization.
Mere theoretical knowledge or book knowledge is of no use. Knowledge should be internalized through experience. Else the complete blessings of knowledge are not made available to us. We see arrogance in people around us when they acquire higher education. Pundits/priests and religious speakers sprout sacred texts without an ounce of internal experience. Such people cite verses, recite words without truly understanding them and this serves to inflate the ego. The ego loves to prove it is superior by making points and regurgitating passages in order to show off superior knowledge. Such people try to manipulate and dominate others and instil fear in them. The right attitude to acquisition of knowledge and right methods of usage must be instilled in students from the very beginning.
A systematic syllabus from a young age of three prepares a student who works hard on regular basis to acquire higher knowledge at the age of twenty plus. The level of preparation and mental attitudes needed to master the four Vedas are much higher and difficult. The four Vedas contain several thousand stanzas each and in the days of yore were learnt by hearing and rote. To master the four Vedas from a Divine Being in a period of four mornings is a highly impossible task. Such a task is possible only where the student has prepared his receptivity though right living, guru seva and taking the holy name of God and is blessed by Guru and Divinity. This is the story of such a student – Sathyakama and his Guru Gautama.
The great sage Gautama had a number of disciples in his ashram. He also kept many cows to provide milk and butter for needs of the ashram. Once due to drought the cows suffered terribly from lack of water to drink and grass to eat. The Guru requested that one of his disciples should volunteer to take the cows to a far off green valley and stay there till the calamity of drought was over and then return back with the cows. None of the students were ready give up the comforts of the ashram and live alone amongst cows in a strange far off land. None of them volunteered for the task except Sathyakama. The Guru blessed the boy and sent him with 400 cows and instructions that when the herd multiplied to a total strength of one thousand he should return.
Sathyakama took the cattle safely to the green valley. He would wake up at dawn, have his bath and offer worship to the Sun God and recite his prayers. Throughout the day he took care of the cows and chanted the name of God. He performed the service to cows as service to Guru and God. He never felt lonely as he mentally lived in the company of God and Guru. The holy vibrations which emanated from him attracted Indra, the Chief of Gods. He was pleased with the boy's attitude and seva to Guru and decided to bless him. He appeared in front of the boy and informed him that the herd had become healthy and also multiplied to a total of one thousand and that He had come there to take him back to his Guru’s ashram.
Sathyakama prostrated to Lord Indra and gathered the cows and started back to the Guru’s ashram. Sathyakama and Lord Indra had to spend four nights in four different places. Every morning Lord Indra taught Sathyakama the essence of one Veda. Thus by the time he reached his Guru's hermitage he had the mastered the four Vedas. His face glowed with a strange splendour as a result of the Vedic illumination that he had received from a Divine Being. Lord Indra disappeared after showering His grace on the young boy.
Sathyakama walked into his Guru's hermitage with 1000 cows. He was given a warm welcome by the Guru and other disciples. He fell at the feet of his Guru and sought his blessings. The Guru had divine insight of what had happened. He blessed the boy for his Guru Seva and announced to all the fact that Sathyakama had pleased Indra, the Lord of Heaven, with his love and loyalty to the Guru and was made capable of receiving the vast knowledge of the four Vedas.
The right attitude and approach to seva will bless us also in acquiring and using higher learning in the correct way.
