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As per the Chandogya Upanishad of the Sama Veda (5-3), Shvetaketu, once came to the assembly of पाञ्चाल-s || Panchalas, whose reigning monarch was Pravahana Jaivali.  When he proclaimed himself as a ब्रह्मज्ञानी || brahmajnani, the king decides to test his knowledge.

As per the Chandogya Upanishad of the Sama Veda (5-3), Shvetaketu, once came to the assembly of पाञ्चाल-s || Panchalas, whose reigning monarch was Pravahana Jaivali.  When he proclaimed himself as a ब्रह्मज्ञानी || brahmajnani, the king decides to test his knowledge.

== पञ्चप्रश्र्नाः || The Five Questions ==

== पञ्चप्रश्नाः || The Five Questions ==

The King asks Shvetaketu whether he was initiated in Brahmavidya or given ब्रह्मोपदेशः || brahmopadesha. To gauge his understanding of ब्रह्मविद्या || Brahmavidya, the king asks him the following five questions for which he replies that he knew not the answers.

The King asked Shvetaketu whether he was initiated in Brahmavidya or given ब्रह्मोपदेशः || brahmopadesha. To gauge his understanding of Brahmavidya, the king asked him the following five questions for which he replies that he knew not the answers.

# वेत्थ यदितोऽधि प्रजाः प्रयन्तीति  -  न भगव इति || vettha yadito'dhi prajāḥ prayantīti - na bhagava iti ||  

# वेत्थ यदितोऽधि प्रजाः प्रयन्तीति  -  न भगव इति || vettha yadito'dhi prajāḥ prayantīti - na bhagava iti ||  

# वेत्थ यथा पुनरावर्तन्त इति  - न भगव इति || vettha yathā punarāvartanta iti - na bhagava iti ||

# वेत्थ यथा पुनरावर्तन्त इति  - न भगव इति || vettha yathā punarāvartanta iti - na bhagava iti ||

# वेत्थ यथा पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति - नैव भगव इति || vettha yathā pañcamyāmāhutāvāpaḥ puruṣavacaso bhavantīti - naiva bhagava iti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.3)<ref name=":0" />

# वेत्थ यथा पञ्चम्यामाहुतावापः पुरुषवचसो भवन्तीति - नैव भगव इति || vettha yathā pañcamyāmāhutāvāpaḥ puruṣavacaso bhavantīti - naiva bhagava iti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.3)<ref name=":0" />

The following are the King's five questions (meaning) in serial order :

The following are the King's five questions (meaning) in serial order :

# Do you know from here (this लोक || loka) where do the people go (after death)?  

# Do you know from here (this लोकः || loka) where do the people go (after death)?  

# Do you know by what means they (the dead) come back?

# Do you know by what means they (the dead) come back?

# Do you know the point of divergence (which have the same path upto one point) of the paths of the देवयान || devayana (journey to the deva loka post death) and पितृयान || pitrayana (journey to Prituloka post death)?

# Do you know the point of divergence (which have the same path upto one point) of the paths of the देवयानम् || devayana (journey to the deva loka post death) and पितृयानम् || pitruyana (journey to Pritu loka post death)?

# Do you know why the पितृलोक || pitrulok (world of forefathers or ancestors) is never filled?

# Do you know why the पितृलोकः || pitru loka (world of forefathers or ancestors) is never filled?

# Do you know (in पञ्चाग्नि || Panchagni) by what process at the fifth आहुति || ahuti (oblation) the water or  अप तत्त्व || Apa Tattva gets the name of पुरुष || Purusha?

# Do you know (in पञ्चाग्निः || Panchagni) by what process at the fifth आहुतिः || ahuti (oblation) the water or  अप्-तत्त्व || Apa Tattva gets the name of पुरुषः || Purusha?

Shvetaketu thought himself to be a ब्रह्मज्ञानि || brahma jnani yet did not know the answer to the King’s questions. The King so questions his claim to be a brahma jnani and so humiliated, Shvetaketu returns home to question his father Uddalaka: <blockquote>"होवाचाननुशिष्य वाव किल मा भगवानब्रवीदनुत्वाऽशिषमिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.4)"</blockquote><blockquote>"hovācānanuśiṣya vāva kila mā bhagavānabravīdanutvā'śiṣamiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.4)"</blockquote>Meaning : Bhagavan, you claimed to have given me all knowledge, yet you did not?

Shvetaketu thought himself to be a ब्रह्मज्ञानी || brahmajnani, yet did not know the answer to the King’s questions. The King so questions his claim to be a brahmajnani and so humiliated, Shvetaketu returns home to question his father Uddalaka: <blockquote>होवाचाननुशिष्य वाव किल मा भगवानब्रवीदनुत्वाऽशिषमिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.4)</blockquote><blockquote>hovācānanuśiṣya vāva kila mā bhagavānabravīdanutvā'śiṣamiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.4)</blockquote>Meaning : Bhagavan, you claimed to have given me all knowledge, yet you did not?

Shvetaketu continued:  <blockquote>"पञ्च मा राजन्यबन्धुः प्रश्र्नाप्राक्षीत्तेषां नैकं च नाशकं विवक्तुमिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5) "</blockquote><blockquote>"pañca mā rājanyabandhuḥ praśrnāprākṣītteṣāṃ naikaṃ ca nāśakaṃ vivaktumiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)"</blockquote>Meaning : I was not able to answer even one of the questions of the King! (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)

Shvetaketu continued:  <blockquote>पञ्च मा राजन्यबन्धुः प्रश्र्नाप्राक्षीत्तेषां नैकं च नाशकं विवक्तुमिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5) </blockquote><blockquote>pañca mā rājanyabandhuḥ praśrnāprākṣītteṣāṃ naikaṃ ca nāśakaṃ vivaktumiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)</blockquote>Meaning : I was not able to answer even one of the questions of the King! (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)

So saying he put forth the five questions posed by the King to his father.  

So saying, he put forth the five questions posed by the King to his father.  

The Father replies: <blockquote>"स होवाच - यथा मा त्वं तदैतानवदो यथाऽहमेषां नैकं च न वेद यद्यहमिमानवेदिष्यं कथं ते नावक्ष्यामिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)"</blockquote><blockquote>"sa hovāca - yathā mā tvaṃ tadaitānavado yathā'hameṣāṃ naikaṃ ca na veda yadyahamimānavediṣyaṃ kathaṃ te nāvakṣyāmiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)"</blockquote>Meaning : I do not know the answer to these questions, if I knew, would I not tell you?

The Father replies: <blockquote>स होवाच - यथा मा त्वं तदैतानवदो यथाऽहमेषां नैकं च न वेद यद्यहमिमानवेदिष्यं कथं ते नावक्ष्यामिति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)</blockquote><blockquote>sa hovāca - yathā mā tvaṃ tadaitānavado yathā'hameṣāṃ naikaṃ ca na veda yadyahamimānavediṣyaṃ kathaṃ te nāvakṣyāmiti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.5)</blockquote>Meaning : I do not know the answer to these questions, if I knew, would I not tell you?

So both the father and son go to King Pravahna’s assembly to seek knowledge. The guests were received with hospitality and after that the King humbly requested.

So, both the father and son go to King Pravahana’s assembly to seek knowledge. The guests were received with hospitality and after that the King humbly requested.

The King asks, <blockquote>"मानुषस्य भगवन्गौतम वित्तस्य वरं वृणीथा इति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6) "</blockquote><blockquote>"mānuṣasya bhagavangautama vittasya varaṃ vṛṇīthā iti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)"</blockquote>Meaning : Bhagavan (as a brahmin usually was addressed), you can ask for any kind of wealth that is within the means of a human being?

The King asks, <blockquote>मानुषस्य भगवन्गौतम वित्तस्य वरं वृणीथा इति || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6) </blockquote><blockquote>mānuṣasya bhagavangautama vittasya varaṃ vṛṇīthā iti || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)</blockquote>Meaning : Bhagavan (as a brahmana usually was addressed), you can ask for any kind of wealth that is within the means of a human being?

Here the implication is that the  [[Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय)|क्षत्रिय || Kshatriya]] can give material wealth to the Brahmana but ब्रह्मविद्या as per the prevailing वर्णव्यवस्था (social order) was usually respected as the brahmana’s domain. Notably, contrary to the still continuing popular perception invented by the EIC Indologists and their Indian Sepoys, वर्ण || Varna (translated wrongly as caste) was determined by संस्कार and not parentage.

Here the implication is that the  [[Kshatriya (क्षत्रिय)|क्षत्रियः || Kshatriya]] can give material wealth to the Brahmana but ब्रह्मविद्या as per the prevailing वर्णव्यवस्था ॥ social order, was usually respected as the brahmana’s domain. Notably, contrary to the still continuing popular perception invented by the EIC Indologists and their Indian Sepoys, वर्णः || Varna (translated wrongly as caste) was determined by संस्कारः and not parentage.

But Shvetaketu and his father were not there for material wealth, they had come to receive ब्रह्मविद्या from the क्षत्रिय || Kshatriya King. Uddalaka humbly requests the King, <blockquote>"स होवाच - तवैव राजन्मानुषं वित्तं यामेव कुमारस्यान्ते वाचमभाषथास्तामेव मे ब्रूहिति स ह कृच्छ्री बभूव ||  (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)"</blockquote><blockquote>"sa hovāca - tavaiva rājanmānuṣaṃ vittaṃ yāmeva kumārasyānte vācamabhāṣathāstāmeva me brūhiti sa ha kṛcchrī babhūva || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)"</blockquote>Meaning : Let the worldly human wealth rest with you. Please bestow upon me, the answer for the questions you asked my son!

But Shvetaketu and his father were not there for material wealth, they had come to receive ब्रह्मविद्या from the Kshatriya King. Uddalaka humbly requests the King, <blockquote>स होवाच - तवैव राजन्मानुषं वित्तं यामेव कुमारस्यान्ते वाचमभाषथास्तामेव मे ब्रूहिति स ह कृच्छ्री बभूव ||  (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)</blockquote><blockquote>sa hovāca - tavaiva rājanmānuṣaṃ vittaṃ yāmeva kumārasyānte vācamabhāṣathāstāmeva me brūhiti sa ha kṛcchrī babhūva || (Chan. Upan. 5.3.6)</blockquote>Meaning : Let the worldly human wealth rest with you. Please bestow upon me, the answer for the questions you asked my son!

Before accepting Uddalaka and Shvetaketu as his disciples the King had to set down the rules as the reigning system did not allow knowledge to be imparted to

Before accepting Uddalaka and Shvetaketu as his disciples, the King had to set down the rules as the reigning system did not allow knowledge to be imparted to

* anyone who stayed outside the precincts of the गुरुकुल || gurukul

* anyone who stayed outside the precincts of the गुरुकुलम् || gurukula

* unfamiliar persons

* unfamiliar persons

* a person who lacks the अधिकार || adhikara (aptitude) to acquire knowledge

* a person who lacks the अधिकारः || adhikara (aptitude) to acquire knowledge

The King requests Uddalaka & his son to stay at his palace. And through many years the King imparted knowledge to both Uddalaka & Shvetaketu.<ref name=":1">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

The King requests Uddalaka & his son to stay at his palace. And through many years the King imparted knowledge to both Uddalaka & Shvetaketu.<ref name=":1">Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya, Part I''. Hubli:​Sahitya Prakashana​.</ref>

Responses to these questions were provided through explanation of [[Panchagni Vidya (पञ्चाग्नि विद्या)|Panchagni vidya]], which also included explanations of [[Devayana and Pitrayana (देवयान मार्ग और पित्रयान मार्ग)|devayan]] (journey to the deva loka post death) and pitruyan (journey to Pitr loka post death) as well as of पञ्चमहायज्ञ || pancamaha yajna. This was the explanation provided by the king as the essence of Brahmavidya.

Responses to these questions were provided through explanation of Panchagni vidya, which also included explanations of devayana (journey to the deva loka post death) and pitruyana (journey to Pitru loka post death) as well as of पञ्चमहायज्ञाः || panchamaha yajna. This was the explanation provided by the king as the essence of Brahmavidya.

As an introduction to पञ्चाग्निविद्या, the क्षत्रिय || Kshatriya King told the brahmin, "you are the first one amongst the Brahmans to receive the knowledge of this ब्रह्मविद्या, up until now it was known only to Kshatriyas."<ref name=":1" />

As an introduction to Panchagni vidya, the Kshatriya King told the brahmana, "you are the first one amongst the Brahmans to receive the knowledge of this ब्रह्मविद्या, up until now it was known only to Kshatriyas."<ref name=":1" />

== संवादः || Discussion ==

== संवादः || Discussion ==

This story clearly reveals that in the Vedic period even Kshatriyas were well versed in Brahmavidya debunking the Caste-system hierarchies of the East India Company Indologists’ insinuation that brahmins were the only custodians of knowledge.

This story clearly reveals that in the Vedic period even Kshatriyas were well versed in Brahmavidya debunking the Caste-system hierarchies of the East India Company Indologists’ insinuation that brahmins were the only custodians of knowledge.

== References ==

== References ==