1st Khanda of Chapter Four

Chandogya Upanishad is one of the oldest Upanishads written on the Vedic Brahmana period about ninth to eighth century BC. Chandogya Upanishad is associated with Sama Veda. It is the part of Chandogya Brahaman that contains eight chapters. The 1st Khanda of Chapter Four of Chandogya Upanishad states about the story of Janasruti and Raikva. Once there lived a king named Janasruti. He was the great grandson of Janasruta. He was known for bestowing gifts and cooking food for the hungry and poor people. He also built houses everywhere with the thought that people from all sides might come and feast. One night while he was asleep he heard some flamingos flying along. They were talking to each other. One gheese stated about the glory of Janasruti to another. It told the other that the king`s glory has spread to the sky and warned him not to touch it lest it might burn him. The other gheese asked about the king as if he were a Raikva, the man with the cart was. The other gheese asked him about the person Raikva, the man with the cart. The short sighted gheese explained that, like in a game of dice, when the krita is won, the lower ones also are won in the same way whatever merits people acquire all ensue to that Raikva. Janasruti upon hearing the conversation got out of his bed and asked his attendant about the Raikva, the man with the cart. The attendant then went out in search of the person but could not find him. The king instructed him to search the man in the place where a knower of Brahman would be found. After searching hard the attendant finally came upon a person who, lying underneath his cart, was scratching an itch. The man introduced him as the Raikva, the man with the cart and he was finally taken to the king.

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