vedon, puranon, upnishdon aur shastron men brahmagyan ki prapti ke jatil se jatil sadhnon ka ullekh hai. manav buddhi us rahasya ko samjhne men asamarth hai. parantu dhanya hai un sadguruon ki kripa, jinhonne gau seva ka ek aisa vrat batla diya, jis vrat ke dvara sahjta se hi brahmagyan ki prapti sanbhav hai. gay seva ke bare men kaha gaya hai: tirth sthaneshu yat punyan yat punyan vipra bhojne. yat punyan ch mahadane yat punyan hari sevne.. sarvavratopvaseshu sarveshvev tapah su ch. bhumiparyatne yantu satyavakyeshu yad bhavet.. tat punyan prapyate sadyah kevlan dhanusevya.. gomata ka sthan sarvashreshth hai. isilie kaha hai-‘mata se barhakar go mata.’ katha: satyakam nam ka ek chota sa balak tha. ghar men uski mata hi uski rakshak aur palak thi. jab balak ki avastha barah varsh ki ho gai, tab usne jakar apni mata se kaha- ‘man ! ab main barah varsh ka ho gaya hun, ab mujhe guru ke samip gurukul men vas karke vedadhyayan karna chahie.’
man ne saharsh kaha- ‘achcha beta ! jao. tumhara kalyan ho.’ satyakam ne kaha- ‘kintu man ! gurudev mujhse mera gotra puchenge to main kya uttar dunga? mujhe apne gotra ka to gyan hi nahin, mujhe mera gotra bata do.’ mata ne kaha - ‘beta satyakam ! gotra ka to mujhe bhi pata nahin, main seva men sada tatpar rahti thi. yuvavastha men tera janm hua, sankochavash main tere pita se gotra n puch saki.’ man ki bat sunakar satyakam vedadhyayan ke uddeshya se haridrumat rishi ke pas gaya. unhen pranam karke vah unki agya se vinamratapurvak baith gaya. guru ne pucha - ‘balak ! tum kya chahte ho?’ satyakam ne kaha - ‘bhagavan ! main apke charnon men rahakar vedadhyayan karna chahta hun.’ guru ne pucha- ‘tumhara gotra kya hai?’ satyakam bola - ‘bhagavan ! mainne apni man se apne gotra ke sanbandh men pucha tha. unhonne kaha - ‘main sarvada atithiyon ki seva men rat rahti thi. yuvavastha men tu utpann hua, main kah nahin sakti ki tere pita ka gotra kya hai? main itna hi janti hun, tera nam satyakam hai aur tu mujh jabala ka putra hai.
yah sunakar maharshi atyant prasann hokar bole- ‘beta ! nishchay hi tu brahman hai; kyonki brahman ke atirikt itni satya bat koi kah nahin sakta, tu samidha le a, main tera upanayan karunga. tu aj se satyakam jabal ke nam se prasiddh hoga.’ balak samidha lekar aya. guru ne shishya ka upanayan kiya. un dinon gau ko hi dhan mana jata tha, jiske yahan jitna hi adhik godhan hota vah utna hi bara shreshth mana jata tha. dan, dharm, paritoshik, shastrarth, yagya aur sabhi dev, pitri tatha rishi-rinon men gau hi di jati thi. rishiyon ke samip jo shishya shiksha prapt karne ate the, unhen sarvapratham yahi shiksha di jati thi ki ve gau seva ka vrat len. gauon ki seva-sushrusha se svatah hi unhen sarvashastron ka gyan ho jata tha. maharshi haridrumat ke yahan bhi sahasron gauen thin. satyakam jabal ka jab upanayan sanskar sanpann ho gaya, tab gurudev use apni gauon ke goshth men lekar gae. sahasron dudharu gauon men se muni ne char sau dubli-patli gauen chantin aur satyakam se bole - ‘beta! tu in gauon ke piche-piche ja aur inhen charakar pusht kar la.’
barah varsh ka chota sa balak satyakam gurudev ke antarbhav ko janakar bola, ‘bhagavan ! main in gauon ko lekar jata hun aur jab tak ye ek sahasra n ho jaengi, tab tak main lautakar n aunga.’ guru ne kaha- ‘tathastu! kalyanamastu!’ satyakam un gauon ko lekar aise van men gaya jahan hari-hari dub ghas thi, jal paryapt tha aur jangli janvron ka koi bhay n tha. vah gauon ke hi madhya men rahta, unki seva-sushrusha karta, van ke sabhi kashton ko sahta, gau ke dugdh par jivan nirvah karta. usne apne jivan ko gauon ke jivan men hi tadakar kar diya. vah gau seva men aisa tallin ho gaya ki use pata hi n chala ki gauen kitni ho gai hain. tab vayudev ne vrishabh rup dharan kar satyakam se kaha- ‘brahmacharin ! ham ab sahasra ho gae hain. tum hamen acharya ke ghar le chalo aur main tumhane ek pad brahm ka updesh karunga.’ yah kahakar dharmarupi vrishabh ne satyakam ko ek pad brahm ka updesh diya. guru ke ashram se van dur tha.
char din ka marg tha. islie marg men jahan vah thahra, vahan use brahmagyan ka updesh mila. is prakar pahle pad ka vrishabh ne, dusre pad ka agni dev ne, tisre ka hans ne aur chaithe ka updesh madgu namak jalachar pakshi ne kiya. gauon ki nishkam seva-sushrusha se vah param tejasvi brahmagyani ho gaya. usne ek sahasra gauon ko le jakar guru ke sammukh prastut kiya aur unke shrichrnon men sashtang pranam kiya. guru ne uske mukhmandal ko dedipyaman dekhakar atyant hi prasannata se kaha-‘beta ! tere mukhmandal ko dekhakar to mujhe aisa lagta hai ki tujhe brahmagyan ho gaya hai, tu satya-satya bata tujhe brahm gyan ka updesh kisne kiya?’ satyakam ne atyant vinit bhav se kaha- ‘gurudev! apki kripa se sab kuch ho sakta hai. ap mujhe updesh karenge tabhi main apne gyan ko purn samjhunga. vahi gyan guru ne dohra diya. satyakam purn brahmagyani ho gae. atah aj se, abhi se, isi kshan se gau seva ka vrat apne jivan men dharan karen. gau seva hi jivan ke char purusharthon dharma-artha-kam-moksh ko purnata pradan karti hai.