Story of Janasruti and Raikva.

Based on ChAndogya Upanishad 4.1–4.3
Produced by Arun Singhamahapatra, Founder of Aadya Meditation Centre and Academy (AMCA)
Explore the mystical and philosophical story of King Janasruti and Raikva, presented in a tone that echoes the ancient teachings.

Introduction

The Story of Janasruti and Raikva shines like a hidden jewel in the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1–4.3). It is a tale of pride dissolved, humility awakened, and the inner light of wisdom discovered in the simplest of beings. King Janasruti, celebrated for his generosity, encounters Raikva—a poor cart-puller who carries within him a profound spiritual knowledge known as Samvarga Vidya, the meditation of divine absorption.

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This Story of Janasruti and Raikva reveals how humility leads to true wisdom.

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Their meeting reveals a timeless truth: outer greatness fades before the radiance of inner realization.

Samvarga Vidya — The All-Absorbing Meditation

Raikva seemed to have nothing except his cart, no possessions, and no recognition from society. Yet within him was a deep power: the ability to absorb everything—joy, sorrow, praise, blame—into the stillness of consciousness. This inner practice, called Samvarga Vidya, teaches that the Self is spacious, silent, and capable of holding all experiences without being shaken. Raikva lived this wisdom naturally, without pride or display.

The Story

Once upon a time, there lived a noble and compassionate king named Janasruti, the great-grandson of Janasruta. He was known throughout his kingdom for his generosity and tender heart. With sincere devotion, he offered abundant gifts, supported the needy, and ensured that every traveller who crossed his land received warmth and hospitality.

King Janasruti built rest houses across his kingdom and arranged for delicious, freshly cooked food to be served every day. Visitors were welcomed like family, and the king found joy in seeing people eat peacefully, rest comfortably, and travel onward with blessings. His life was filled with charitable works, performed with love and respect for all.

A Mystic Telling Inspired by ChAndogya Upanishad 4.1–4.3

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In the Story of Janasruti and Raikva, even the gods speak about the king’s virtues.

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The Night of the Swans (4.1.1–7)

One quiet evening, King Janasruti rested on the roof of his palace. As he gazed at the open sky, two swans flew above him, their wings shimmering in the fading light. Yet these were no ordinary birds—they were sages or gods moving in disguise, speaking truths meant for those ready to hear.

The swan in the rear called out playfully to the one ahead:
“Hey, you short-sighted one! Can’t you see? The radiance of Janasruti lights up the sky like daylight. Be careful not to touch it—its brilliance may burn you.”

The swan in front responded gently:
“Who is this King Janasruti? From your words one might think he is equal to Raikva, the one who lives with a cart.”

Surprised, the first swan asked,
“And who is this Raikva with a cart?”

The other replied with quiet certainty:
“Just as in the game of dice, when one wins the highest throw—the krta—all lesser counts fall into place, so too do all good deeds gather naturally around Raikva. One who knows what Raikva knows becomes like Raikva. This is his greatness.”

These words drifted down to where the king sat. They pierced his heart. The praise he took pride in suddenly felt small. Who was this Raikva whose inner light surpassed his own? And what knowledge made him shine so brightly?

Restless and disturbed, Janasruti spent a sleepless night. At dawn, compelled by a deep longing, he called his attendant.
“Find this Raikva,” he said. “I must know in what way he surpasses me.”

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The Search for Raikva (4.1.8)

The attendant searched everywhere but returned empty-handed. The king then urged him,
“Go to the forests, to the places where Brahmins dwell. Search again.”

After persistent searching, the attendant finally found a man sitting beneath a cart, scratching a rash on his body—simple, unadorned, unnoticed by the world.

He approached and asked,
“Sir, are you Raikva with the cart?”
The man replied with quiet ease,
“Yes, I am.”

At once, the attendant knew he had found the one of whom even the gods spoke.

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The King’s Offer and Raikva’s Refusal (4.2.1–5)

King Janasruti arrived soon after, bringing six hundred cows, a gold necklace, and a chariot drawn by mules. He bowed respectfully and said:
“O Raikva, these are for you. Please tell me about the deity you worship.”

Raikva, however, felt no pull toward wealth. Annoyed by the king’s approach, he refused to teach him. The king, eager and humbled, tried again.

He offered even more—
a thousand cows, the gold necklace, the chariot, his own daughter in marriage, and the entire village where Raikva lived.

 

 

Raikva’s Silence Turns to Teaching

“You bring many gifts, but none of these move me. Only the face of this princess moves my heart to speak.”

Seeing the king’s sincerity, Raikva accepted him as a student.
In that quiet moment, the simplicity of the cart-dwelling sage stood in profound contrast to the wealth and power of the king. Yet, what drew Raikva’s heart was not the gifts, but the humility that had finally blossomed within Janasruti.

The king bowed with reverence, understanding that true wisdom does not descend upon pride—it flows only toward surrender. Raikva’s long silence broke, not because the king insisted, but because his ego had dissolved. Where pride ends, the path of knowledge begins.

Here, in the stillness of the open landscape, the sage and the king sat together—one rich in the world, the other rich in the Self. What was about to unfold was not merely a dialogue, but a transmission, a passing of inner fire from one heart to another.

Thus began the transmission of Samvarga Vidya, the absorbing meditation that reveals how all things return to the Self, just as rivers return to the sea.

From that moment, the villages in the Mahavrsa region came to be known as Raikvaparna. And finally, seeing the king’s sincere longing, Raikva agreed to teach.

Thus began the transmission of Samvarga Vidya, the absorbing meditation.

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Samvarga Vidya — The Teaching of Absorption (4.3.1–2)

Raikva spoke softly:

“Air absorbs everything.
Fire, when it dies, dissolves into air.
The sun, when it sets, enters into air.
The moon, when it wanes, returns to air.
Water, when it dries, merges into air.
Air swallows all.”

This was the cosmic perspective—Adhidaivata, the worship of divine forces.

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Prana, the Inner Absorber (4.3.3–8)

Then Raikva revealed the inner truth:

“In the body, it is prana that absorbs everything.
When a person sleeps, speech, sight, hearing, and mind—all rest in prana.
Prana swallows all.”

Thus, air among the gods and prana among the organs mirror one another: both are all-absorbing.

To illustrate, Raikva narrated the story of Saunaka Kapi and Abhipratarin, who once denied food to a hungry Brahmacharins. The young seeker said:

“One god has swallowed four sages. Who protects this world?
Food is meant for him, yet you deny him.”

Saunaka replied:
“We know him. He is Prajapati—creator and destroyer, the Self of all, the Supreme One whom the wise worship.”
Ashamed, they offered food to the young seeker.

Raikva concluded:
The five cosmic forces—air, fire, sun, moon, water—and the five inner faculties—prana, speech, sight, hearing, mind—together make ten, known as krta.
These ten are the ten directions.
They are the food of all.
The krta is Virat, the all-pervasive One.

“Whoever knows this Virat becomes Virat—
vast, all-pervading, and embraced by all.”