सः ह उवाच तथा नस् त्वम् तत जानीथा यथा यद् अहम् किंच वेद सर्वम् अहम् तत् तुभ्यम् अवोचम् प्रेहि तु तत्र प्रतीत्य ब्रह्मचर्यं वत्स्याव इति भवान् एव गच्छतु इति सः आजगाम गौतमो यत्र प्रवाहणस्य जैवलेर् आस तस्मा आसनम् आहृत्य उदकम् आहारयां चकार अथ ह अस्मै अर्घ्यं चकार तम् ह उवाच वरं भगवते गौतमाय दद्म इति
saḥ ha uvāca tathā nas tvam tata jānīthā yathā yad aham kiṃca veda sarvam aham tat tubhyam avocam prehi tu tatra pratītya brahmacaryaṃ vatsyāva iti bhavān eva gacchatu iti saḥ ājagāma gautamo yatra pravāhaṇasya jaivaler āsa tasmā āsanam āhṛtya udakam āhārayāṃ cakāra atha ha asmai arghyaṃ cakāra tam ha uvāca varaṃ bhagavate gautamāya dadma iti
His father said: "Know, my dear, that whatever I knew I told you. Let us go there and live as students." — "Go yourself, sir." And Gautama went to where Pravāhaṇa Jaivali was. The king had a seat brought for him, ordered water, offered him the honours of a guest — and said: "A boon to the reverend Gautama!"
be5c70516f10 · published Jul 27, 2026, 1:25:01 AM UTC
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Uddālaka's honesty is faultless: "whatever I knew, I told you": this knowledge was not in the house; and the decision is instant: "let us go and live as students" — a father calls his son to sit down with him as a pupil of a kṣatriya! The youth's answer is sadly eloquent: "go yourself" — the son's pride is not ready for what his father's humility is ready for.
And Gautama goes alone — and the king receives him with the full rite of hospitality: a seat, water, honours, and over and above them "a boon to the reverend one!": to the one defeated in the son, royal honours in the person of the father. Greatness is measured by readiness to learn: the youth ran away, the old man came; and it is to the old man that the secret of the five fires will be opened.