Upakosala was a student of Satyakama. While all the other students left for their homes at the end of their period of Vedic study, Satyakama did not send Upakosala away because he wanted to impart Brahma Jnana to him, said M.K. Srinivasan in a discourse.
Satyakama, however, left without instructing him, although Satyakama’s wife urged him to instruct the student. Satyakama’s aim was to test the enthusiasm of his student for acquiring such knowledge.
When Satyakama was away, Upakosala began to fast. When Satyakama’s wife asked Upakosala why he was doing so, he replied, “This person has some desires and qualities that must be got rid of.” His answer was indication that he was definitely a worthy student to receive Brahma Jnana, because he did not refer to himself by using the personal pronoun ‘I.’ Instead he referred to himself in the third person, indicating that he already had the requisite detachment needed for acquisition of Brahma Jnana.
The fire deities took pity on him and decided to instruct him. They said to him that Prana was Brahman. They said “Kam is Brahman, and kham is also Brahman.” Upakosala replied that while he knew that Prana was Brahman, he did not understand what was meant by ‘kam’ and ‘kham.’ The fires said: “‘Kam’ is bliss and ‘kham’ is ether. Kam is kham and kham is kam.” Upakosala then had another doubt. If kam was bliss, then did it mean that worldly bliss was Brahman? Or was elemental ether Brahman? The fires replied that bliss qualified by space was different from worldly joy. Thus when bliss was qualified by space and space was qualified by bliss, worldly bliss or space was eliminated. Both should be taken together and both qualify each other.
