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By Swami Harshananda

Sometimes transliterated as: Upakosala, UpakoSala, Upakoshala

Upakoṣala is also known as Kāmalāyana. He was a disciple of the sage Satyakāma Jābāla. He served his guru for twelve years, tending his sacred fires with great care and devotion. Though Satyakāma Jābāla educated and sent away his other disciples, he did not condescend to teach Upakoṣala. Even the sympathetic intervention of his wife in favor of Upakoṣala had no effect. Then Upakosala started fasting out of dejection. The Vedic fires which he had devotedly served, took pity on him and taught him that prāṇa[1] and the bliss one experiences in the region of the heart are Brahman. Later on, Satyakāma discovered that Upakoṣala had been taught by the Vedic fires. He completed the same by teaching him about the ātman, the seer in the eye.[2]


  1. Prāṇa means the life force.
  2. Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.10 to 4.15