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Types of Agni (Fires) – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Rishi Markandeya narrated one story after another to the Pandavas, Draupadi, Krishna, Satyabhama, and Narada. This time, Yudhistira asked why Agni went into the forest and how new types of Agni (fires) were created. 

The rishi explained.

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A long time ago, Agni was angry and stalked into a forest to perform austerities. With no Agni to offer oblations, everyone requested Rishi Angiras to become the second Agni to eliminate darkness. His energy was so fierce that it illuminated the world and reached Agni, who was in the forest. Agni thought Brahma created another Agni, so his services were no longer required. He went to Angiras and told him to continue being Agni. 

However, Angiras replied that Agni was the first one created by Brahma, and he should get back to his previous position. Agni declined. He didn’t want to do that. It had been so many years that people now knew Angiras as their Agni. The real Agni was more than content to be a second Agni named Prajapatyaka. 

Angiras told Agni to perform good deeds and obtain a place in heaven. He also asked Agni to have his first son through Angiras. Agni agreed. Angiras’s son Brihaspati became Agni’s son. 

Then came many types of Agnis, each of them used for different purposes. 

Angiras’s wife was Subha (he had more wives). Their offspring were Brihajjyoti, Brihatkirti, Brihadbrahma, Brihanmana, Brihanmantra, Brihadbhasa, and Brihaspati. His first daughter was Bhanumati, his second daughter was Raga, the third was Sinivali, the fourth was Archismati, and the fifth was Havismati, with her oblations. Angiras’s sixth daughter was Mahishmati, and the seventh daughter was Mahamati. She was radiant and was honored at great sacrifice. The eighth daughter was Kuhu (new moon), the one that cannot be divided. 

Brihaspati and his wife Chandramasi gave birth to six sacred fires and a daughter. Their first son was Shyamu, a fire with many-hued flames. He was offered clarified butter (ghee) as oblations and got the first offering at horse sacrifices (Ashwamedha) and chaturmasya. 

Shamyu and his wife Satya (daughter of Dharma) had Agni as their son, along with three daughters. Their first Agni son was Bharadwaja, and their second son was Bharata. The first share of offerings went to the older son, while the offerings of sacrifices performed at full moon went to Bharata. 

Bharata had three wives, a son named Bharata, and a daughter named Bhavati. The son Bharata had a son named Prajapati Bharata. 

Bharadwaja’s wife was Viraa, and their daughter was named Vira. Brahmins said that like Soma, Bharadwaja was worshipped with ghee. He was also called Rathaprabhu, Rathadhvana, and Kumbhareta when he received the second offering of Soma. Bharadwaja and another wife, Sarayu, had a son called Siddhi, who was celebrated in the ritual chant as the presiding deity.

The Nishchyavana fire praised the earth and was a symbol of creativity. It never lost luster, fame, or prosperity. His son is Vipapa, pure, untainted, and without sin, also called Satya. 

The fire Nishkriti freed beings from lamentations and brought good fortune. His son was Svana, the creator of suffering. 

The fire called Vishvajit illuminates the minds of the universe. His son, Vishvabhuj, was an internal fire that digested the food. He was a brahmachari and self-controlled in vows. Cooked food is offered as oblations to this fire. 

The fire Vadava (also called Urdhvabhaj) would drink up all the water and rise high (the flames are bigger). Established in prana, the fire was worshipped by those who lived in houses facing the northward direction.

Svishtakrit was another fire, and his daughter was Manyati, the fire of anger in calm people. She was the essence of anger. Svaha is a cruel and terrible fire. There was another fire named Kama, the one with unmatched beauty. 

The fire named Amogha destroyed enemies in a battle by being a bow and sitting on a chariot (and wearing a garland). 

Uktha was another fire and the creator of speech, thus called Sakamashva. 

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Kashyapa, Vasishtha, Prana’s son Prana, Agni Angiras, and Chyavana Trishuvarchaka performed severe austerities to obtain a son equal to Brahma. They created a fire with five colors. The son’s head was made of kindling fire, and his arms were like the sun. His feet were black, but his complexion was golden. This son is called the Panchajanya in the Vedas and was the origin of five lineages. After performing austerities for ten thousand years, he created various creatures and beings. He also created Brihat and Rathantara from his head and mouth, Shiva from his navel, Indra from his strength, Vayu and Agni from his life breath, the two accents from his arms, and the entire universe.

The five ancestors he created were – Pranidhi (Brihadurjas’ son), Brihattara (Kashyapa’s son), Bhanu (Angiras’s son), Saubhara (Varcha’s son), and Anudatta (Prana’s son). These five went on to create five lineages. 

Additionally, he created the following – 

  • The sacrifice, the dawn, Abhima, Atibhima, and Bhimabalabala (15 gods, the obstructers of sacrifices) 
  • Sumitra, Mitravat, Mitrajna, Mitravardhana, and Mitradharma (5 gods of sacrifices)
  • Surapravira, Vira, Sukesha, Suvarcha, and Surahanta (5 gods) 

These three categories of gods were placed on the earth to cause obstructions in sacrifices. However, if the yagna fire was built skillfully, they could not go near it or cause trouble. They don’t steal the offerings if pacified with mantras. 

Brihaduktha is another son learned in adhvaryus, and his offerings were meant for Mitravinda. 

The fire named Bharata had severe restrictions. Pushtimati fire offered prosperity when satisfied with the offerings. The fire Shiva was always engaged in worshipping Shakti. He was called Shiva since he removed suffering and purified people/ things. 

Tapas performed many austerities to have a son named Purandara. Ushma was another son and could be seen in all beings. Manu was another fire son who officiated Prajapati. Shambhu was a fire spoken about by the Brahmins learned in the Vedas. They also talk of Avasathya. 

Tapas created two more sons – Urjaskara and Havyavahana, who shone like gold in their radiance. 

The sun gave birth to asuras and terrible creatures when he was exhausted (nighttime). 

Manu and Bhanu (also called Brihadbhanu), Tapas’s son, were created by Angiras. 

Bhanu’s wives were Supraja, Brihadbhasa, and Somaja. They had six sons – Balada (the fire that gave strength to all beings), Manyumat (the terrible wrath in calm beings), Vishnu aka Dhritiman Angiras (offered oblations) during a full moon or new moon. Agrayana (got the first oblations along with Indra), Niragraha (for chaturmasya oblations), and another. 

Manu’s wife, Nisha, gave birth to two Agnishomas, one daughter, and five other fires – Vaishvanara (received first oblations with Indra for chaturmasya sacrifices), Vishvapati (the lord of all beings), Svishtakrit (the supreme fire). 

Hiranyakashipu’s daughter Rohini was married to Prajapati. Their children were – 

  • Samnihita (fire that resided in all bodies as the life breath)
  • The fire whose path is black and white (smoke) bore oblations (based on anger and led the tainted to the untainted)
  • (Rishi )Kapila (expounder of sankhya yoga)
  • Agrani (first share of oblations to the deceased)

These four correct the defects in yagna fires. 

  • If the wind made the fires interact with each other, eight different rites had to be performed for the fire Suchi.
  • If the fire of the south mixed with the other two, eight different rites had to be performed for the fire Viti.
  • If the sacrificial fire mixed with the fire of conflagration, eight different rites had to be performed for the fire Dasyumat.
  • If one heard the news that a living being (human or animal) died, eight different rites had to be performed for the fire Abhimat.
  • A Brahmin who hadn’t rendered offerings to a fire for three nights should perform eight different rites to the northern fire.
  • The one who awaited the observance of the full moon and new moon rituals had to perform eight different rites to the Pathikrit fire.
  • If the fire of who was expecting touched the agnihotra fire, eight different rites had to be performed for the Agimta fire.
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Saha Apa had a wife named Mudita. He was the lord of bhuh and bhuvah and had a fire son who was the lord of all beings. This fire (termed garhapatya) always circulated and was worshipped at sacrifices. He was also known as Apamgarbha and was the lord of bhuh, bhuva,h, and mahah. His son was Bharata, the fire who consumed dead bodies. Niyata/ Kratu was the best fire at agnishtoma sacrifices (and compared to Bharata).

Seeing Niyata, Agni went to hide in the ocean. The gods searched for him everywhere but couldn’t find him. Agni met Angiras and asked him to continue being the new Agni since he was too weak. He went into hiding again, but the fish revealed his location. An angry Agni cursed them to become food for others. The gods tried to convince Agni to return, but he refused. In fact, he gave up his body and entered the earth. Inside the earth, he interacted with various elements to create metals, minerals, etc. He created energy and fragrances from his mouth, the devadarus (Deodar Cedar Trees) from his bones, crystals from his phlegm, emeralds from his bile, black iron from his liver, mica from nails, and coral from arteries. 

Agni continued to be immersed in austerities despite the lack ofa  body. His fire flourished again and grew radiant. However, seeing the rishis, he was frightened again and got back to hide in the ocean. The universe and the gods were afraid of this pattern and sought help from Angiras (also called Atharva). He created the world and churned the ocean. He restored Agni to his earlier position and made him accept all oblations. Atharva then travelled to many countries and created sacrificial hearths in different locations. The following rivers became the sacrificial hearths established by him –

Sindhu, Devika, Sarasvati, Ganga, Shatakumba, Sarayu, Gandaki, Charmanvati, Mahi, Medhya, Medhatithi, Tamravati, Vetravati, Koushiki, Tamasa, Narmada, Godavari, Venna, Praveni, Bhima, Medratha, Bharati, Suprayoga, Kaveri, Murmura, Krishna, Krishnavenna, Kapila, and Shona.

Adbutha and his wife Priya had a son named Viduratha. The soma rites equal the number of fires mentioned by Rishi Markandeya. All of them were born in Atri’s lineage and the offspring of Brahma (his mind-born children). Atri created his own body. 

Despite the various number of fires mentioned, these were all the same. There was only one illustrious fire, the one generated from Angrias’s body in many forms. 

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Skanda, the General of Indra’s Army – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

We read about the birth of Skanda in the previous story. 

Rishi Markandeya continued his story of how Skanda was gifted the necessary weapons and items to become the general of Indra’s army and tackled the asuras who attacked the devas. 

Skanda-as-Indras-commander

Airavata, Indra’s white celestial elephant, had two bells named Vaijayanti. Indra gave one bell to Skanda and another to Vishaka. The pennants of both were red in color. Skanda (Mahasena) played with these objects as he sat surrounded by his various companions. 

After Skanda was made the general of Indra’s army, a happy Shiva went to Bhadravata (located to the east of Kailasa) with Parvati (Uma). Their chariot was pulled by a thousand lions. The navagrahas, Kubera, and the guhyakas walked in front of the chariot while Vrishadhvaja and Indra followed behind. A yaksha named Amogha was on the right side with other yakshas, rakshasas, and jambhakas (demons), as well as Maruts, Vasus, Rudras, and other devas. Yama and Mrithyu followed behind but surrounded the group from all sides. Behind them was Shiva’s bow, Vijaya (this was gifted to Parasurama, who later gave it to Karna). 

Varuna too followed them. Shiva’s other weapons, like the spear, maces, clubs, etc., trailed behind Vijaya alongside his umbrella and kamandalu (water pot). Shiva’s staff, Sri, Brighu, Angiras, and other gods followed as well while worshipping the staff. The rivers, trees, rishis, gandharvas, nagas, and women too joined the traveling group. The women sprinkled flowers. Paranjaya also followed. The moon held an umbrella over Shiva as Agni and Vayu held the whisks on either side. Gouri, Vidya, Gandhari, Keshini, and Mitrasahrya followed Parvati with Savitri in the rear. The rakshasas were at the front, controlled by Pingala, Shiva’s yaksha friend. 

Shiva traveled accompanied by such a large troop. Though they knew the destination, the path was erratic. Shiva would move from one end of the group to another at random. Mahasena (Skanda) was also a part of this troop. Shiva went to where Mahasena was and told him to always protect the seven corps of the Maruts. Skanda asked what else he should do. 

Shiva said that Skanda should see him (Shiva) in every task he undertook so that it would ensure his (Skanda’s) welfare. Hugging him, Shiva told Skanda he could go (to where he was required). Skanda left. 

The next instant, a blazing portal kind of thing opened up. Everyone was bewildered when an army came out of it like a huge mass of clouds. Weapons were hurled at the gods and Shiva by the approaching army. The devas began to scatter and were being killed by the army of asuras. Indra encouraged his army to fight and be courageous. He charged ahead at the asuras. The Maruts, Vasus, Sadhyas, and other devas banded together to fight the asura army. However, the asura army was powerful and soon gained the upper hand over the gods. 

Mahisha rushed to the chariot and grabbed it. The maharishis fainted. Despite the chaos around him, Shiva didn’t kill Mahisha since he knew it was Skanda’s job. Mahisha was sure of his win when Shiva didn’t react. 

Then, Skanda arrived, dressed in red clothes and golden armor, and fury raging in his eyes. Seeing his aura, the asura army wavered. They began to grow doubtful of their win. Mahasena hurled a spear at Mahisha. It killed the asura in an instant. He hurled the spear again and again. It would kill a bunch of asuras and return to him every time. Soon, he alone destroyed the entire asura army that attacked the gods. 

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and worshipped Skanda for saving their lives. Satisfied, Shiva and Parvati resumed their journey. Indra embraced Skanda and said that he killed Mahisha, a powerful asura who had been harassing them after receiving a boon from Brahma. He said that he would be Skanda’s famous first deed, and his glory would be eternal. Indra then went to Shiva and took his blessings. Shiva told Indra to treat Skanda as he would treat him (Shiva, as a powerful god, not just the general of his army). Thus, Agni’s son became the mighty general of Indra’s army and was worshipped by everyone. 

Rishi Markandeya concluded by saying that those who heard this story would obtain prosperity and a place in Skanda’s world afterward. 

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The Birth of Kumara (Skanda) – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After Rishi Markandeya narrated the genealogy of the different types of Agnis, he told Yudhistira to listen to the story of the birth of Karthikeya/ Kumara/ Skanda. The rishi called him the son of Adbutha, born from the wives of the seven rishis. 

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Once upon a time, the devas and asuras were constantly fighting each other. Indra was worried and wanted a general, someone who was extremely powerful and had the valor to protect the gods’ army. Thinking about it, he went to Mount Manasa, where he heard a young woman asking for a protector or a husband, someone who would help her.  

Indra rushed towards the sound and assured her of her safety. Then, he saw Keshi, an asura, grabbing the maiden’s hand. Indra told Keshi to leave, but he said he had come to become the woman’s husband and threw his club at Indra. 

Indra sliced the club with his vajra. When Keshi threw a mountain peak at him, Indra managed to destroy that too. Keshi was hurt in the process, so he left the woman and fled to save his life. Indra asked her who she was. The woman replied that she was Prajapati’s daughter, Devasena. Her sister Daityasena was already abducted by Keshi. The sisters often visited Mount Manasa to play. Keshi would come for the sisters. While Daityasena liked Keshi, Devasena didn’t. She said that her sister didn’t mind being abducted by the asura, but she wanted a powerful husband like Indra.

Indra replied that his mother was Dakshayani, which made Devasena his mother’s sister’s daughter (his sister). He asked her to tell him more about herself. Devasena said she was weak but wanted a powerful husband, as it was a boon her father got from the gods. So, Indra asked her to define the types of powers she wanted in her husband. Devasena said he should be immensely strong and vanquish gods, gandharvas, yakshas, kinnaras, nagas, asuras, and rakshasas. He should have the traits of a learned Brahmin and perform good deeds. 

Indra sadly realized there wasn’t anyone he knew with all these traits. They needed to create someone for her. Just then, a strange astronomical event occurred in the sky. 

The sun rose on Udaya Mountain. The moon entered the sun. The new moon set at the same instant. The gods and asuras were fighting on the same mountain. Dawn arrived with red clouds. The ocean below was red. Agni entered the sun carrying the oblations of Bhrigu, Angiras, and other rishis. The twenty-four parvas (parts of the day, possibly) surrounded the sun. Seeing the union of the sun and the moon, Indra got an idea. He thought that if the moon or Agni had a son, the boy would be powerful enough to meet Devasena’s checklist. 

Indra took Devasena to Brahma Deva and asked for a brave husband for her who would also become the general of his army. He might as well get both wishes granted through the same person. Brahma Deva granted Indra and Devasena a boon that he would create a powerful young man to be the general of the devas’ army and the maiden’s husband. Thanking him, Indra took Devasena to meet the devarishis. Vasishtha and others helped Indra perform a great sacrifice. The Adbuta fire rose from the yagna site to accept the oblations and carry them to heaven. 

As he rose, Agni saw the wives of the devarishis glowing golden in the light and desired them. However, he realized it was improper of him to do so. He made a plan to enter the household fire so that he could look at the women daily. Agni spent the next few days doing just that. However, he wanted more but knew he couldn’t have it. So, he went into the forest with a plan to discard his body. 

Meanwhile, Daksha’s daughter, Svaha, saw Agni and desired him. When he left for the forest, she decided to do something about it and came up with a plan to disguise herself as the seven rishi patnis and seduce Agni. 

Svaha first took the form of Shivaa, the wife of Angiras. She went to Agni and said she desired him and went to meet him after consulting her friends. Agni asked how she knew about his feelings for them. Svaha, as Shivaa, replied that they always thought he was their beloved, and since he had been showing signs of reciprocation, they decided to act on it. 

Agni was happy to spend time with her, not knowing the truth. Svaha caught Agni’s semen in her hands and decided to transform into Garudi so that her actions wouldn’t affect the wives of the rishis. She flew over the forest towards Mount Shveta. This place was filled with rakshasas. Flying to the peak of the mountain, she threw the collected semen into a well. Svaha repeated the same by assuming the forms of the other five rishi patnis. However, she couldn’t transform into Arundhati, the wife of Vasishtha, as the lady was known for her immense tapasya powers. 

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On the first day of the lunar fortnight, the collected semen in the well turned into a boy. Since Svaha flung the semen six times, the boy had six heads and twelve arms attached to a single body. With each passing day, the boy grew bigger. By the fourth lunar day, his limbs were formed. Red clouds surrounded him and lightning flashed. He held a giant bow in one hand (given by Shiva). The boy roared so loudly that it shook the three worlds. The two nagas, Chitra and Airavata, jumped in fright. He saw and grabbed them in his hands. In his other hands, he held a spear, a red cock (tamrachuda), and a conch shell. He blew the conch and pounded on the sky with two other arms. 

Sitting on the mountain peak, he looked like a blazing sun that wanted to devour the world. He aimed an arrow at Mount Shveta and shattered it. The vultures flew to Mount Meru for safety. He then threw his spear at Mount Shveta. The mountains were all afraid and began to worship him. They prayed to him throughout the fifth day.

The destruction caused by this boy was immense. The rishis and other people living in and around the Chitraratha forest were agitated. Even as the rishis tried to perform rituals to pacify him, people began to talk. They gossiped that this calamity was because of the rishi patnis sleeping with Agni. Some of them had seen Garudi fly from the forest. However, no one knew it was Svaha responsible for everything. Still, the news reached her. She flew to the boy and said she was his mother. Meanwhile, the rishis abandoned their wives due to the rumor, though Svaha told them she was the boy’s mother.

Vishwamitra followed Agni and was the only other person who knew everything. He went to seek refuge with Skanda and wrote a hymn to praise him. Vishwamitra performed the birth-relevant rites for Kumara and the world. Naturally, Kumara liked Vishwamitra. The rishi informed the other rishis about Svaha, but they refused to get back with their wives. 

Up in heaven, the devas went to Indra and asked him to kill Skanda as he was too powerful and would want to become another Indra. He replied that the boy was too strong and could defeat even the creator in a battle. He suggested sending the mothers of the world to him as they had the power to do it. However, when the mothers saw the boy, their maternal instincts made them adopt him as their own. Kumara accepted them as his mothers and worshipped them. Then, Agni went to meet his son. Kumara worshipped his father as he stayed there with the boy. One of the mothers (Krura) was created out of anger. She was the one who nursed the boy. Agni transformed himself into Naigameya (a goat/ ram), something for the boy to play with.

The gods surrounded Kumara, and soon, Indra arrived on his Airavata. Seeing him ready for an attack, Kumara was angry. The gods cheered, rooting for Indra. Kumara opened his mouth and released a stream of fire that fried the god’s army. They quickly rushed to him to make peace. Indra hurled his vajra at Kumara. The weapon split open his right side. 

Another young boy came out of his body. This boy was dressed in gold and held a spear in one hand. He was known as Vishaka. Seeing this frightened Indra. He, too, joined his hands in prayer and surrendered to Skanda. Now, all the gods and the army were Skanda’s. 

Many more minor Kumaras and daughters were born when the vajra struck Skanda.  They all thought of Vishaka as their father. 

The mothers asked Skanda to make them the supreme mothers of the world. He agreed. Thus, Kaki, Halima, Rudra, Brihali, Arya, Palala, and Mitra became the seven mothers of the children who were born. They also had a son each (Sishu). The children born to Skanda’s mothers were known as the eight great ones. The sixth head of Skanda has the face of a goat and was worshipped by the mothers. Bhadrashakha is the chief among the heads. After all this happened on the fifth day, the war took place on day six.

The young man, Skanda, sat wearing golden armor and a crown. His eyes were gold. His clothes had a tinge of red. He was handsome and radiant. Even Shri worshipped him in the form of a lotus. The maharishis bowed to him and sought refuge. They asked him to become Indra. 

Skanda asked what Indra did and how he protected everyone. They explained the roles and responsibilities of being Indra. However, Skanda replied that he had no desire to become an Indra and said he was happy to work for Indra instead. Indra insisted that Skanda was more powerful. and hence, the right person to rule the three worlds. Skanda didn’t budge. He asked to be made the general of his army so that he could fight the asuras and keep the devas and humans safe. 

Indra happily agreed. The celebration began. Rudra (Shiva) arrived with Uma. Since the Brahmins sometimes referred to Agni as Rudra, Skanda became Shiva’s son as well. In short, the boy was born after Rudra’s energy entered Agni’s. This was combined with Svaha’s energy as well as that of the six mothers. 

Agni gave Skanda a cock (rooster) that became his emblem. The rites were performed to install Kumara as the general of Indra’s army. Once done, Indra remembered Devasena. He fetched her to the mountain. When Devasena arrived, Indra introduced her to Skanda and said they were destined to be married even before he (Skanda) was born. Brihaspati recited the mantras as their wedding took place immediately. Devasena became his wife. The Brahmins also addressed her as Shashthi, Lakshmi, Asha, Sukhaprada, Sinivali, Kuhu, Sadvritti, and Aparajita. 

After the celebrations were over, the six rishi patnis came to Skanda to share their plight and asked him to save them by granting them a place in heaven. They asked to be his mothers to be freed of the debt. Skanda replied that he was their son, and they were his mothers, so they would get what they wanted. 

Meanwhile, there was more work for Skanda.

Indra said that Abhijit, Rohini’s younger sister, was feeling proud and went into the forest to perform austerities to become the first (while Rohini is the fourth star, she is Chandra’s first wife since he loved her the most, but had to marry all the twenty-eight stars, including Abhijit). A star had been dislodged from the sky due to this. Brahma Deva had determined the time for each star, but this new development had disturbed it. Considering Indra’s worry, the Krithikas went to heaven and became a star (the constellation appears like a cart). 

When this was done, Svaha (Garudi) said to Skanda that he should offer her funeral oblation since she was his mother and said she wanted to live with him always. He granted her the boon. Then the group of mothers also wanted to be his mothers. He said they were his mothers and he was their son. They asked for a boon where only they would be worshipped as the mothers of the world and no one else. Also, by becoming his mothers, they were deprived of having offspring, so they wanted the children to be returned to them. 

Skanda said they couldn’t wish for an offspring they already gave away, but he could give them other children. So they asked for children from natural mothers to devour them. He said he could give them that, but it would be extremely painful. Skanda suggested they take care of the children instead, as long as they are good. The mothers agreed and said they would do so while living with him. He said that they could afflict the children in different ways until they (the kids) reached sixteen years of age. Skanda promised to give them undecaying and terrible souls. They would live in happiness and be worshipped. When he said this, a new, strong being with a golden complex appeared out of Skanda’s body and went to devour the offspring. This being became a graha (loosely translated to a planet but here it defines an evil spirit or a disease), they named Skandapasmara. The extremely terrible version of Svaha (Garudi) was known as Shakuni and the rakshasi Putana became a graham with the same name. Pichasi women who roam at night in terrible forms were called Shitaputana. Aditi was also known as Revati, and her graham was called Raivata, which affects children.  

Diti (the mother of daityas) was known as Mukhamandika in graham form and devoured the flesh of children. The Kumaras and Kumaris were also graha born from Skanda and devoured embryos. The Kumaras were the husbands of Kumaris and snatched children. 

Shakuni rode Surabhi, the wish-fulfilling cow, to eat the children of the earth. Sarama, the goddess of dogs, robbed women of their embryos. The mother of trees resided in a karanja tree (Millettia pinnata or Panigrahi). Men who want sons worship this tree. 

The eighteen grahas were fond of meat and liquor. They spend ten nights around the pregnant women during delivery time. Kadru graha would enter the womb to eat the embryo, so the mother would deliver a serpent instead. The mother of gandharvas would steal the embryo and run away. The mother of apsaras sits on the embryo (presumably to kill it). Skanda’s nurse was the daughter of the ocean of blood. She would be worshipped as Lohitayani in the kadamba tree (burflower tree). Arya, the mother worshipped for the fulfillment of desire,s dwelt among women. 

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Once the child turned sixteen, these mothers were no longer inauspicious to them and didn’t cause any trouble. Performing rites and prayers to Skanda would also appease these grahas. 

However, different grahas would afflict young adults aged over sixteen. Rishi Markandeya listed them as follows –

  • Devagraha: A man who saw gods, no matterwhether  asleep or awake, and turned mad because of this
  • Pitrigraha: A man saw his ancestors at all times, which made him mad 
  • Siddhagraha: A man who disrespected the sihhadas and got cursed by them 
  • Rakshasagraha: A man who inhaled various fragrances and tasted different flavors, and turned mad because of this  
  • Gandharvagragha: A human who became mad after being touched by a gandharva 
  • Yakshagraha: A man who spent a lot of time with the yakshas and became mad because of this 
  • Pisachagraha: A man who became mad after being ascended by pishachas

The grahas could be classified into three types – gluttons, frolicsome, and lustful. They afflict men until they attain seventy years. Post that age, the fever that affects men would be considered a graha (old age-related illness). However, the grahas avoid men who control their senses and have pure thoughts. They also don’t harass those who worship Skanda.

Rishi Markandeya went back to narrating about the other requests Skanda had to handle.

Svaha appeared in front of Skanda again with another request. She said that since she was a child, she had desired to be with Agni, but he hadn’t loved her as much as she loved him. She wanted to reside eternally in Agni. Skanda set a mandate that all fire sacrifices had to be performed with the word ‘svaha’ after each offering. Thus, Svaha would always be a part of Agni. This made her very happy. 

Then, Brahma Deva told Skanda (Mahasena) to go and meet Shiva. She said that Shiva entered Agni and Uma entered Svaha so that they could help in the conception of a powerful god (Skanda). During this process, Manjika and Manjikaa were also born, and the remaining semen flowed into the red river (Lohita/ Brahmaputra). A few bits stuck to the trees and some fell on the earth, while a little went into the sun’s rays. Thus, the semen fell in five ways, which led to the birth of companions (of Skanda) in different forms. Mahasena went to Shiva and worshipped him. 

Read about Skanda as Indra’s general and how he dealt with the asuras. 

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Kaushika Learns from a Woman and a Butcher – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya about the greatness of women. The rishi replied that, unlike men, women don’t need to fast or perform sacrifices to obtain heaven. Taking care of her family with a true heart is enough. Markandeya shared the story of how a woman taught an arrogant Brahmin named Kaushika about true dharma. 

Kaushika-and-hunter

Once upon a time, there lived a Brahmin, Kaushika, who studied the Vedas and performed many austerities. When he was sitting under a tree, a female crane on one of the branches pooped. Unfortunately, this excrement fell on Kaushika. He lost his temper and glared at the crane. The poor bird dropped dead. Then, the Brahmin felt sad and guilty for his act. He went into the nearby village to beg for alms. He wandered through the lanes and collected food. Kaushika reached the last house. The woman asked him to wait as she was cleaning the vessel used to give alms. 

However, her husband arrived for lunch, so she stopped doing the dishes and went to take care of him. She gave him water to clean himself and served him food. Midway through, she noticed Kaushika still waiting and rushed outside to give him alms. But Kaushika was angry again since she had made him wait too long and questioned her. She tried to pacify him, but he said she insulted a Brahmin. 

The woman replied that she did not insult him and she was more than aware of the power of those who performed austerities. She said she was following her dharma of taking care of her family. She also added that it was Kaushika who didn’t know much about dharma and asked him to go and meet a hunter in Mithila who knew all about it. 

Kaushika was curious and said that he would do so. He thought about it for a while and decided it was the right course of action to go and meet this hunter from Mithila. Kaushika set forth on his journey and, after many days of traveling, reached the city. Mithila was beautiful and decorated as if there was a festival. The city flourished with chariots, shops, etc. He inquired about the hunter and was pointed in the direction of a slaughterhouse. 

The hunter was selling the meat of buffalo and deer. Kaushika waited at the side as the hunter handled the customers and gave them what they wanted. The hunter noticed him and went to speak. He asked Kaushika what he could do for a great ascetic like him. He also said that he knew about the pious woman and the reason for the Brahmin’s arrival in Mithila. Before Kaushika could respond, the hunter invited him to his home and said his shop wasn’t the right place for their conversation. 

When they reached the hunter’s house, he treated Kaushika with respect and offered him water and a comfortable seat. Kaushika said that being a butcher didn’t seem like an appropriate livelihood for such a good man like the hunter. 

The hunter said it was his family occupation and he was simply following it. He said he didn’t feel it was wrong or incorrect for him. He lived within his means, was respectful to everyone, sold meat only to satisfy the needs of his customers, and didn’t indulge in anything inappropriate. Moreover, he didn’t kill the animals but sourced the dead ones from hunters who went into the forests. He purchased what was necessary, cleaned it, and chopped it up for his customers. He was doing his duty and following his dharma without causing harm to anyone. 

Kaushika was so impressed that he asked the hunter many questions about following the right conduct, living a pious life despite the clash with his profession, and so on. The hunter spoke about how King Usinara obtained eternal fame by offering his flesh as food for Indra and about King Rantideva, who served meat to thousands of people every day. The hunter said that even Brahmins kill animals during sacrifices. He gave many more examples to show that being a butcher didn’t automatically affect his life or his adherence to dharma. 

The hunter introduced Kaushika to his old parents. Kaushika was surprised and delighted to see how much the hunter cared for his parents and ensured they were comfortable at all times. After all, it was the dharma of a householder to keep his family fed, happy, and healthy. 

Pleased with everything, Kaushika said that the hunter was the greatest rishi. The hunter thanked him and said that the Brahmin had made a few mistakes in his past, which he needed to correct. Kaushika has slighted his aging mother and father and left home to study Vedas. His parents were suffering from old age. The hunter advised Kaushika to go and take care of them. This would strengthen the power of his austerities. Kaushika said he would do so. He then wondered why he was born in the hunter community when he had such immense knowledge obtained only through intense tapasya and years of training. 

The hunter shared the story of his past life. 

He was a Brahmin, learned in Vedas and Vedangas. He had a friend who was a king and skilled in weaponry. This made the Brahmin also skilled at using arms. One day, the king went on a hunt and killed many deer. The Brahmin also aimed and shot a deer. However, since they were close to an ashram, the arrow mistakenly hit a rishi. The Brahmin pleaded ignorance and asked for forgiveness. But the dying rishi was angry and cursed him to be born as a hunter. The Brahmin requested the rishi once again. This time, he relented and said that though he would be born a hunter, he would retain his knowledge from his birth and live a dharmic life, thus allowing him to attain a place a heaven. 

The Brahmin then removed the arrow from the rishi’s body and carried him to his ashram. He even saved the rishi’s life. The rishi assured the Brahmin that he would lead a worthy and noble life and shouldn’t feel bad about his hunter birth. 

Hence, the hunter had no worries or doubts and continued to follow his dharma dutifully. He was confident that by fulfilling his family occupation and taking care of his dear ones, he would achieve the desired status and be reborn as a Brahmin in his next life. He said there was no reason for him to wallow in misery. He was content and happy. 

Kaushika was impressed by the hunter and bowed to him. He then took leave to go back to the parents he had abandoned and began to care for them. 

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The Greatness of Rajarishi Indradyumna – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Rishi Markandeya was a very old man who lived for thousands of years. Yudhistira wondered if he was the oldest man ever living or if anyone else had a longer life than him. The rishi then shared the story of a king named Indradyumna. 

Here is how it goes!

Rajarishi-Indradyumna

There was once a Rajarishi Indradyumna. He performed many meritorious deeds when alive and gained a place in heaven after his demise. However, once his merits were exhausted, he fell from heaven. He could regain his place if someone knew of him and had good words to say. So, Indradyumna went to Rishi Markandeya and asked if he knew him. The rishi replied that he didn’t since he didn’t live his life collecting wealth. However, Markandeya suggested that the king visit an old owl somewhere deep inside the Himalayas. 

Indradyumna followed the advice and went to find the owl. When he met it, he asked if the owl knew him. Unfortunately, even this old owl didn’t know the king. The owl said his friend, a crane, might know him. The crane was named Nadijangha and was older than the owl. Indradyumna and the owl went to the crane, who also said it didn’t know him. Then, they asked if there was anyone even older than the crane. 

Nadijangha said Akupura, a tortoise that lived in the lake, was super old. The crane asked the tortoise if it knew of anyone named Indradyumna. The tortoise thought for a few minutes and had tears in its eyes. It recognized the name and said it knew of him. Akupura spoke about how the king had erected the sacrificial stakes a thousand times. The lake was created by the hooves of the cattle he gave away as gifts, and the tortoise had been living there ever since. 

As soon as Akupura said the words, a celestial chariot descended from heaven to take Indradyumna back. The charioteer said heaven was ready for him and pointed out how the good deeds of a person can keep their name and fame alive for generations afterward. The king asked the charioteer to wait until he returned his friends (the owl and rishi Markandeya) back to their homes since they traveled a distance for him. Once done, he stepped into the chariot and went back to heaven. 

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Parikshit of the Ikshvaku Lineage – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Yudhistira continued to ask Rishi Markandeya to tell them more stories. This time, the rishi spoke about a king named Parikshit of the Ikshvaku lineage from the older days. 

vamadeva-from-story-of-parikshit-of-ikshvaku

One day, King Parikshit went on a hunt in a forest. He found some deer and pursued them on his horse. The herd scattered, and the king was exhausted. Seeing a dark cluster of trees, he went to explore the region and found a beautiful pond in the center. He jumped inside to take a bath and washed his horse. He played with the lotus flowers and stems for a while, relaxing in the refreshing space. 

Just then, he heard a melodious voice singing a song. Parikshit looked around, wondering who that voice belonged to. A beautiful woman walked that way, singing and picking flowers. The king called out to her and asked who she was, and said he was in love with her. She replied that she could be his only if he made a promise. The king asked what it was. The woman told him he should never show her water. He agreed. They sat there for a while when his soldiers arrived. 

The king returned to his city with the woman and married her. Parikshit then ordered his prime minister to build a place where water wouldn’t reach. The prime minister got a grove constructed with flowers, plants, and trees, but without water. Once it was ready, the king and his wife spent their time there. 

However, one day, the king saw a pond hidden in the grove and sat beside it with his queen. Forgetting her previous words, he suggested that they get into the pond and have some fun. The woman agreed. The king realized that he couldn’t find his wife anywhere in the pond. There were only a bunch of frogs. The angry king ordered all frogs to be killed and said anyone who wished to see him should bring a dead frog as tribute. 

As people began killing the frogs, the king of the frogs went to Parikshit in the guise of an ascetic. He recited two shlokas and asked him not to kill innocent animals in anger, and asked what purpose the killing served. 

The king replied that he could not forgive the frogs since they killed his beloved queen and deserved to die. The Brahmin said that he was Ayu, the king of frogs, and Parikshit’s wife was his daughter Sushobana. He explained that his daughter had a habit of deceiving kings this way, and Parikshit wasn’t her first victim. 

Parikshit said that he still wanted her. So, Ayu brought his daughter to him and handed her over to her husband. He then cursed her for her falsehood and deceit that her sons would be the haters of Brahmins. Parikshit was happy to get back the woman he loved and thanked Ayu. 

Sometime later, they had three sons – Shala, Dala, and Bala. When the king became old, he installed his oldest, Shala, on the throne and went into the forest to spend the rest of his life. 

Shala ruled for a few years. 

One day, he went on a hunt and was pursuing a deer. His charioteer said they should stop since the horses on the chariot weren’t capable of catching the deer, and only the Vamya horses could do that. Shala asked the charioteer to tell him about the Vamya horses and threatened to kill him otherwise. The charioteer replied that the Vamya horses belonged to Vamadeva. Shala ordered him to drive to Vamadeva’s ashram. The charioteer did so. 

Shala asked Vamadeva for the Vamya horses to chase the deer he hit with the arrow. Vamadeva agreed, but on the condition that the horses should be returned after catching the deer. Shala accepted the terms to take the horses but didn’t want to return them. So, he rode back to the kingdom with the Vamya horses. 

Vamadeva realized the truth and sent his disciple to Shala, who said rich kings should possess such horses and not Brahmins, so he wouldn’t give them back. Vamadeva was furious. He personally went to Shala, who refused to return the horses and instead offered bulls, donkeys, and another breed of horses. Vamadeva finally decided he had enough. He announced that his tapasya powers would create a rakshasa that would pierce the king with long spears and kill him. Shala didn’t yield. Even when a rakshasa appeared out of nowhere and rushed at him, Shala yelled that he wouldn’t return the horses, not even if all his ancestors ordered him to do so. However, the rakshasa lunged and killed him. 

With Shala dead, they made Dala the king. Vamadeva went to Dala to get back his horses. However, he was no different from his brother. In fact, he was worse. Dala ordered his men to bring poisoned arrows to kill Vamadeva for asking him to return the horses. Vamadeva told Dala that he would end up killing his own ten-year-old son with those arrows. As cursed, the men bringing the arrows tried it inside the palace and accidentally killed the king’s son. Dala asked for more arrows as he was determined to kill Vamadeva. 

Vamadeva calmly said that Dala wouldn’t be able to release the arrow, though he had it aimed. No matter how much he tried, Dala couldn’t release the arrow. At last, he gave up. Satisfied, Vamadeva told the king to touch his queen with the arrow to revive his son. The queen rushed to Vamadeva to take his blessings. He offered her a boon. She asked for her husband to be freed from the sin and for them to have many children and grandchildren. 

Vamadeva gave her the boon. Thankful for this gesture, Dala returned the Vamya horses to their rightful owner and learned his lesson.

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Life in Kali Yuga – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After the story of Manu and the fish, Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to provide insights into the lives during the yugas, especially kali yuga. The rishi started with a small prayer to Narayana and shared the details. 

kali-yuga

Krita yuga began after the universe’s destruction and lasted four thousand years. A sandhya period of four hundred years preceded the yuga, and another sandhya of three hundred years succeeded it. Then, the dwapara yuga had two thousand years with a sandhya of two hundred years each before and after. Next was kali yuga of a thousand years with a sandhya of a hundred years each before and after. At the end of kali yuga, krita yuga would start again. This total period of twelve thousand years is a yuga, and one thousand such cycles form one day of Brahma. When the universe retreats into the Brahma day, it’s considered the beginning of destruction.

Towards the end of the yuga, all men would resort to speaking falsehood. They used representatives for sacrifices and donations. The roles and responsibilities of the varnas got reversed. The Brahmins didn’t study or perform austerities. Decay started everywhere, and things got perverse. Rulers used evil and falsehood as their means to control the citizens. The men would not use their dharma to make a living. They would have weak bodies with low energy and less valor. The country would be empty and infested with predators. 

The trees no longer produce consumable fruits or fragrant flowers. Cows would give less milk. People would kill each other for little things, and become addicted to drinking and gambling. Indra would no longer shower rain at the right time. The crops would suffer. People would resort to adharmic means to achieve their goals and break the trust of others. They would become old at sixteen years and have a short lifespan. At the end of the yuga, there would be a drought for many years. Everything would become weak and useless. People would die in large numbers. The sun would blaze stronger than ever, and the water bodies would dry up. Fire would burn down whatever it can. Weird-shaped clouds would fill the sky and cause extensive rains, leading to floods. The mountains would splinter and everything would be destroyed. Nothing would be visible except the floodwater. 

Rishi Markandeya said that at this point of chaos, he wandered around aimlessly and saw a tall banyan tree with a child seated on it. The child’s face was like that of a lotus or a moon. His eyes were large and beautiful. His complex was like a flax flower (blue) and he had a srivatsa mark on the chest. The child spoke to the rishi and asked him to rest since he was exhausted. When asked where he should rest, the child opened his mouth and asked the rishi to step inside. He did so and saw the entire universe inside the child and roamed everywhere.

Finally, the rishi prayed to Narayana and was let out of the mouth and back to the banyan tree. Rishi Markandeya worshipped him. The child answered the questions he asked and assured the rishi that evolution would begin again soon.

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The Account of Vaivasvata Manu and the Fish – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to share the story of Manu and the fish. Krishna, Satyabhama, and Narada were also present in the audience (along with the Pandavas, Draupadi, and Purohit Dhaumya). 

Markandeya obliged.

Manu-and-the-Fish

Vivasvat (sun god) had a son named Manu, who was radiant and powerful like his father and Prajapati. He surpassed his father and grandfather in performing austerities. He did tapasya by standing on a single foot in Vishala Badari for many, many years. One day, a tiny fish swam to the banks and spoke to the rishi. The little fish said it was afraid of the larger fish in the ocean and asked the rishi to save its life, and that it would return the favor when the time came. 

Manu gently scooped the fish in his hands and placed it inside a water pot. He took care of the fish as if it were his child. In a while, the fish grew bigger and could no longer move in the pot. It asked Manu to find a bigger home. Manu transferred the fish to a nearby pond and continued to care for it. After some time, the fish got even bigger and wanted more space. Manu took it to the River Ganga and released it into her waters. 

Yet again, after a few days, the fish greeted Manu with a request for a bigger home. He took the fish to the ocean. Satisfied, it told Manu that the destruction of the earth was near and he should be prepared when it came. The fish asked Manu to build a sturdy boat and find a strong rope to tether it. Manu was to get into the boat with the saptarishis and make sure to carry all the seeds from the plants he collected. The fish said it would come for him. 

Manu followed the fish’s instructions and collected seeds from the trees and plants. He built a boat capable of withstanding turbulent waves and tied it to a rope at one end. Once done, he thought about the fish. It visited him immediately. The fish was as big as a whale and even larger with a horn on its head. It looped the rope around the horn and dragged the boat across the ocean. Meanwhile, the destruction of the Earth had begun. 

The fish pulled the boat with Manu and the saptarishis to the Himalayas, which were also sinking. It asked Manu to tie the boat to the top of the mountain. The highest peak has since then been called Nau-bandhana. 

The fish then told the rishis that it was actually Brahma who saved them to ensure recreation. Manu was to play a vital role in creation (hence the seeds). The fish disappeared. Manu resumed his tapasya, and when the time was right, he began to create all the beings on the earth. 

Rishi Markandeya said that anyone who listened to the account of Manu and the fish every day would be happy and successful in their endeavors and go to heaven.

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Krishna Met the Pandavas – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After the Pandavas united with Arjuna, everyone returned to the Kamyaka forest to complete the remaining years of their exile. Krishna met the Pandavas to express his support once again.

krishna-met-the-pandavas

Knowing of their return, Krishna came to meet them with Satyabhama. They took the blessings of Purohit Dhaumya and greeted the Pandava brothers and Draupadi. Once they sat, Arjuna inquired about their welfare and asked if Subhadra and Abhimanyu were well.

Krishna first assured Yudhistira that he would regain the lost kingdom and that the Pandavas had his full support. Then, he turned to Draupadi and spoke to her about her children. He said her sons (the Upapandavas) were dutiful, obedient, smart, and disciplined. Krishna talked about how her sons preferred to spend their time in Anarta (Dwarka) instead of Panchala with their maternal grandparents and uncles. 

The Upapandavas loved Abhimanyu and spent time learning from Subhadra, who took care of them just like how she cared for Abhimanyu. She taught them to follow good conduct and other things Draupadi would have taught her sons. All the young and budding warriors were being cared for by Rukmini as well. Moreover, they were training under Pradhyumna (Rukmini’s son), who was also tutoring Aniruddha, Sunitha, Bhanu, etc. 

Krishna concluded that Abhimanyu and the Upapandavas were becoming top-class warriors while being loved and molded into good personalities. Everyone in Dwarka loved the young men and considered them one of their own. 

His words gave a lot of strength and relief to the Pandavas and Draupadi, who missed their children.

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Arjuna Kills the Nivatakavachas – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

When his Pandava brothers and Draupadi were on a pilgrimage, Arjuna was at Indra’s sabha, mastering the art of using celestial weapons, as well as learning music and dance from a gandharva. When his training was complete, Indra gifted the celestial missiles to Arjuna and asked for guru dakshina. He wanted Arjuna to kill the Nivatakavachas, a large group of danavas who converted a portion of an ocean into their domain. None of the gods could defeat them. Indra told Arjuna to finish the job.

Arjuna-kills-nivatakavachas

The Nivatakavachas were thirty million in number, powerful, skilled in magic, and looked alike. They had to be destroyed together and in the same location. Indra ordered his charioteer Matali to drive Arjuna to the place. Matali not only drove the chariot but also helped Arjuna with his expertise. 

The chariot rode from the sky to underwater. Matali effortlessly steered the horses as Arjuna took in the sights. He saw colorful fish, tortoises, dolphins, whales, and other aquatic animals. They rode into the city of the danavas. The sound of the chariot alerted the danavas who rushed out and got ready to attack the intruder. 

Arjuna blew his conch Devadatta, and the sound echoed in the city. The danavas were ready in their armor, holding their weapons like lances, clubs, spears, swords, etc., and threw them at him. Matali drove at such high speed that Arjuna couldn’t see things clearly. Everything appeared distorted. However, he regained his clarity and began the counter-attack of the danavas. A frightening war took place between them. As Arjuna took them out with his arrows, Matali trampled some of the Nivatakavachas under the chariot. 

When Arjuna was gaining the upper hand, the danavas resorted to magic to confuse him. Large rocks began to fall on him from all sides. He continued to shatter the rocks but more fell. Then water hit him from different directions. Arjuna used celestial weapons like vishosana, salila, etc., to counter their magic. Then, suddenly, the entire region was plunged into darkness. Even Matali couldn’t see anything. He asked if Arjuna was safe and said he hadn’t seen such a horrific battle ever before and maybe this was meant to be. 

Arjuna used another celestial missile to dispel the darkness around them. Still, the Nivatakavachas continued to deploy various magic tricks to stop Arjuna. However, he and the charioteer put up a tough fight and moved ahead. Arjuna killed more danavas. Then, they disappeared. Arjuna didn’t stop. He used divine arrows which hit the invisible danavas and killed them. Not knowing what else to do, the Nivatakavachas slunk back into their city. When Arjuna thought it was over, they rose high to tower over and attack him again. 

Matali noticed Arjuna was hesitant and unsure. He encouraged the Pandava to use the vajra weapon. Arjuna invoked the vajra, which released countless vajras, one each at the remaining danavas, and killed all of them. The arrows hunted down the Nivatakavachas who tried to escape. At last, all of them fell dead. 

Arjuna and Matali drove deeper into the city and ensured none of the danavas were left alive. They saw that the rakshasa women rushed into their houses. The city was so grand and majestic that Arjuna asked why the gods couldn’t live there. It was grander than heaven!

Matali replied that this was indeed the city of gods in the earlier days. The Nivatakavachas performed various austerities to gain boons and become powerful. They invaded the city, drove out the gods, and captured it as their own. The gods went elsewhere since they couldn’t defeat the Nivatakavachas. Arjuna had done it to give guru dakshina to Indra. 

They returned to Indra’s sabha to update him about the good news. Indra was happy that his son and disciple proved himself worthy of the celestial weapons.

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Bhima’s Fight with the Yakshas – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

During the twelve-year exile, Bhima faced and fought rakshasas. He also fought with the yakshas of Kubera’s kingdom.

bhima-fights-yakshas

The Pandavas climbed up Mount Gandhamadhana and settled in the region with Kubera’s permission (it was his land). After a few days, Draupadi said to Bhima that the shouts of the rakshasas from the top of the mountain were terrifying and he could make them flee the place so that it would be more peaceful. She wanted to see the mountaintop. 

Delighted by Draupadi’s praise, Bhima rushed up the mountain with his weapons and without a second thought about his actions. The rakshasas were also a part of Kubera’s region. Yakshas, guhyakas, kinnaras, some gandharvas, and rakshasas lived there. 

On the way, he saw many rishis, kinnaras, yakshas, and gandharavas. He also saw Kubera’s golden palace. It was beautiful with lavish gardens around and a scented breeze. Reaching the top, Bhima blew his conch, twanged the bow, and slapped his thighs. These were his signals for a fight. 

The gandharva, yaksha, kinnara, guhyaka, and rakshasa guards readied and launched an attack on him. Bhima fought them ferociously with a single-minded goal to eliminate all of them. No matter how many he faced, he injured or killed them and continued to fight. Then, Maniman, a large and broad-chested rakshasa arrived to face Bhima. Maniman was Kubera’s friend and the commander of his army. A short yet terrifying battle took place between the two. Bhima successfully killed Maniman. Seeing him dead, the remaining rakshasas fled to inform Kubera. 

Meanwhile, the sounds of anguish and Bhima’s war cries reached the Pandavas below. Draupadi relayed her conversation with Bhima to Yudhistira. Quickly, Yudhistira, the twins (Nakula and Sahadeva), and Rishi Lomasa killed up the mountain to salvage the situation. After all, Bhima was attacking their host’s army! Yudhistira was afraid that Kubera would be furious and curse his brother. 

Seeing the dead bodies at the top, Yudhistira admonished Bhima for his actions and said it was very unworthy of him to do this. He sternly asked Bhima to refrain from such actions again. 

Kubera who got the news from his guards also reached the spot and took in the damage. His golden flying chariot (Pushpaka) dazzled in the light. The Pandavas (except Bhima) bowed to Kubera to show their respect. Kubera smiled and told Yudhistira to not be angry at Bhima. He turned to Bhima and added that his actions were reckless and dangerous. However, since this time it worked to fulfill and break a curse, he would not be punished. 

The king of yakshas (Kubera) explained that a long time ago, he and his rakshasa friend, Maniman, along with many attendants, were flying to the council of gods in Kushvati. It was evening when they were on the way. From above, Maniman saw Rishi Agastya in a river, offering ablutions to the gods. Maniman gave into his rakshasa urges and spat on the rishi’s head. 

Agastya looked up and was infuriated. He cursed the rakshasas, yakshas, and Maniman to die in the hands of a human. He said that Kubera would be able to do nothing to save his friends since he didn’t stop the rakshasa from spitting on him. Agastya said Kubera would grieve and be freed when he saw the human responsible for their deaths. However, he was careful enough to add a clause that the sons and grandsons wouldn’t be affected by the curse.

Thus, in his recklessness, the Pandava brother broke the curse on Kubera. The yaksha king revived his dead army using his powers. He told the Pandavas they could continue to be his guests in the region but that Bhima shouldn’t repeat such actions. 

Thanking him, Yudhistira took his brothers down the mountain, back to Arshtisena’s ashram, where they were staying. 

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The Death of Yavakrita – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After the story of Ashtavakra, Rishi Lomasa talked about a place named Kardamila where the Madhuvila Samanga occurred. Here, Indra bathed to cleanse himself of his sins after killing Vritra, the asura. River Ganga flowed in that region and traveled alongside the ashrams of Sthulasirasa and Raibhya. It was also the same place where Rishi Bharadwaja’s son, Yavakrita, had died. 

Yudhistira wanted to know who Yavakrita was and how he passed away. 

Rishi Lomasa narrated the story.

yavakrita

Rishi Bharadwaja and Rishi Raibhya were friends. They lived nearby deep inside a forest. Raibhya had two sons Arvavasu and Paravasu, while Bharadwaja’s son was Yavakrita. Like Raibhya, his sons were also learned. All three of them received a lot of acclaim and honor from others. However, Yavakrita realized that his father didn’t have the same popularity. Angered by this, Yavakrita performed severe austerities to gain knowledge. He put himself through such torture that Indra arrived to ask why he was doing it. Yavakrita said he was doing it to gain the knowledge of the Vedas. 

Indra explained that Vedas had to be learned from a guru and the process took many years. He said this penance wasn’t the right path for a rishi’s son to gain knowledge. Instead, he should find a guru to teach him everything. Yavakrita didn’t heed the advice. He continued to be engaged in the tapasya. Indra tried to explain again but Yavakrita was adamant. He said he would even slice off his arms and offer them in the fire to gain the knowledge of Vedas. 

Finally, Indra came up with another plan. He disguised himself as an old Brahmin. He began to construct a bridge of sand on the banks of the Bhagirathi River to attract Yavakrita’s attention. When Yavakrita saw this, he laughed and asked the old Brahmin why he was wasting time and energy on a useless task as the sand wouldn’t hold for people to cross the river. He advised the old man to do something that would give results. 

Indra appeared in his true form and replied that he was doing the same thing as Yavakrita. Then, Bharadwaja’s son asked Indra to grant him a boon to be superior to others. Indra said it would happen as he wished and the Vedas would manifest on him and his father and make them great ascetics. 

Happy to get what he wanted, Yavakrita went to his father and said they were blessed with all the knowledge. Bharadwaja warned his son that this would eventually lead to downfall and that he should let his pride get to his head. He also told Yavakrita to not cross Raibhya or his sons.

Yavakrita assured him that he would respect Raibhya as much as he respected his father. However, using his newly gained knowledge, Yavakrita went on to insult other Brahmins and rishis whenever possible. One day, he went to Raibhya’s ashram and saw the rishi’s beautiful daughter-in-law, Paravasu’s wife. He pulled her behind a tree to assault her. When Raibhya returned, he saw his daughter-in-law crying. She informed him what happened. Raibhya was furious. He pulled a lock of hair and threw it into the yagna fire. A beautiful woman rose from it. When he repeated the action, a fearsome rakshasa rose from the fire. They asked what the rishi wanted. He ordered them to kill Yavakrita. 

The rakshasa went to do so. Yavakrita tried to fight and run, but he couldn’t escape. The rakshasa killed him and went to report to Raibhya. The rishi gave him permission to roam in the forests. 

A while later, Bharadwaja returned to his ashram and noticed that none of the fires rose upon seeing him. He felt a sense of unease and asked a guard if his son had done anything (specifically if he went to Raibhya). The guard replied that the dim-witted Yavakrita indeed made a mistake and was hence lying dead killed by a rakshasa. 

Bharawaja lamented the death of his son and cried about his foolish actions. Still, he wanted Raibhya to suffer and cursed that his elder son would kill himself even though he was innocent and had nothing to do with any of this. Bharadwaja cremated his son and entered the same fire. 

At this time, King Brihaddyumna was performing a sacrifice. Raibhya was his sacrificial priest, and the king also appointed the rishi’s two sons as assistants. The sons went to help with the yagna while Raibhya stayed back at the ashram. One night, Paravasu was returning to the ashram, tired and sleepy. He saw his father dressed in black antelope skin and mistook him for an animal. Thinking it would attack him, he killed the ‘animal’ who was actually his father. 

Paravasu went to the yagna site and told his brother that he killed their father by mistake and they could not perform the sacrifice without atoning for killing a Brahmin. Arvavasu replied that he would complete the rites and did so. 

However, Paravasu told the king that his brother killed their father and shouldn’t be permitted at the yagna site. Arvavasu was thrown out even as he repeatedly said that he wasn’t the killer and he observed the rites for his brother’s sake. Luckily, the gods knew the truth. The king listened to Arvavasu and hired him as the priest. He dismissed Paravasu. Arvavasu thanked the gods for their help and with Agni at the front asked for a boon – that his father would be alive and his brother would be freed of the sin. He also asked for Bharadwaja and his son Yavakrita to come back alive. 

Yavakrita asked the gods why Raibhya and Arvavasu were more powerful than him though he was given the boon of having all the knowledge. The gods explained that Yavakrita’s knowledge was gained without following the required path of learning from a guru and being disciplined in his life. That was why his knowledge was inferior to theirs and would continue to be unless he made an effort to learn correctly. 

The gods then went back to heaven. 

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