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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 Account of Dhundhumara – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After listening to the story of Indradyumna, Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to tell him about Dhundhumara and why Kuvalashva of the Ikshvaku lineage changed his name to Dhundhumara. 

The rishi obliged. 

Account-of-Dhundhumara

Once upon a time, there lived a rishi named Utanka. He was a devotee of Hari and performed a tapasya to see the god. When Hari appeared, Utanka was delighted to see him in person. Hari offered a boon and insisted that Utanka ask for one. Utanka only wanted to follow his dharma and ensure that he stayed on the righteous path. Hari granted him the boon and also gave him another. He said Utanka would play a role and help a certain king named Kuvalashva kill an asura named Dhundhu. This would happen a few decades later. 

Rishi Markandeya first gave a quick summary of the Ikshvaku family tree. 

After Ikshvaku’s death, Shashada became the king. He was followed his son, Kakutstha. His son Anenas came to the throne and handed it over to his son Prithu. Prithu’s son was Vishvagashva, and Vishvagashva’s son was Ardra. Ardra’s son Yuvanashva had Shravasta, who built Shravasti (currently in Uttar Pradesh). Shravasta’s son was Brihadashva. His son was Kuvalashva, and the king Utanka had to help. 

When Brihadshava was old, he handed over the kingdom to his son and went to the forest to perform austerities. Utanka heard of this news and went to meet Brihadshava in the forest. He asked the king not to retire and to take care of his subjects. Utanka said he wouldn’t be able to perform his tapasya in peace since there was a desert region near his ashram, an ocean of sand named Ujjanaka. An extremely powerful asura named Dhundhu lived here. 

Dhundhu was the son of Madhu and Kaithbha (both were killed by Vishnu). Utanka implored the king to first kill the asura and then retire to the forest. Otherwise, the asura would destroy all three worlds and even harm the gods. Utanka said the king would have the blessings and energy of Vishnu to achieve this feat. 

However, Brihadshava said that his son Kuvalashva would do the needful since he was a powerful and valiant warrior. The old king said that he had already discarded his weapons, and hence his son was the right person to fight the asura.

At this point, Yudhistira asked Rishi Markandeya to tell him more about Dhundhu, the asura. 

A long time ago, Vishnu was sleeping in the ocean, lying on Sesha. When he was asleep, a lotus sprouted from his navel and glowed like the sun. From this lotus emerged Brahma, the creator of the universe. Once the two asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha, saw Vishnu sleeping on Sesha and shook the lotus stem to scare Brahma sitting inside it. This woke up Vishnu, who smiled at them and told them to ask him a boon. The asuras laughed at him and said he should ask them for a boon instead, and added that they weren’t joking. They said that a great calamity awaited them and wanted to overcome it. The asuras wanted Vishnu to kill them in a spot that was completely uncovered by water so that they would be born as his sons. 

Vishnu agreed and gave them the boon. He saw that the only uncovered parts (not immersed in water) were his thighs. He sliced their heads there using the chakra. 

The two asuras had a son called Dhundhu who performed severe austerities and got a boon from Brahma that he wouldn’t be killed by gods, danavas, yakshas, nagas, gandharvas, and rakshasas. Dhundhu then went to harass the gods and Vishnu. He went to Ujjanaka and made it his kingdom. There, he stayed underground and continued to do tapasya to increase his strength and destroy the world. Utanka’s ashram was to the north of this region. 

 Kuvalashva, now the king, went to meet Utanka and was accompanied by his twenty-one sons. Here, Utanka invoked Vishnu/ Hari, who infused his powers in the king to make him capable of killing the asura Dhundhu. The gods cheered and showered flowers on him as he went towards Ujjanaka.

The king had the sand dug up to expose the asura. Dhundhu was asleep, so the king asked his sons to wake him. When the asura woke up, a fierce battle took place between him and Kuvalashva. When Dhundhu let out a gust of fire from his mouth, a rush of water flowed from the king’s body to douse it. Then the king burned down the asura using the Brahmastra. The gods cheered for him. 

Since he was successful in killing Dhundhu, Kuvalashva became popular as Dhundhumara, the one who killed Dhundhu. When the gods offered him a boon, the king asked that he always be a good man who gave donations to the Brahmins, stayed a good friend of Vishnu, and never exhibited enmity towards anyone. Dhundhumara wanted to be devoted to dharma and find a place in heaven after his demise. The gods granted him the boon. Only three sons (Dhridhashva, Kapilashva, and Chandrashva) of the king were left alive, and they continued the Ikshvaku lineage. 

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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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The Story of Rishi Ashtavakra – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

After sharing the story of King Usinara, Rishi Lomasa talked about the greatness of River Sarasvati in the region and how Rishi Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu vanquished the great Bandi in a debate. 

Yudhsitira asked the rishi to enlighten him about Ashtavakra. 

Lomasa narrated the following story. 

rishi-Ashtavakra

Rishi Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda who lived with him for many years. Pleased with his attitude and learning, Uddalaka taught his disciple everything and got his daughter Sujata married to him. When she was pregnant, the unborn spoke to Kahoda from within the womb. The rishi taught a lesson to his students which the unborn child deemed incorrect even though the rishi studied all night. This angered Kahoda who cursed his own child to be born with deformities in eight ways. After the birth, the baby had crooked arms and legs and was named Ashtavakra. 

However, during her pregnancy, Sujata was worried that they didn’t have enough money to care for their child. Kahoda went to King Janaka to ask for money. There, he had to defeat a Brahmin named Bandi in a game of wordplay. However, Bandi was known for his mastery of words, and Kahoda lost. Unable to bear the humiliation, he went and drowned himself in the river. 

Sujata gave birth after this event took place. Her son, Ashtavakra, didn’t know his father. She didn’t want to tell him the truth as it was painful. Uddalaka took care of his daughter and her son. He also had a son who was of the same age as Ashtavakra. This child was Shvetaketu. 

Shvetaketu and Ashtavakra grew up together. The latter thought Uddalaka was his father. When they were twelve years old, Ashtavakra sat on Uddalaka’s lap which Shvetaketu didn’t like. He dragged him up by his arm and revealed that Uddalaka wasn’t his father. A heartbroken Ashtavakra wanted to know where his father was and what happened to him. Finally, the truth of Kahoda’s death was revealed to the boy. 

Ashtavakra was determined to avenge his father’s death. He asked Shvetaketu to accompany him to King Janaka’s court to meet Bandi. The duo set off to the palace but was stopped by the gatekeepers. Bandi was indeed inside at a yagna ceremony debating other rishis and Brahmins. He set rules that only adults should be allowed inside. The gatekeeper refused to let Ashtavakra and Shvetaketu enter. However, Ashtavakra argued with the gatekeeper that age didn’t measure talent and convinced him to let them go inside.

Then, Ashtavakra spoke to the king and praised him. He announced that he had come to debate with Bandi. King Janaka first tested Ashtavakra with a few riddles and was satisfied with the results. He recognized that despite being young, the deformed rishi had powerful divine energy and was as wise as an old man. He gave Ashtavakra the permission to debate with Bandi. 

Ashtavakra went to the dais where Bandi was being hosted. He challenged the Brahmin and provoked him. Bandi warned him not to anger him and said the consequences would be dire. Ashtavakra said he would any question Bandi asked. 

The contest began. Ashtavakra had to complete the sentence started by Bandi who would again add to it. Each of them would have to continue from the previous sentence alternately while ensuring they sustained the rhyme, rhythm, meter, theme, etc. At one point, Bandi stuttered and stopped. He couldn’t complete the sentence. Rishi Ashtavakra completed it when Bandi was silent for too long. He defeated Bandi and won. 

The crowd cheered. Ashtavakra said to the audience that Bandi made the defeated Brahmins immerse in water. Since he had lost this time, he should be the one to get into the river. Bandi replied that he was the son of Varuna and they were conducting a twelve-year sacrifice for him. By losing to a twelve-year-old, he would join his father in the water. 

Rishi Ashtavakra said to King Janaka that by defeating Bandi he had rescued the words of all those who lost and freed them. The king told Ashtavakra that he could do as he wished with Bandi. Ashtavakra repeated that Bandi had to immerse in water. 

Bandi also repeated that he wasn’t afraid to do so and walked into the river. He also said Ashtavakra would see his father, Kahoda. As soon as he said it, Kahoda appeared at the yagna site and was greeted by everyone. Kahoda was pleased that his son achieved what he couldn’t.

Once the ceremony was complete and the gods drank the soma offered, Bandi took leave and walked into the water. Rishi Ashtavakra and Rishi Shvetaketu went back to their ashram happy that they got what they wanted. 

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The Test of King Usinara – Stories from Aranyaka Parva

The Pandavas were on a pilgrimage and reached the region of Kashmira. There, Rishi Lomasa pointed out various sacred sites like Rukmini’s ashram, the place where Nahusha, Agni, and Kasyapa conversed, the area where Rishi Vasishtha lived with Arundhati, and the Bhrigutunga Mountain with Rivers Jala and Upajala. It was here that King Usinara performed a sacrifice that made him surpass Vasava (Indra). 

Yudhistira wanted to know about the yagna. Rishi Lomasa shared the story.

king-usinara

Once upon a time, King Usinara was performing a majestic yagna sacrifice to please the gods. He was known for being a righteous ruler who always followed dharma. Indra and Agni decided to test the king to determine if he was indeed as good as everyone claimed.

Indra became a hawk, and Agni turned into a dove. Agni flew into the site and rushed straight at Usinara to hide in his lap. The dove sought help from the king and requested for the protection of its life. Just then the hawk flew towards them. Usinara shielded the dove in his arms to prevent the hawk from harming it.

The hawk said to the king that he had dharma in his soul, so he shouldn’t stop the hawk from consuming its food (dove). It said by protecting the dove, the king was not following dharma. 

Usinara replied that protecting whoever sought help was his dharma and he was doing exactly that. The dove went to help for safety, and he would provide the bird the same no matter what. When the hawk asked about its own hunger, the king said he would offer whatever food (except the dove), the hawk wanted. He listed various meats like ox, boar, deer, buffalo, etc. 

The hawk said it didn’t want any other meat since the dove was marked as its meal. Becoming the hawk’s food was the dove’s destiny and the king shouldn’t interfere with it. However, Usinara didn’t agree and said he wouldn’t give up the dove but the hawk could ask for anything it wanted. 

The hawk said that if the king had so much affection for the dove, he should cut a portion of his body as substitute food. Usinara agreed immediately and ordered a scale to be placed. He cut a hefty piece of his flesh and weighed it only to realize it wasn’t enough. He continued to add more such pieces but the dove was heavier. Finally, Usinara stepped onto the scale and asked the hawk to devour him completely.

The hawk and the dove transformed into Indra and Agni. They praised the king for his selflessness and determination to protect those who sought refuge from him. Healing his wounds, Indra sat through the yagna and accepted the offerings at the end. Indra and Agni blessed King Usinara that as long as men talked in this world, the story of his deed would be eternal. 

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