Note: In the previous post, we read about how Uttanka pursued Takshaka into Nagalog (the domain of the serpents) and glorified the serpents and Takshaka to obtain the earrings. In this post, we will see how he is able to get the earrings from Takshaka.
Uttanka was hoping that Takshaka would return the earrings after he glorified the serpents and Takshaka. But Takshaka also coveted those earrings a lot. He didn’t respond to Uttanka’s praises. When Uttanka realized that Takshaka wasn’t going to return the earrings, he looked around and thought about an alternate plan to retrieve his earrings.
As he looked around, he noticed two women at a loom weaving a piece of cloth with black and white threads. The warp was of white thread and the weft, which was of black thread, was being woven using a very fine tool.
Near the loom was a wheel with twelve spokes. It was being turned by six boys. He also noticed a man with a healthy and well-groomed horse. Uttanka addressed them with the following mantras.
“This wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing lunar fortnights is furnished with three hundred spokes! It is kept in continuous motion by six boys representing the six seasons!
These two women representing universal nature are continuously weaving a cloth of black and white threads, ushering into existence the manifold worlds and the beings that live in those worlds.
O wielder of the thunder, the protector of the universe, the slayer of Vritra and Namuchi. O illustrious one, wearing the black cloth, you show truth and untruth in the universe. You own the horse which was received from the depths of the ocean. This horse is another form of Agni (the God of fire). I bow to you, O supreme Lord of the three worlds. O Purandara!”
Note: Purandara is another name for Indra.
Hearing these words, the man with the horse said to Uttanka, “I am gratified by your adoration and I want to do something good for you. What can I do?”
Uttanka replied, “Help me bring the serpents under my control.”
“Blow into this horse,” the man said.
Uttanka did as he was told and the moment he blew into the horse, fire and smoke came out from the horse’s ears, nose, and every opening. The fire along with the smoke began to spread over the entire region of the serpents.
Takshaka was surprised by what was happening. He rushed out of hiding and returned the earrings to Uttanka.
However, when Uttanka took the earrings, he also realized that today was the sacred day when his teacher’s wife wanted to wear the earrings. He had to give them to her immediately, however, he was very far from his teacher’s house. Uttanka was once again in a fix because there was no way he could give these earrings to his teacher’s wife on time.
Note: In the next post, we will find out if Uttanka is able to give the earrings as guru-dakshina to his teacher’s wife on time.
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Note: In the previous post, we read about how the queen gave Uttanka her earrings but also warned him that the serpent king, Takshaka, coveted those earrings too. Sometime after leaving Paushya’s kingdom, Uttanka put the earrings on the ground when he went to perform his ablutions. However, while he was cleaning himself, a beggar stole those earrings and ran away. In this post, we will learn more about the beggar and how Uttanka pursued him.
Utanka first completed his ablutions in water, purified himself, and reverently bowed down to the gods and his spiritual masters. After that, he chased the thief and overtook him with great difficulty. However, the moment he seized the thief, the beggar changed his form and stood before Uttanka as his real self – that of Takshaka, the serpent king.
Upon returning to his real form, Takshaka, the serpent, entered a large hole in the ground and proceeded toward the region of the serpents (his abode).
This is when Uttank recollected the queen’s words about how Takshaka also coveted the same earrings. The hole that Takshaka had entered was large for a snake but small for a human, so Uttanka began to expand the hole with his stick to pursue the serpent, but he wasn’t able to make much progress.
When Indra, the king of the Gods, noticed Uttanka’s problem, he sent his thunderbolt to the brahmin boy. That thunderbolt entered Uttanka’s stick and rapidly enlarged the hole leading the way for Uttanka to follow. Following his stick powered by the thunderbolt, Uttanka went deep into the earth until he reached the region of the serpents.
The region was vast. It felt like it extended infinitely in all directions. There were hundreds of elegant mansions with gateways, turrets, and domes. There were also wonderful places for entertainment and games.
Uttanka glorified the serpents with the following shlokas (verses).
“O Serpents, subjects of King Airavata, you are splendid in battle and shower weapons in the field like lightning-charged clouds driven by the winds!
You are handsome and of various forms and decked with many colored earrings, you children of Airavata, you shine like the Sun in the firmament!
On the northern banks of the Ganges, there are many habitations of serpents. There I constantly adore the great serpents. Who except Airavata would desire to move in the burning rays of the Sun? When Dhritarashtra (Airavata’s brother) goes out, twenty-eight thousand and eight serpents follow him as his attendants. You who move near him and you who stay at a distance from him, I adore all of you that have Airavata for your elder brother!
O Takshaka, to obtain the earrings, I adore you also. You, who formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava!
Takshaka and Aswasena, you are constant companions who dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati!
I also adore the illustrious Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, who resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with the intention of becoming the chief of the serpents!”
Thus, Rishi Uttanka glorified Takshaka to obtain the earrings from him. However, his attempt did not succeed. Takshaka did not return the earrings.
Note: In the next post, we’ll find out how Uttanka got the earrings from Takshaka.
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Note: In the previous post, we read about how the queen happily gave Uttanka her earrings. The king, Paushya, requested him to stay back to perform a shraddha ceremony. When Uttanka requested food, he was served cold food with hair in it. This enraged Uttanka which resulted in a quarrel between him and the king. In this post, we will find out what happened when they quarreled.
Angry at having received unclean food, Uttanka said to the king, “You have given me unclean food, therefore, you will lose your sight.”
Hearing Uttanka’s words, Paushya also became angry and cursed him back saying, “You have falsely labeled cleaned food as unclean, therefore, you will not have any children.”
“It doesn’t befit you to curse me in return after having offered me unclean food. Here, you can see for yourself that the food is truly unclean,” Uttanla replied.
When Paushya examined the food, he realized that it was indeed unclean. It was cold and had hair in it because it was prepared by a woman with unbraided hair. Paushya tried to pacify Uttanka by saying, “Sir, the food is indeed cold and it contains hair. It has been prepared without sufficient care. I pray to you, please pardon me. Let me not become blind.”
Uttanka replied, “What I have said will happen. I cannot prevent that. However, you will regain your sight soon after losing it. Now, grant me that your curse also does not have any effect on me.”
Paushya, however, was not calm enough to take back his curse. He said, “I am unable to take back my curse because my anger has not yet calmed down. You may not be able to understand this because a brahmana’s heart is soft even though his words may be sharp. In the case of a kshatriya, it is the opposite. His words are soft but his heart is like a sharp-edged tool. I am unable to neutralize my curse because of the hardness of my heart. Therefore, you will have to go without me being able to take back what I said.”
Uttanka replied, “Even though I showed you that the food offered by you was indeed unclean, I still softened my curse when you requested me to do so. However, you cursed me when you were in the wrong. Therefore, your curse will not have any effect on me. I am certain of this.”
Having said this, Uttanka took the earrings and left Paushya’s court to return to his teacher’s house.
On the way, Uttanka noticed a naked idle beggar who was sometimes seen, and sometimes he disappeared. However, Uttanka did not pay much attention to this beggar. He put the earrings on the ground and went to clean himself with water.
In the meantime, the beggar quickly came to that spot, took the earrings, and ran away.
Note: In the next post, we will read about who the beggar was and what Uttanka did when the earrings were stolen.
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Note: In the previous post, Rishi Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to bring her the earrings of King Paushya’s wife as guru dakshina. In today’s post, we will see what happened when Uttanka went to Paushya’s palace to ask for the earrings.
Uttanka left Sage Veda’s house to go to Paushya’s kingdom. On the way, he saw a huge bull with a large man seated on it. The man said to Uttanka, “Eat this bull’s dung.”
Uttanka hesitated, but the man insisted, saying, “O Uttanka, don’t think so much about it. Your teacher has also eaten this bull’s dung in the past.”
Uttanka agreed when he heard this. He ate the dung and drank the urine of the bull, got up respectfully, washed his hands and mouth, and resumed his journey.
When Uttanka arrived at Paushya’s palace, he saw the king seated on his throne. Uttanka greeted the monarch respectfully, pronounced blessings on him, and said, “I’ve come to request something from you.”
Paushya also greeted Uttanka and replied, “Sir, what may I do for you?”
“I’ve come here to beg from you a pair of earrings that I want to gift to my teacher. It is therefore befitting that you give me the earrings worn by the queen,” Uttanka replied.
“O Uttanka, go to the women’s chambers and ask the queen for her earrings,” Paushya said.
However, when Uttanka went to the women’s chambers, he did not find the queen there. A little upset, he returned to Paushya and said, “O king, it is not proper for you to deceive me. The queen is not in her chamber.”
Paushya thought for a moment and replied, “The queen is very pure and chaste. Therefore, she can be seen only by those people who are perfectly pure and have not come into contact with anything impure.”
Uttanka reflected for a moment and said, “After having my meal, I performed my ablutions while standing. Maybe that is why I could not see her.”
“Yes, that’s a transgression. A person cannot purify himself properly while standing or walking,” Paushya said.
Uttanka agreed with the king’s logic and went to clean himself properly.
He sat down facing the east and washed his face, hands, and legs thoroughly. Then he took some clean water, that was free of froth and not too warm, and drank it twice, taking just enough so that it would reach his stomach immediately. After that, he cleaned his eyes, ears, and other openings of his body by touching them with water.
Thus having cleaned himself properly, Uttanka, once again went to the women’s chambers.
This time, he was able to see the queen.
The queen greeted Uttanka respectfully and said, “Welcome sir, please tell me, what can I do for you?”
“I have come to beg for your earrings which I wish to take as a present for my teacher,” Uttanka replied.
The queen was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct and felt that he was worthy of charity. She took off her earrings and gave them to Uttanka saying, “You will have to carry these earrings very carefully because Takshaka, the king of serpents, also covets them.”
“Don’t worry O queen, Takshaka, will not be able to take these earrings from me,” Uttanka assured the queen. He took the queen’s leave and went to express his gratitude to Paushya.
However, Paushya requested Uttanka to stay in his palace a little longer because a person worthy of charity (like Uttanka) rarely visited his palace. He requested Uttanka to perform a shraddha ceremony.
Uttanka agreed and requested the king for some clean food to eat. When the food was brought to him, Uttanka realized that it was cold and there was hair in the food.
Note: In the previous post, we read that Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya’s disciple Veda was appointed as King Janamejaya’s upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after his appointment, he had to leave home due to some work related to a sacrifice. Before leaving, he entrusted his disciple, Uttanka, to take care of his house and do everything that he (Veda) would have done.
Uttanka, stayed at his teacher Veda’s house, ever mindful of his teacher’s instructions.
One day, the women in Rishi Veda’s house approached Uttanka and said, “O Uttanka, the mistress of this house is in the season when a connection, similar to that of a couple in marriage, may be fruitful. Rishi Veda is absent, so you have to perform what needs to be done, instead of him.”
Uttanka answered, “I cannot do this. My teacher has not instructed me to do that which is improper.”
When Veda returned from his journey and learned what had happened, he was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct. He called Uttanks and said, “Uttanka, my child, you have served me well. Your restraint has increased our friendship. Therefore, I give you permission to leave. Go where you choose and may your wishes be fulfilled.”
Uttanka, however, insisted on giving his teacher a guru dakshina. He replied to his teacher, Veda, “The person who teaches incorrectly and one who receives teachings incorrectly, are doomed to enmity, and one of them dies. Therefore, I wish to do something for you as an honorarium.”
Instead of asking Uttanka to do some task for him, Veda simply asked him to stay at his house for some more time.
After some time had passed, Uttanka approached his teacher and said, “Please command me to bring whatever you desire.”
However, Veda did not want anything for himself, so he told Uttanka to ask his wife if she wanted anything.
Uttanka, went to his teacher’s wife and requested her to ask for something so he could leave their house without being in their debt.
Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to go to King Paushya’s kingdom and bring the queen’s earrings for her. She said, “The fourth day from today is sacred. Several brahmanas will come to dine at this house. I wish to wear those earrings when I appear before them.”
She continued, “Accomplish this task, O Uttanka, and if you succeed, you will have good fortune, but if you don’t, then it will be difficult for good fortune to come to you.”
Note: In the next post, we will find out what happens when Uttanka goes to Paushya’s kingdom.
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After passing Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya’s test, Veda entered worldly life, got married, and had his own disciples over time. One such disciple was Uttanka. Having learned under a teacher who although loving was a hard taskmaster, he did not want to subject his pupils to harsh discipline. Therefore, he never forced them to obey his commands or perform difficult tasks.
One day, King Janamejaya and Paushya came to Veda’s residence and appointed him as their Upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after being appointed the Upadhyaya, Veda had to leave his house to attend to work related to a yajna. Before leaving, he asked Uttanka to take care of the house in his absence. His parting words to Uttanka were:
“Do whatever needs to be done in my house without neglect.”
Having said these words, Rishi Veda left to attend to his work.
Uttanka’s Respect & Restraint
Uttanka stayed back ever mindful of his teacher’s instructions.
One day, the women in Rishi Veda’s house approached Uttanka and said, “O Uttanka, the mistress of this house is in the season when a sexual connection may be fruitful for bearing children. The rishi has gone out for work, so, in his absence, you have to perform what needs to be done.”
Uttanka answered, “I cannot do this. My teacher has not instructed me to do that which is improper.”
When Rishi Veda returned from his journey and learned what had happened, he was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct. He called Uttanka and said, “Uttanka, my child, you have served me well. Your restraint has increased our friendship. Therefore, I give you permission to leave. Go where you choose and may your wishes be fulfilled.”
Uttanka, however, insisted on giving guru-dakshina to his teacher. He replied, “The person who teaches incorrectly and one who receives teachings incorrectly, are doomed to enmity, and one of them dies. Therefore, I wish to do something for you as an honorarium.”
Instead of asking Uttanka to do some task, Veda simply asked him to stay at his house for some more time.
After some time had passed, Uttanka once again asked Rishi Veda to give him a task. However, Veda did not want anything for himself, so he told Uttanka to ask his wife if she wanted anything.
Uttanka went to his teacher’s wife and requested her to ask for something so he could leave their house without being in indebted to them.
Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to go to King Paushya’s kingdom and bring the queen’s earrings for her. She said, “The fourth day from today is sacred. Several brahmanas will come to dine at this house. I wish to wear those earrings when I appear before them. Accomplish this task, O Uttanka. You will have good fortune if you succeed, but if you don’t, then it will be difficult for good fortune to come to you.”
Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Having received his guru-ma’s command, Uttanka left for Paushya’s kingdom. On the way, he saw a huge bull with a large man seated on it. The man said to Uttanka, “Eat this bull’s dung.”
Uttanka hesitated, but the man insisted, saying, “O Uttanka, don’t think so much about it. Your teacher has also eaten this bull’s dung in the past.”
Uttanka agreed when he heard this. He ate the dung and drank the urine of the bull, got up respectfully, washed his hands and mouth, and resumed his journey.
Uttanka soon reached Paushya’s palace where he blessed the king and explained why he had come to his palace.
Upon hearing Uttanka’s request, King Paushya said, “O Uttanka, go to the women’s chambers and ask the queen for her earrings.”
However, when Uttanka went to the women’s chambers, he did not find the queen there. A little upset, he returned to Paushya and said, “O king, it is not proper for you to deceive me. The queen is not in her chamber.”
Paushya thought for a moment and replied, “The queen is very pure and chaste. Therefore, she can be seen only by those people who are perfectly pure and have not come into contact with anything impure.”
Uttanka reflected for a moment and said, “After having my meal, I performed my ablutions while standing. Maybe that is why I could not see her.”
“Yes, that’s a transgression. A person cannot purify himself properly while standing or walking,” Paushya said.
Uttanka agreed with the king’s logic and went to clean himself properly.
He sat down facing the east and washed his face, hands, and legs thoroughly. Then he took some clean water, that was free of froth and not too warm, and drank it twice, taking just enough so that it would reach his stomach immediately. After that, he cleaned his eyes, ears, and other openings of his body by touching them with water.
Thus, having cleaned himself properly, Uttanka, once again went to the women’s chambers.
This time, he was able to see the queen.
The queen greeted Uttanka respectfully and asked him what he wanted.
Uttanka replied, “I have come to beg for your earrings which I wish to take as a present for my guru-ma”
The queen was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct and felt that he was worthy of charity. She took off her earrings and gave them to Uttanka saying, “You will have to carry these earrings very carefully because Takshaka, the king of serpents, also covets them.”
“Don’t worry O queen, Takshaka, will not be able to take these earrings from me,” Uttanka assured. After thanking the queen, he took her leave and went to express his gratitude to Paushya.
The Quarrel Between Uttanka and Paushya
Paushya requested Uttanka to stay in his palace a little longer to perform a shraddha ceremony.
Uttanka agreed and requested the king for some clean food to eat. When the food was brought to him, Uttanka noticed that it was cold and there was hair in the food.
The unclean food displeased Uttanka.
Uttanka became angry and said to the king, “You have given me unclean food, therefore, you will lose your sight.”
Hearing Uttanka’s words, Paushya also became angry and cursed him back saying, “You have falsely labelled cleaned food as unclean, therefore, you will not have any children.”
“It doesn’t befit you to curse me in return after having offered me unclean food. Here, you can see for yourself that the food is truly unclean,” Uttanla replied.
When Paushya examined the food, he realised that it was indeed unclean. It was cold and had hair in it because it was prepared by a woman who had not braided her hair. Paushya tried to pacify Uttanka by saying, “Sir, the food is indeed cold and it contains hair. It has been prepared without sufficient care. I pray to you, please pardon me. Let me not become blind.”
Uttanka replied, “What I have said will happen. I cannot prevent that. However, you will regain your sight soon after losing it. Now, grant me that your curse also does not have any effect on me.”
Paushya, however, did not take back his curse. He said, “I am unable to take back my curse because my anger has not yet calmed down. You may not be able to understand this because a brahmana’s heart is soft even though his words may be sharp. In the case of a kshatriya, it is the opposite. His words are soft but his heart is like a sharp-edged tool. I am unable to neutralise my curse because of the hardness of my heart.”
Uttanka replied, “Even though I showed you that the food offered by you was indeed unclean, I still softened my curse when you requested me to do so. However, you cursed me when you were in the wrong. Therefore, your curse will not have any effect on me. I am certain of this.”
Having said this, Uttanka took the earrings and left Paushya’s court to return to his teacher’s house.
The Serpent King, Takshaka, Steals the Earrings
On the way, Uttanka noticed a naked idle beggar who came in and out of his vision. Uttanka did not pay much attention to this beggar. He put the earrings on the ground and went to clean himself in a body of water.
In the meantime, the beggar, whom Uttanka had ignored, took the earrings and ran away.
Utanka noticed the thief, but he decided to complete his ablutions. Having purified himself, he bowed to the Gods and his spiritual teachers, and after that, he chased the thief and overtook him with great difficulty. However, the moment he seized the thief, the beggar changed his form and stood before Uttanka as his real self – that of Takshaka, the serpent king.
Having returned to his real form, Takshaka the serpent entered a large hole in the ground and proceeded toward the region of the serpents, which was also his own abode.
Uttanka Pursues Takshaka
Seeing Takshaka slither into the ground helped Uttanka remember the queen’s words about how Takshaka also coveted the same earrings. The hole that Takshaka had entered was wide enough for snakes but too small for humans. Uttanka picked up a stick and began expanding the hole to pursue the serpent, but he wasn’t able to make much progress.
When Indra, the king of the Gods, noticed Uttanka’s problem, he sent his thunderbolt to the brahmin boy. That thunderbolt entered Uttanka’s stick and rapidly enlarged the hole leading the way for Uttanka to follow. Following his stick powered by the thunderbolt, Uttanka went deep into the earth until he reached the region of the serpents.
The region was vast. It felt like it extended infinitely in all directions. There were hundreds of elegant mansions with gateways, turrets, and domes. There were also wonderful places for entertainment and games.
Uttanka was hoping that Takshaka would return the earrings after he glorified him and the serpents. But he didn’t respond to Uttanka’s praises. When Uttanka realized that Takshaka wasn’t going to return the earrings, he looked around and thought of an alternate plan.
As he looked around, he noticed two women at a loom weaving a piece of cloth with black and white threads. The warp was of white thread and the weft, which was of black thread, was being woven using a very fine tool.
Near the loom was a wheel with twelve spokes. It was being turned by six boys. He also noticed a man with a healthy and well-groomed horse. Uttanka addressed them with the following mantras.
“This wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing lunar fortnights is furnished with three hundred spokes! It is kept in continuous motion by six boys representing the six seasons!
These two women representing universal nature are continuously weaving a cloth of black and white threads, ushering into existence the manifold worlds and the beings that live in those worlds.
O wielder of the thunder, the protector of the universe, the slayer of Vritra and Namuchi. O illustrious one, wearing the black cloth, you show truth and untruth in the universe. You own the horse which was received from the depths of the ocean. This horse is another form of Agni (the God of fire). I bow to you, O supreme Lord of the three worlds. O Purandara!”
Note: Purandara is another name for Indra.
Hearing these words, the man with the horse said to Uttanka, “I am gratified by your adoration and I want to do something good for you. What can I do?”
Uttanka replied, “Help me bring the serpents under my control.”
“Blow into this horse,” the man said.
Uttanka did as he was told and the moment he blew into the horse, fire and smoke came out from the horse’s ears, nose, and every opening. The fire along with the smoke began to spread over the entire region of the serpents.
Takshaka was so surprised and shaken by what was happening that he rushed out of hiding and returned the earrings to Uttanka.
When Uttanka took the earrings, he realized that today was the sacred day when his guru-ma wanted to wear the earrings. He needed to give them to her immediately, however, he was very far from his teacher’s house. Uttanka was once again in a fix because there was no way he could reach his teacher’s house on time.
Uttanka Gifts The Earrings To His Teacher’s Wife
Upon seeing Uttanka anxious about running out of time, the man standing next to the horse, said, “Ride this horse, Utanka. He will take you within a moment to your master’s house.’
Uttanka mounted the horse and immediately reached his teacher’s house.
Uttanka’s guru-ma, Veda’s wife, had just finished bathing and was dressing her hair. She was thinking to herself what curse she should give Uttanka if he did not return on time. However, Uttanka did return on time and respectfully presented the earrings to her.
Rishi Veda’s wife addressed Uttanka, saying, “Uttanka, welcome my child. You have arrived at the proper time and at the proper place. You are innocent. Therefore, I will not curse you. Good fortune lies before you. May you be successful in obtaining your wishes.”
After giving the earrings, Uttanka went to his teacher – Rishi Veda. The rishi said to Uttanka, “Welcome to the ashram. What happened that caused you to get delayed?”
Uttanka told his teacher about Takshaka stealing the earrings and that he had to go to the region of the Nagas to get them back. Uttanka also described what he saw in the region of the Nagas: the two ladies who were weaving cloth with black and white threads, the wheel with twelve spokes that was kept in motion by six boys, the man, and the extraordinary horse. Uttannka also told his teacher about the man sitting on the large bull, who he met on the way to Paushya’s palace, and how that man had lovingly asked him to eat the bull’s dung.
After telling Rishi Veda all the details, Uttanka requested his teacher to enlighten him about everything he saw and all the people he met.
“O Serpents, subjects of King Airavata, you are splendid in battle and shower weapons in the field like lightning-charged clouds driven by the winds!
You are handsome and of various forms and decked with many coloured earrings, you children of Airavata, you shine like the Sun in the firmament!
On the northern banks of the Ganges, there are many habitations of serpents. There I constantly adore the great serpents. Who except Airavata would desire to move in the burning rays of the Sun? When Dhritarashtra (Airavata’s brother) goes out, twenty-eight thousand and eight serpents follow him as his attendants. You who move near him and you who stay at a distance from him, I adore all of you that have Airavata for your elder brother!
O Takshaka, to obtain the earrings, I adore you also. You, who formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava!
Takshaka and Aswasena, you are constant companions who dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati!
I also adore the illustrious Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, who resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with the intention of becoming the chief of the serpents!”
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After passing the test his teacher had designed for him, Veda entered the domestic mode of life and had three disciples learning from him. Having learned under a teacher who although loving was a hard taskmaster, he did not want to subject his pupils to harsh discipline. Therefore, he never forced them to obey his commands or perform difficult tasks.
One day, King Janamejaya and Paushya came to Veda’s residence and appointed him as their Upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after being appointed the Upadhyaya, Veda had to leave his house to attend to work related to a yagna. Before leaving, he asked one of his disciples (Uttanka) to take care of the house in his absence. His parting words to Uttanka were:
“Do whatever needs to be done in my house without neglect.”
Having said these words, Veda left to attend to his work.
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Note: In the last three posts, we saw how Ayoda-Dhaumya tested two of three pupils: Aruni and Upamanyu. In this short post, we’ll see how he tested his third pupil, Veda.
Ayoda-Dhaumya called Veda and said to him, “Veda, my child, spend some time in my house and serve your teacher.”
Veda did as his teacher said and stayed for a long time in Ayoda-Dhaumya’s house with his family and served them. Just like an ox, he bore heat, cold, hunger, and thirst while serving his teacher and the teacher’s family, without complaining even once.
Veda’s trial got over with Ayoda-Dhaumya’s satisfaction, and as a result of serving his teacher to his satisfaction, Veda obtained good fortune and universal knowledge.
Note: You might have noticed that Veda’s trial was the most difficult and lengthy in comparison to Aruni’s trial and Upamanyu’s trial. It also involved Veda spending a large amount of time at Ayoda-Dhaumya’s house. This is because Veda was the most promising pupil. By staying with Ayoda-Dhaumya for such a long time, during his trial, the teacher was able to judge Veda’s resolve and spiritual fitness for receiving all the knowledge he had. Finally, when Ayoda-Dhaumya was satisfied, he taught Veda everything he knew.
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Note: In the previous post, Upamanyu lost his eyesight after eating Arka leaves in the forest and fell into a pit. When his teacher Ayoda-Dhaumya saw his state, he advised Upamanyu to sing the glories of the Aswin Twins, the physicians of the Gods, to restore his eyesight.
As directed by his teacher, Upamanyu began to glorify the Aswin twins, in the following words from the Rig Veda:
You have existed before creation itself!
O first-born beings, you are glorious in this wondrous universe of five elements!
I desire to obtain you with the help of the knowledge derived from hearing and meditation, for you are infinite!
You are the course of nature itself and the intelligent soul that pervades that course!
You are birds of beauteous feathers perched on the tree (the human body)!
You are free of the three lower attributes! You are incomparable! You pervade the universe through your spirit in every created thing,!
“You are golden Eagles!
You are the essence into which all things disappear!
You are free from error and know no deterioration! You are like beautiful beaks that would not strike unjustly and are victorious in every encounter!
You certainly prevail over time! Having created the sun, you weave the wondrous cloth of the year by means of the white thread of the day and the black thread of the night! And with the cloth so woven, you have established two courses of distinct action for the devas and pitris.
The bird of life seized by time, which represents the strength of the infinite soul, you set the soul free and deliver her into great happiness!
Ignorant people (deluded by their senses) may assign a form to you, but you are free of any attributes of physicality!
If we think of the 365 days of the year as cows, then these cows together produce a calf which we call one year. This calf (time) is the creator and destroyer of everything. Seekers of truth may follow different routes but they draw the milk of true knowledge with the help of this calf (time). You Aswins are the creators of that calf which is time.
Ayear is like a wheel that has 720 spokes, each representing days and nights. The circumference of this wheel representing the 12 months is without any end. This wheel is full of delusions and knows no deterioration. It affects all creatures of all worlds. O Aswins, this wheel of time is set in motion by you!
If the wheel of time represents a year, its nave represents the six seasons. The 12 spokes of the wheel represent the twelve signs of the zodiac. This wheel of time manifests the fruits of the actions of all things. The presiding deities of time abide in this wheel. I am subject to its distressful influence. O Aswins, please liberate me from this wheel of time.
O Aswins, you are this universe of five elements! You are the objects that are enjoyed in this and in the other world! Make me independent of the five elements! And though you are the Supreme Brahma, you move over the Earth in forms enjoying the delights that the senses afford.
In the beginning, you created the ten points of the universe! Then you placed the Sun and the Sky above! The Rishis, perform their sacrifices according to the course of the same Sun. The Gods and humans also perform their rites according to what is appropriate for them and enjoy the fruits of those acts!
Mixing the three colors, you have produced all the objects of sight! The universe in which Gods, humans, and all creatures endued with life are engaged in their respective work springs forth from these objects of sight!
You Aswins, I adore you! I also adore the Sky which you have created! You are the ordainers of the fruits of all acts from which even the gods are not free! However, you yourselves are free from the fruits of your actions!
You are the parents of all! When humans eat their food, it is you who take the food and convert it into life-creating fluid and blood. When a newborn child sucks the milk of its mother, it is you who takes the shape of that infant. O Aswins, grant me my sight to protect my life!
The Aswin twins, thus invoked, appeared before Upamanyu and said:
“We are satisfied. Take this cake and eat it.”
Upamanyu replied, “Your words, O Aswins, have never proved untrue, but I cannot eat this cake without first offering it to my teacher.”
The Aswin twins said to Upamanyu, “In the past, we had given such a cake to your teacher also, however, he ate it without offering it to his teacher. Now it is your turn to do what your teacher did.”
Upamanyu did not relent. He replied to the Aswins, “O Aswins, I seek your pardon, but I cannot eat this cake without offering it to my teacher.”
The Aswins, happy with Upamanyu’s devotion, said, “Upamanyu, we are pleased with your devotion towards your teacher. Your teacher’s teeth are of black iron, yours shall be of gold. Your eyesight will be restored and you will have good fortune.”
Upamanyu recovered his eyesight as the Aswins had promised.
Upamanyu’s teacher, Ayoda-Dhaumya, was also very pleased with Upamanyu and said: “You will obtain prosperity as the Aswin twins have said. Along with prosperity, all the Vedas and the Dharma-Shastras will also shine in you.”
Thus the trial of Upamanyu was over.
Note: At first, it may seem that Upamanyu was pandering to the ego of the deity by singling its glories. However, it’s not that. By glorifying a deity from our hearts, we purify our minds and energy and prepare ourselves to receive the deity’s blessings.
You will also notice that these verses from the Rig Veda contain spiritual and scientific truths encoded within them. That is because, in ancient India, science and the spirit were never considered different. They were both studied equally. The former through outer measurement and the latter through inner meditation.
This incident of losing and regaining one’s eyesight can also be seen as losing and regaining spiritual discernment.
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Table of ContentsPrevious: The Curse of Sarama — The Celestial She-Dog
Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya had three disciples: Aruni, Upamanyu, and Veda. One day, the rishi decided to test his disciples. What follows is an interesting story of how the rishi tested his disciples and how they fared.
Aruni’s Test
There was a water-course that brought water to the fields near the rishi’s ashram. However, an opening in the water-course prevented the water from reaching the fields. Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya asked Aruni to fix the problem.
Aruni went to the spot where an opening had come up in the stream. Unable to plug the breach with any material, he squeezed himself into a dyke, plugged the breach with his body, and fixed the problem. When his disciple did not return to the ashram for a long time, the rishi got worried and went looking for Aruna with the remaining disciples. Unable to see Aruni, the rishi called out his name:
“Aruni of Panchala, where are you? Come here, my child.”
Aruni heard his master’s voice and immediately left his spot to greet him. He explained how he had solved the problem using his own body.
Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya said that Aruni would henceforth be called Uddalaka (aka water flow) because he pulled himself out of the dyke to let the water flow. He blessed Aruni with wisdom and prosperity as he had dutifully obeyed his teacher’s orders.
Note:Click here to read the detailed story of Aruni’s test.
Upamanyu’s Test
Next, it was Upamanyu’s turn to be tested. The task given to him was to go and tend to the cattle.
That evening when Upamanyu returned after tending to the cattle, his teacher looked at Upamanyu and noticed that he looked very healthy. Rishi Dhaumya asked how he had managed to take care of himself when tending to the cattle. Upamanyu replied that he had begged for alms. The rishi reprimanded him because it was customary for a disciple to first offer the alms to his master.
Upamanyu was given the same task the next day. This time, he remembered his teacher’s admonishment and returned to the hermitage with the alms he had begged. Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya took all the food Upamanyu had received in alms, leaving nothing for his disciple. Upamanyu resumed his task of tending the cattle and returned to the ashram in the evening, once again looking fit and healthy. When the rishi asked Upamanyu how he had managed to look so fit despite having given all the alms to the rishi, Upamanyu answered that after giving the first round of alms to his guru, he begged for alms once again and consumed the food he had obtained in that round. The sage chastised him because a brahmin is not supposed to beg for alms twice.
The test continued for two more days, and on each day, Upamanyu found some way to feed his body. However, on each day, he was reprimanded by his guru and one more avenue of food was taken away from him. One day, Upamanyu was left without any means to feed himself while tending to the cattle. By evening, Upamanyu was very hungry. With no option left, he chewed some Arka leaves because of which he became blind.
Unable to see anything, Upamanyu tried to crawl back to the master’s house but fell into a pit. When Upamanyu did not return to the ashram for a long time, the sage, along with other disciples, went in search of him. Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya called out his name:
“Upamanyu, my child, where are you?”
After some time, he heard Upamanyu’s voice from a pit and saw that his disciple lay there having lost his sight. The rishi immediately understood the situation and asked Upamanyu to pray to the Ashwin Twins (who were the physicians of the devas) to regain his eyesight.
Upamanyu sang a prayer in adoration of the Ashwin Twins who, pleased with his devotion, appeared before him and gave him some bread to eat. Upamanyu respectfully declined the offer to eat explaining that it would not be correct for him to eat without first offering the food to his guru. The Ashwins tested him further by saying that when his teacher – Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya – was offered bread, he ate it without offering it to Upamanyu. However, Upamanyu stayed true to his word and did not eat the bread.
The Ashwin Twins were pleased with Upamanyu and restored his eyesight. When Upamanyu returned to the ashram, Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya blessed him and said that he would prosper just as the Ashwin Twins had said and asked Upamanyu to go out in the world and live his life.
Note:Click here to read the detailed story of Upamanyu’s test.
Veda’s Test
After Aruni and Upamanyu, it was Veda’s turn to be tested. However, instead of giving him a direct test, the sage asked Veda to stay back and serve him.
Veda obeyed and took great care of his guru and his family. He survived various hardships to perform his duties. Years passed. Finally, one day Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya was satisfied with Veda’s devotion and blessed him to become a householder and a teacher.
Soon after that, Veda had three pupils studying under him. While giving tasks to his students, he remembered his own teacher’s strictness and how hard he had to work at his house. Keeping his own hardships in mind, he decided to give his pupils more freedom and never imposed strict rules on them.
Note:Click here to read the detailed story of Veda’s test.Next: Rishi Veda Chooses to be a Teacher and Enter Into Domestic Life
Note: In the previous post, we saw that about the same time king Janamejaya marched to Takshashila, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya decided to test his three pupils, starting with Aruni.
In the Mahabharata, we often find the main storyline going off on such tangents. However, every tangent has a purpose and it always merges into the main storyline soon.
This tangent will also come together with Janamejaya soon, but for now, let’s enjoy the Puranic story of how rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya tested his second pupil, Upamanyu.
After testing Aruni, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya addressed his pupil Upamanyu:
“My child, Upamanyu, go and look after the cows.”
Upamanyu, having received instructions from his teacher, spent the entire day looking after the cows and returned to his teacher’s house in the evening. Upamanyu stood before the rishi and bowed to him respectfully.
The rishi seeing Upamanyu looking very plump asked him: “Upamanyu, my child, you are very plump. How do you support yourself?”
“Sir, I support myself by begging for food,” Upamanyu replied.
Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya thought for a moment and said, “You should not eat the alms you obtain by begging without first offering them to me.”
The next day, Upamanyu went to his teacher with everything he had obtained in alms. The rishi took all the food leaving Upamanyu with nothing to support himself during the day when he would tend to the cows.
That day, once again, Upamanyu returned to the rishi, after completing his work, in the evening and bowed to his teacher with respect.
The rishi looked at Upamanyu and asked, “My child, Upamanyu, I took all your food in the morning, but you still look quite healthy. How did you support yourself today?”
Upamanyu replied, “Sir, after giving you all the food I obtained in alms, I went begging once again for my own food.”
“This is not the way you should obey your teacher, my child,” the rishi said. “By begging for food twice, you are depriving others who support themselves through alms.”
Upamanyu promised his teacher that he would not beg for food twice. The next day, after offering the alms to his teacher, he again spent the day looking after his teacher’s cows and returned to his teacher in the evening.
The rishi observed that Upamanyu was still in good bodily condition.
“Upamanyu, my child, I take everything you obtain by alms and you don’t beg for alms for the second time, but you are still in a good bodily condition. How do you support yourself?”
“Sir, I drink the milk of these cows,” Upamanyu replied.
“Upamanyu, my child, it is not correct for you to take the cows’ milk without first asking for my consent.”
Upamanyu agreed with his teacher’s logic. The next day, the entire routine repeated. In the evening, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya was surprised to see Upamanyu in great condition. He asked Upamanyu how he supported himself without taking alms or drinking the cows’ milk.
“Sir, now I drink the froth that the calves throw out after suckling their mother’s milk.”
“No my child, you should not do that. The calves, out of compassion, are throwing out large amounts of froth to help you. By taking their froth, you are depriving them of the nourishment that is lawfully theirs.”
Upamanyu once again agreed with the logic of his teacher.
The next day, he did not eat any of the alms he had begged, nor did he drink the milk of the cows, and neither did he take the froth from the calves. By evening, he was very hungry. Unable to control himself, he ate some Arka leaves in the forest. The Arka leaves being harmful to humans because of their pungent, acrimonious, and saline properties, caused Upamanyu to lose his eyesight. Unable to see, he crawled about and fell into a pit.
When Upamanyu did not return by sunset, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya along with the other students went to search for him. They went into the forest shouting, “Ho Upamanyu, where are you?”
“Here I am teacher, at the bottom of the pit,” Upamanyu shouted back when he heard the rishi’s voice.
Seeing Upamanyu’s condition, the rishi asked him what caused him to fall into the pit. Upamanyu told him about how he ate some leaves, lost his sight, and fell into the pit.
“Oh my child, glorify the Ashwin twins. They are the physicians of the Gods. They will restore your sight.”
Takshaka Returns the Earrings to Uttanka
Note: In the previous post, we read about how Uttanka pursued Takshaka into Nagalog (the domain of the serpents) and glorified the serpents and Takshaka to obtain the earrings. In this post, we will see how he is able to get the earrings from Takshaka.
Uttanka was hoping that Takshaka would return the earrings after he glorified the serpents and Takshaka. But Takshaka also coveted those earrings a lot. He didn’t respond to Uttanka’s praises. When Uttanka realized that Takshaka wasn’t going to return the earrings, he looked around and thought about an alternate plan to retrieve his earrings.
As he looked around, he noticed two women at a loom weaving a piece of cloth with black and white threads. The warp was of white thread and the weft, which was of black thread, was being woven using a very fine tool.
Near the loom was a wheel with twelve spokes. It was being turned by six boys. He also noticed a man with a healthy and well-groomed horse. Uttanka addressed them with the following mantras.
“This wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing lunar fortnights is furnished with three hundred spokes! It is kept in continuous motion by six boys representing the six seasons!
These two women representing universal nature are continuously weaving a cloth of black and white threads, ushering into existence the manifold worlds and the beings that live in those worlds.
O wielder of the thunder, the protector of the universe, the slayer of Vritra and Namuchi. O illustrious one, wearing the black cloth, you show truth and untruth in the universe. You own the horse which was received from the depths of the ocean. This horse is another form of Agni (the God of fire). I bow to you, O supreme Lord of the three worlds. O Purandara!”
Note: Purandara is another name for Indra.
Hearing these words, the man with the horse said to Uttanka, “I am gratified by your adoration and I want to do something good for you. What can I do?”
Uttanka replied, “Help me bring the serpents under my control.”
“Blow into this horse,” the man said.
Uttanka did as he was told and the moment he blew into the horse, fire and smoke came out from the horse’s ears, nose, and every opening. The fire along with the smoke began to spread over the entire region of the serpents.
Takshaka was surprised by what was happening. He rushed out of hiding and returned the earrings to Uttanka.
However, when Uttanka took the earrings, he also realized that today was the sacred day when his teacher’s wife wanted to wear the earrings. He had to give them to her immediately, however, he was very far from his teacher’s house. Uttanka was once again in a fix because there was no way he could give these earrings to his teacher’s wife on time.
Note: In the next post, we will find out if Uttanka is able to give the earrings as guru-dakshina to his teacher’s wife on time.
Table of Contents
Previous: Uttanka Pursues the Serpent King Takshaka
Next: Uttanka Gifts the Earrings to his Teacher’s Wife in the Nick of Time
Uttanka Pursues the Serpent King Takshaka
Note: In the previous post, we read about how the queen gave Uttanka her earrings but also warned him that the serpent king, Takshaka, coveted those earrings too. Sometime after leaving Paushya’s kingdom, Uttanka put the earrings on the ground when he went to perform his ablutions. However, while he was cleaning himself, a beggar stole those earrings and ran away. In this post, we will learn more about the beggar and how Uttanka pursued him.
Utanka first completed his ablutions in water, purified himself, and reverently bowed down to the gods and his spiritual masters. After that, he chased the thief and overtook him with great difficulty. However, the moment he seized the thief, the beggar changed his form and stood before Uttanka as his real self – that of Takshaka, the serpent king.
Upon returning to his real form, Takshaka, the serpent, entered a large hole in the ground and proceeded toward the region of the serpents (his abode).
This is when Uttank recollected the queen’s words about how Takshaka also coveted the same earrings. The hole that Takshaka had entered was large for a snake but small for a human, so Uttanka began to expand the hole with his stick to pursue the serpent, but he wasn’t able to make much progress.
When Indra, the king of the Gods, noticed Uttanka’s problem, he sent his thunderbolt to the brahmin boy. That thunderbolt entered Uttanka’s stick and rapidly enlarged the hole leading the way for Uttanka to follow. Following his stick powered by the thunderbolt, Uttanka went deep into the earth until he reached the region of the serpents.
The region was vast. It felt like it extended infinitely in all directions. There were hundreds of elegant mansions with gateways, turrets, and domes. There were also wonderful places for entertainment and games.
Uttanka glorified the serpents with the following shlokas (verses).
“O Serpents, subjects of King Airavata, you are splendid in battle and shower weapons in the field like lightning-charged clouds driven by the winds!
You are handsome and of various forms and decked with many colored earrings, you children of Airavata, you shine like the Sun in the firmament!
On the northern banks of the Ganges, there are many habitations of serpents. There I constantly adore the great serpents. Who except Airavata would desire to move in the burning rays of the Sun? When Dhritarashtra (Airavata’s brother) goes out, twenty-eight thousand and eight serpents follow him as his attendants. You who move near him and you who stay at a distance from him, I adore all of you that have Airavata for your elder brother!
O Takshaka, to obtain the earrings, I adore you also. You, who formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava!
Takshaka and Aswasena, you are constant companions who dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati!
I also adore the illustrious Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, who resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with the intention of becoming the chief of the serpents!”
Thus, Rishi Uttanka glorified Takshaka to obtain the earrings from him. However, his attempt did not succeed. Takshaka did not return the earrings.
Note: In the next post, we’ll find out how Uttanka got the earrings from Takshaka.
Table of Contents
Previous: Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Next: Takshaka Returns the Earrings to Uttanka
The Quarrel Between Uttanka and Paushya
Note: In the previous post, we read about how the queen happily gave Uttanka her earrings. The king, Paushya, requested him to stay back to perform a shraddha ceremony. When Uttanka requested food, he was served cold food with hair in it. This enraged Uttanka which resulted in a quarrel between him and the king. In this post, we will find out what happened when they quarreled.
Angry at having received unclean food, Uttanka said to the king, “You have given me unclean food, therefore, you will lose your sight.”
Hearing Uttanka’s words, Paushya also became angry and cursed him back saying, “You have falsely labeled cleaned food as unclean, therefore, you will not have any children.”
“It doesn’t befit you to curse me in return after having offered me unclean food. Here, you can see for yourself that the food is truly unclean,” Uttanla replied.
When Paushya examined the food, he realized that it was indeed unclean. It was cold and had hair in it because it was prepared by a woman with unbraided hair. Paushya tried to pacify Uttanka by saying, “Sir, the food is indeed cold and it contains hair. It has been prepared without sufficient care. I pray to you, please pardon me. Let me not become blind.”
Uttanka replied, “What I have said will happen. I cannot prevent that. However, you will regain your sight soon after losing it. Now, grant me that your curse also does not have any effect on me.”
Paushya, however, was not calm enough to take back his curse. He said, “I am unable to take back my curse because my anger has not yet calmed down. You may not be able to understand this because a brahmana’s heart is soft even though his words may be sharp. In the case of a kshatriya, it is the opposite. His words are soft but his heart is like a sharp-edged tool. I am unable to neutralize my curse because of the hardness of my heart. Therefore, you will have to go without me being able to take back what I said.”
Uttanka replied, “Even though I showed you that the food offered by you was indeed unclean, I still softened my curse when you requested me to do so. However, you cursed me when you were in the wrong. Therefore, your curse will not have any effect on me. I am certain of this.”
Having said this, Uttanka took the earrings and left Paushya’s court to return to his teacher’s house.
On the way, Uttanka noticed a naked idle beggar who was sometimes seen, and sometimes he disappeared. However, Uttanka did not pay much attention to this beggar. He put the earrings on the ground and went to clean himself with water.
In the meantime, the beggar quickly came to that spot, took the earrings, and ran away.
Note: In the next post, we will read about who the beggar was and what Uttanka did when the earrings were stolen.
Table of Contents
Previous: Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Next: Uttanka Pursues the Serpent King Takshaka to get the Stolen Earrings
Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Note: In the previous post, Rishi Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to bring her the earrings of King Paushya’s wife as guru dakshina. In today’s post, we will see what happened when Uttanka went to Paushya’s palace to ask for the earrings.
Uttanka left Sage Veda’s house to go to Paushya’s kingdom. On the way, he saw a huge bull with a large man seated on it. The man said to Uttanka, “Eat this bull’s dung.”
Uttanka hesitated, but the man insisted, saying, “O Uttanka, don’t think so much about it. Your teacher has also eaten this bull’s dung in the past.”
Uttanka agreed when he heard this. He ate the dung and drank the urine of the bull, got up respectfully, washed his hands and mouth, and resumed his journey.
When Uttanka arrived at Paushya’s palace, he saw the king seated on his throne. Uttanka greeted the monarch respectfully, pronounced blessings on him, and said, “I’ve come to request something from you.”
Paushya also greeted Uttanka and replied, “Sir, what may I do for you?”
“I’ve come here to beg from you a pair of earrings that I want to gift to my teacher. It is therefore befitting that you give me the earrings worn by the queen,” Uttanka replied.
“O Uttanka, go to the women’s chambers and ask the queen for her earrings,” Paushya said.
However, when Uttanka went to the women’s chambers, he did not find the queen there. A little upset, he returned to Paushya and said, “O king, it is not proper for you to deceive me. The queen is not in her chamber.”
Paushya thought for a moment and replied, “The queen is very pure and chaste. Therefore, she can be seen only by those people who are perfectly pure and have not come into contact with anything impure.”
Uttanka reflected for a moment and said, “After having my meal, I performed my ablutions while standing. Maybe that is why I could not see her.”
“Yes, that’s a transgression. A person cannot purify himself properly while standing or walking,” Paushya said.
Uttanka agreed with the king’s logic and went to clean himself properly.
He sat down facing the east and washed his face, hands, and legs thoroughly. Then he took some clean water, that was free of froth and not too warm, and drank it twice, taking just enough so that it would reach his stomach immediately. After that, he cleaned his eyes, ears, and other openings of his body by touching them with water.
Thus having cleaned himself properly, Uttanka, once again went to the women’s chambers.
This time, he was able to see the queen.
The queen greeted Uttanka respectfully and said, “Welcome sir, please tell me, what can I do for you?”
“I have come to beg for your earrings which I wish to take as a present for my teacher,” Uttanka replied.
The queen was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct and felt that he was worthy of charity. She took off her earrings and gave them to Uttanka saying, “You will have to carry these earrings very carefully because Takshaka, the king of serpents, also covets them.”
“Don’t worry O queen, Takshaka, will not be able to take these earrings from me,” Uttanka assured the queen. He took the queen’s leave and went to express his gratitude to Paushya.
However, Paushya requested Uttanka to stay in his palace a little longer because a person worthy of charity (like Uttanka) rarely visited his palace. He requested Uttanka to perform a shraddha ceremony.
Uttanka agreed and requested the king for some clean food to eat. When the food was brought to him, Uttanka realized that it was cold and there was hair in the food.
Being served unclean food displeased Uttanka.
Table of Contents
Previous: Rishi Veda’s Wife Puts Uttanka in a Dilemma
Next: The Quarrel Between Uttanka and Paushya
Rishi Veda’s Wife Puts Uttanka in a Dilemma
Note: In the previous post, we read that Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya’s disciple Veda was appointed as King Janamejaya’s upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after his appointment, he had to leave home due to some work related to a sacrifice. Before leaving, he entrusted his disciple, Uttanka, to take care of his house and do everything that he (Veda) would have done.
Uttanka, stayed at his teacher Veda’s house, ever mindful of his teacher’s instructions.
One day, the women in Rishi Veda’s house approached Uttanka and said, “O Uttanka, the mistress of this house is in the season when a connection, similar to that of a couple in marriage, may be fruitful. Rishi Veda is absent, so you have to perform what needs to be done, instead of him.”
Uttanka answered, “I cannot do this. My teacher has not instructed me to do that which is improper.”
When Veda returned from his journey and learned what had happened, he was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct. He called Uttanks and said, “Uttanka, my child, you have served me well. Your restraint has increased our friendship. Therefore, I give you permission to leave. Go where you choose and may your wishes be fulfilled.”
Uttanka, however, insisted on giving his teacher a guru dakshina. He replied to his teacher, Veda, “The person who teaches incorrectly and one who receives teachings incorrectly, are doomed to enmity, and one of them dies. Therefore, I wish to do something for you as an honorarium.”
Instead of asking Uttanka to do some task for him, Veda simply asked him to stay at his house for some more time.
After some time had passed, Uttanka approached his teacher and said, “Please command me to bring whatever you desire.”
However, Veda did not want anything for himself, so he told Uttanka to ask his wife if she wanted anything.
Uttanka, went to his teacher’s wife and requested her to ask for something so he could leave their house without being in their debt.
Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to go to King Paushya’s kingdom and bring the queen’s earrings for her. She said, “The fourth day from today is sacred. Several brahmanas will come to dine at this house. I wish to wear those earrings when I appear before them.”
She continued, “Accomplish this task, O Uttanka, and if you succeed, you will have good fortune, but if you don’t, then it will be difficult for good fortune to come to you.”
Note: In the next post, we will find out what happens when Uttanka goes to Paushya’s kingdom.
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Previous: Rishi Veda Chooses to be a Teacher and Enter Into Domestic Life
Next: Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Destiny Tests Uttanka (Rishi Veda’s Disciple)
Image: Uttanka received earrings from King Paushya’s wife.
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Previous Post: Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya Tests His Pupils
Rishi Veda is Appointed as Janamejaya’s Upadhyaya
After passing Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya’s test, Veda entered worldly life, got married, and had his own disciples over time. One such disciple was Uttanka. Having learned under a teacher who although loving was a hard taskmaster, he did not want to subject his pupils to harsh discipline. Therefore, he never forced them to obey his commands or perform difficult tasks.
One day, King Janamejaya and Paushya came to Veda’s residence and appointed him as their Upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after being appointed the Upadhyaya, Veda had to leave his house to attend to work related to a yajna. Before leaving, he asked Uttanka to take care of the house in his absence. His parting words to Uttanka were:
“Do whatever needs to be done in my house without neglect.”
Having said these words, Rishi Veda left to attend to his work.
Uttanka’s Respect & Restraint
Uttanka stayed back ever mindful of his teacher’s instructions.
One day, the women in Rishi Veda’s house approached Uttanka and said, “O Uttanka, the mistress of this house is in the season when a sexual connection may be fruitful for bearing children. The rishi has gone out for work, so, in his absence, you have to perform what needs to be done.”
Uttanka answered, “I cannot do this. My teacher has not instructed me to do that which is improper.”
When Rishi Veda returned from his journey and learned what had happened, he was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct. He called Uttanka and said, “Uttanka, my child, you have served me well. Your restraint has increased our friendship. Therefore, I give you permission to leave. Go where you choose and may your wishes be fulfilled.”
Uttanka, however, insisted on giving guru-dakshina to his teacher. He replied, “The person who teaches incorrectly and one who receives teachings incorrectly, are doomed to enmity, and one of them dies. Therefore, I wish to do something for you as an honorarium.”
Instead of asking Uttanka to do some task, Veda simply asked him to stay at his house for some more time.
After some time had passed, Uttanka once again asked Rishi Veda to give him a task. However, Veda did not want anything for himself, so he told Uttanka to ask his wife if she wanted anything.
Uttanka went to his teacher’s wife and requested her to ask for something so he could leave their house without being in indebted to them.
Veda’s wife asked Uttanka to go to King Paushya’s kingdom and bring the queen’s earrings for her. She said, “The fourth day from today is sacred. Several brahmanas will come to dine at this house. I wish to wear those earrings when I appear before them. Accomplish this task, O Uttanka. You will have good fortune if you succeed, but if you don’t, then it will be difficult for good fortune to come to you.”
Uttanka Goes to Paushya’s Kingdom
Having received his guru-ma’s command, Uttanka left for Paushya’s kingdom. On the way, he saw a huge bull with a large man seated on it. The man said to Uttanka, “Eat this bull’s dung.”
Uttanka hesitated, but the man insisted, saying, “O Uttanka, don’t think so much about it. Your teacher has also eaten this bull’s dung in the past.”
Uttanka agreed when he heard this. He ate the dung and drank the urine of the bull, got up respectfully, washed his hands and mouth, and resumed his journey.
Uttanka soon reached Paushya’s palace where he blessed the king and explained why he had come to his palace.
Upon hearing Uttanka’s request, King Paushya said, “O Uttanka, go to the women’s chambers and ask the queen for her earrings.”
However, when Uttanka went to the women’s chambers, he did not find the queen there. A little upset, he returned to Paushya and said, “O king, it is not proper for you to deceive me. The queen is not in her chamber.”
Paushya thought for a moment and replied, “The queen is very pure and chaste. Therefore, she can be seen only by those people who are perfectly pure and have not come into contact with anything impure.”
Uttanka reflected for a moment and said, “After having my meal, I performed my ablutions while standing. Maybe that is why I could not see her.”
“Yes, that’s a transgression. A person cannot purify himself properly while standing or walking,” Paushya said.
Uttanka agreed with the king’s logic and went to clean himself properly.
He sat down facing the east and washed his face, hands, and legs thoroughly. Then he took some clean water, that was free of froth and not too warm, and drank it twice, taking just enough so that it would reach his stomach immediately. After that, he cleaned his eyes, ears, and other openings of his body by touching them with water.
Thus, having cleaned himself properly, Uttanka, once again went to the women’s chambers.
This time, he was able to see the queen.
The queen greeted Uttanka respectfully and asked him what he wanted.
Uttanka replied, “I have come to beg for your earrings which I wish to take as a present for my guru-ma”
The queen was pleased with Uttanka’s conduct and felt that he was worthy of charity. She took off her earrings and gave them to Uttanka saying, “You will have to carry these earrings very carefully because Takshaka, the king of serpents, also covets them.”
“Don’t worry O queen, Takshaka, will not be able to take these earrings from me,” Uttanka assured. After thanking the queen, he took her leave and went to express his gratitude to Paushya.
The Quarrel Between Uttanka and Paushya
Paushya requested Uttanka to stay in his palace a little longer to perform a shraddha ceremony.
Uttanka agreed and requested the king for some clean food to eat. When the food was brought to him, Uttanka noticed that it was cold and there was hair in the food.
The unclean food displeased Uttanka.
Uttanka became angry and said to the king, “You have given me unclean food, therefore, you will lose your sight.”
Hearing Uttanka’s words, Paushya also became angry and cursed him back saying, “You have falsely labelled cleaned food as unclean, therefore, you will not have any children.”
“It doesn’t befit you to curse me in return after having offered me unclean food. Here, you can see for yourself that the food is truly unclean,” Uttanla replied.
When Paushya examined the food, he realised that it was indeed unclean. It was cold and had hair in it because it was prepared by a woman who had not braided her hair. Paushya tried to pacify Uttanka by saying, “Sir, the food is indeed cold and it contains hair. It has been prepared without sufficient care. I pray to you, please pardon me. Let me not become blind.”
Uttanka replied, “What I have said will happen. I cannot prevent that. However, you will regain your sight soon after losing it. Now, grant me that your curse also does not have any effect on me.”
Paushya, however, did not take back his curse. He said, “I am unable to take back my curse because my anger has not yet calmed down. You may not be able to understand this because a brahmana’s heart is soft even though his words may be sharp. In the case of a kshatriya, it is the opposite. His words are soft but his heart is like a sharp-edged tool. I am unable to neutralise my curse because of the hardness of my heart.”
Uttanka replied, “Even though I showed you that the food offered by you was indeed unclean, I still softened my curse when you requested me to do so. However, you cursed me when you were in the wrong. Therefore, your curse will not have any effect on me. I am certain of this.”
Having said this, Uttanka took the earrings and left Paushya’s court to return to his teacher’s house.
The Serpent King, Takshaka, Steals the Earrings
On the way, Uttanka noticed a naked idle beggar who came in and out of his vision. Uttanka did not pay much attention to this beggar. He put the earrings on the ground and went to clean himself in a body of water.
In the meantime, the beggar, whom Uttanka had ignored, took the earrings and ran away.
Utanka noticed the thief, but he decided to complete his ablutions. Having purified himself, he bowed to the Gods and his spiritual teachers, and after that, he chased the thief and overtook him with great difficulty. However, the moment he seized the thief, the beggar changed his form and stood before Uttanka as his real self – that of Takshaka, the serpent king.
Having returned to his real form, Takshaka the serpent entered a large hole in the ground and proceeded toward the region of the serpents, which was also his own abode.
Uttanka Pursues Takshaka
Seeing Takshaka slither into the ground helped Uttanka remember the queen’s words about how Takshaka also coveted the same earrings. The hole that Takshaka had entered was wide enough for snakes but too small for humans. Uttanka picked up a stick and began expanding the hole to pursue the serpent, but he wasn’t able to make much progress.
When Indra, the king of the Gods, noticed Uttanka’s problem, he sent his thunderbolt to the brahmin boy. That thunderbolt entered Uttanka’s stick and rapidly enlarged the hole leading the way for Uttanka to follow. Following his stick powered by the thunderbolt, Uttanka went deep into the earth until he reached the region of the serpents.
The region was vast. It felt like it extended infinitely in all directions. There were hundreds of elegant mansions with gateways, turrets, and domes. There were also wonderful places for entertainment and games.
Uttanka glorified the serpents with the following shlokas.
Uttanka Retrieves The Earrings From Takshaka
Uttanka was hoping that Takshaka would return the earrings after he glorified him and the serpents. But he didn’t respond to Uttanka’s praises. When Uttanka realized that Takshaka wasn’t going to return the earrings, he looked around and thought of an alternate plan.
As he looked around, he noticed two women at a loom weaving a piece of cloth with black and white threads. The warp was of white thread and the weft, which was of black thread, was being woven using a very fine tool.
Near the loom was a wheel with twelve spokes. It was being turned by six boys. He also noticed a man with a healthy and well-groomed horse. Uttanka addressed them with the following mantras.
“This wheel whose circumference is marked by twenty-four divisions representing lunar fortnights is furnished with three hundred spokes! It is kept in continuous motion by six boys representing the six seasons!
These two women representing universal nature are continuously weaving a cloth of black and white threads, ushering into existence the manifold worlds and the beings that live in those worlds.
O wielder of the thunder, the protector of the universe, the slayer of Vritra and Namuchi. O illustrious one, wearing the black cloth, you show truth and untruth in the universe. You own the horse which was received from the depths of the ocean. This horse is another form of Agni (the God of fire). I bow to you, O supreme Lord of the three worlds. O Purandara!”
Note: Purandara is another name for Indra.
Hearing these words, the man with the horse said to Uttanka, “I am gratified by your adoration and I want to do something good for you. What can I do?”
Uttanka replied, “Help me bring the serpents under my control.”
“Blow into this horse,” the man said.
Uttanka did as he was told and the moment he blew into the horse, fire and smoke came out from the horse’s ears, nose, and every opening. The fire along with the smoke began to spread over the entire region of the serpents.
Takshaka was so surprised and shaken by what was happening that he rushed out of hiding and returned the earrings to Uttanka.
When Uttanka took the earrings, he realized that today was the sacred day when his guru-ma wanted to wear the earrings. He needed to give them to her immediately, however, he was very far from his teacher’s house. Uttanka was once again in a fix because there was no way he could reach his teacher’s house on time.
Uttanka Gifts The Earrings To His Teacher’s Wife
Upon seeing Uttanka anxious about running out of time, the man standing next to the horse, said, “Ride this horse, Utanka. He will take you within a moment to your master’s house.’
Uttanka mounted the horse and immediately reached his teacher’s house.
Uttanka’s guru-ma, Veda’s wife, had just finished bathing and was dressing her hair. She was thinking to herself what curse she should give Uttanka if he did not return on time. However, Uttanka did return on time and respectfully presented the earrings to her.
Rishi Veda’s wife addressed Uttanka, saying, “Uttanka, welcome my child. You have arrived at the proper time and at the proper place. You are innocent. Therefore, I will not curse you. Good fortune lies before you. May you be successful in obtaining your wishes.”
After giving the earrings, Uttanka went to his teacher – Rishi Veda. The rishi said to Uttanka, “Welcome to the ashram. What happened that caused you to get delayed?”
Uttanka told his teacher about Takshaka stealing the earrings and that he had to go to the region of the Nagas to get them back. Uttanka also described what he saw in the region of the Nagas: the two ladies who were weaving cloth with black and white threads, the wheel with twelve spokes that was kept in motion by six boys, the man, and the extraordinary horse. Uttannka also told his teacher about the man sitting on the large bull, who he met on the way to Paushya’s palace, and how that man had lovingly asked him to eat the bull’s dung.
After telling Rishi Veda all the details, Uttanka requested his teacher to enlighten him about everything he saw and all the people he met.
Next Post: Uttanka Goes to Hastinapur to Meet Janamejaya
In Praise of the Serpents
“O Serpents, subjects of King Airavata, you are splendid in battle and shower weapons in the field like lightning-charged clouds driven by the winds!
You are handsome and of various forms and decked with many coloured earrings, you children of Airavata, you shine like the Sun in the firmament!
On the northern banks of the Ganges, there are many habitations of serpents. There I constantly adore the great serpents. Who except Airavata would desire to move in the burning rays of the Sun? When Dhritarashtra (Airavata’s brother) goes out, twenty-eight thousand and eight serpents follow him as his attendants. You who move near him and you who stay at a distance from him, I adore all of you that have Airavata for your elder brother!
O Takshaka, to obtain the earrings, I adore you also. You, who formerly dwelt in Kurukshetra and the forest of Khandava!
Takshaka and Aswasena, you are constant companions who dwell in Kurukshetra on the banks of the Ikshumati!
I also adore the illustrious Srutasena, the younger brother of Takshaka, who resided at the holy place called Mahadyumna with the intention of becoming the chief of the serpents!”
Rishi Veda Chooses to be a Teacher and Enter Into Domestic Life
After passing the test his teacher had designed for him, Veda entered the domestic mode of life and had three disciples learning from him. Having learned under a teacher who although loving was a hard taskmaster, he did not want to subject his pupils to harsh discipline. Therefore, he never forced them to obey his commands or perform difficult tasks.
One day, King Janamejaya and Paushya came to Veda’s residence and appointed him as their Upadhyaya (spiritual guide). Sometime after being appointed the Upadhyaya, Veda had to leave his house to attend to work related to a yagna. Before leaving, he asked one of his disciples (Uttanka) to take care of the house in his absence. His parting words to Uttanka were:
“Do whatever needs to be done in my house without neglect.”
Having said these words, Veda left to attend to his work.
Image credit: https://in.pinterest.com/pin/691302611522903003/
Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya Tests his Pupil Veda
Note: In the last three posts, we saw how Ayoda-Dhaumya tested two of three pupils: Aruni and Upamanyu. In this short post, we’ll see how he tested his third pupil, Veda.
Ayoda-Dhaumya called Veda and said to him, “Veda, my child, spend some time in my house and serve your teacher.”
Veda did as his teacher said and stayed for a long time in Ayoda-Dhaumya’s house with his family and served them. Just like an ox, he bore heat, cold, hunger, and thirst while serving his teacher and the teacher’s family, without complaining even once.
Veda’s trial got over with Ayoda-Dhaumya’s satisfaction, and as a result of serving his teacher to his satisfaction, Veda obtained good fortune and universal knowledge.
Note: You might have noticed that Veda’s trial was the most difficult and lengthy in comparison to Aruni’s trial and Upamanyu’s trial. It also involved Veda spending a large amount of time at Ayoda-Dhaumya’s house. This is because Veda was the most promising pupil. By staying with Ayoda-Dhaumya for such a long time, during his trial, the teacher was able to judge Veda’s resolve and spiritual fitness for receiving all the knowledge he had. Finally, when Ayoda-Dhaumya was satisfied, he taught Veda everything he knew.
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Previous: Upamanyu Glofies the Aswin Twins to Regain his Eyesight
Upamanyu Glorifies the Aswin Twins to Regain his Eyesight
Note: In the previous post, Upamanyu lost his eyesight after eating Arka leaves in the forest and fell into a pit. When his teacher Ayoda-Dhaumya saw his state, he advised Upamanyu to sing the glories of the Aswin Twins, the physicians of the Gods, to restore his eyesight.
As directed by his teacher, Upamanyu began to glorify the Aswin twins, in the following words from the Rig Veda:
You have existed before creation itself!
O first-born beings, you are glorious in this wondrous universe of five elements!
I desire to obtain you with the help of the knowledge derived from hearing and meditation, for you are infinite!
You are the course of nature itself and the intelligent soul that pervades that course!
You are birds of beauteous feathers perched on the tree (the human body)!
You are free of the three lower attributes! You are incomparable! You pervade the universe through your spirit in every created thing,!
“You are golden Eagles!
You are the essence into which all things disappear!
You are free from error and know no deterioration! You are like beautiful beaks that would not strike unjustly and are victorious in every encounter!
You certainly prevail over time! Having created the sun, you weave the wondrous cloth of the year by means of the white thread of the day and the black thread of the night! And with the cloth so woven, you have established two courses of distinct action for the devas and pitris.
The bird of life seized by time, which represents the strength of the infinite soul, you set the soul free and deliver her into great happiness!
Ignorant people (deluded by their senses) may assign a form to you, but you are free of any attributes of physicality!
If we think of the 365 days of the year as cows, then these cows together produce a calf which we call one year. This calf (time) is the creator and destroyer of everything. Seekers of truth may follow different routes but they draw the milk of true knowledge with the help of this calf (time). You Aswins are the creators of that calf which is time.
A year is like a wheel that has 720 spokes, each representing days and nights. The circumference of this wheel representing the 12 months is without any end. This wheel is full of delusions and knows no deterioration. It affects all creatures of all worlds. O Aswins, this wheel of time is set in motion by you!
If the wheel of time represents a year, its nave represents the six seasons. The 12 spokes of the wheel represent the twelve signs of the zodiac. This wheel of time manifests the fruits of the actions of all things. The presiding deities of time abide in this wheel. I am subject to its distressful influence. O Aswins, please liberate me from this wheel of time.
O Aswins, you are this universe of five elements! You are the objects that are enjoyed in this and in the other world! Make me independent of the five elements! And though you are the Supreme Brahma, you move over the Earth in forms enjoying the delights that the senses afford.
In the beginning, you created the ten points of the universe! Then you placed the Sun and the Sky above! The Rishis, perform their sacrifices according to the course of the same Sun. The Gods and humans also perform their rites according to what is appropriate for them and enjoy the fruits of those acts!
Mixing the three colors, you have produced all the objects of sight! The universe in which Gods, humans, and all creatures endued with life are engaged in their respective work springs forth from these objects of sight!
You Aswins, I adore you! I also adore the Sky which you have created! You are the ordainers of the fruits of all acts from which even the gods are not free! However, you yourselves are free from the fruits of your actions!
You are the parents of all! When humans eat their food, it is you who take the food and convert it into life-creating fluid and blood. When a newborn child sucks the milk of its mother, it is you who takes the shape of that infant. O Aswins, grant me my sight to protect my life!
The Aswin twins, thus invoked, appeared before Upamanyu and said:
“We are satisfied. Take this cake and eat it.”
Upamanyu replied, “Your words, O Aswins, have never proved untrue, but I cannot eat this cake without first offering it to my teacher.”
The Aswin twins said to Upamanyu, “In the past, we had given such a cake to your teacher also, however, he ate it without offering it to his teacher. Now it is your turn to do what your teacher did.”
Upamanyu did not relent. He replied to the Aswins, “O Aswins, I seek your pardon, but I cannot eat this cake without offering it to my teacher.”
The Aswins, happy with Upamanyu’s devotion, said, “Upamanyu, we are pleased with your devotion towards your teacher. Your teacher’s teeth are of black iron, yours shall be of gold. Your eyesight will be restored and you will have good fortune.”
Upamanyu recovered his eyesight as the Aswins had promised.
Upamanyu’s teacher, Ayoda-Dhaumya, was also very pleased with Upamanyu and said: “You will obtain prosperity as the Aswin twins have said. Along with prosperity, all the Vedas and the Dharma-Shastras will also shine in you.”
Thus the trial of Upamanyu was over.
Note: At first, it may seem that Upamanyu was pandering to the ego of the deity by singling its glories. However, it’s not that. By glorifying a deity from our hearts, we purify our minds and energy and prepare ourselves to receive the deity’s blessings.
You will also notice that these verses from the Rig Veda contain spiritual and scientific truths encoded within them. That is because, in ancient India, science and the spirit were never considered different. They were both studied equally. The former through outer measurement and the latter through inner meditation.
This incident of losing and regaining one’s eyesight can also be seen as losing and regaining spiritual discernment.
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Next: Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya Tests his Pupil Veda
Image Credit: Dhumavati. The image has been shared in the public domain at https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47645999
Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya Tests His Pupils
Rishi Ayodha-Dhaumya had three disciples: Aruni, Upamanyu, and Veda. One day, the rishi decided to test his disciples. What follows is an interesting story of how the rishi tested his disciples and how they fared.
Aruni’s Test
Upamanyu’s Test
Veda’s Test
Next: Rishi Veda Chooses to be a Teacher and Enter Into Domestic Life
Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya Tests His Pupil Upamanyu
Note: In the previous post, we saw that about the same time king Janamejaya marched to Takshashila, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya decided to test his three pupils, starting with Aruni.
In the Mahabharata, we often find the main storyline going off on such tangents. However, every tangent has a purpose and it always merges into the main storyline soon.
This tangent will also come together with Janamejaya soon, but for now, let’s enjoy the Puranic story of how rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya tested his second pupil, Upamanyu.
After testing Aruni, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya addressed his pupil Upamanyu:
“My child, Upamanyu, go and look after the cows.”
Upamanyu, having received instructions from his teacher, spent the entire day looking after the cows and returned to his teacher’s house in the evening. Upamanyu stood before the rishi and bowed to him respectfully.
The rishi seeing Upamanyu looking very plump asked him: “Upamanyu, my child, you are very plump. How do you support yourself?”
“Sir, I support myself by begging for food,” Upamanyu replied.
Rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya thought for a moment and said, “You should not eat the alms you obtain by begging without first offering them to me.”
The next day, Upamanyu went to his teacher with everything he had obtained in alms. The rishi took all the food leaving Upamanyu with nothing to support himself during the day when he would tend to the cows.
That day, once again, Upamanyu returned to the rishi, after completing his work, in the evening and bowed to his teacher with respect.
The rishi looked at Upamanyu and asked, “My child, Upamanyu, I took all your food in the morning, but you still look quite healthy. How did you support yourself today?”
Upamanyu replied, “Sir, after giving you all the food I obtained in alms, I went begging once again for my own food.”
“This is not the way you should obey your teacher, my child,” the rishi said. “By begging for food twice, you are depriving others who support themselves through alms.”
Upamanyu promised his teacher that he would not beg for food twice. The next day, after offering the alms to his teacher, he again spent the day looking after his teacher’s cows and returned to his teacher in the evening.
The rishi observed that Upamanyu was still in good bodily condition.
“Upamanyu, my child, I take everything you obtain by alms and you don’t beg for alms for the second time, but you are still in a good bodily condition. How do you support yourself?”
“Sir, I drink the milk of these cows,” Upamanyu replied.
“Upamanyu, my child, it is not correct for you to take the cows’ milk without first asking for my consent.”
Upamanyu agreed with his teacher’s logic. The next day, the entire routine repeated. In the evening, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya was surprised to see Upamanyu in great condition. He asked Upamanyu how he supported himself without taking alms or drinking the cows’ milk.
“Sir, now I drink the froth that the calves throw out after suckling their mother’s milk.”
“No my child, you should not do that. The calves, out of compassion, are throwing out large amounts of froth to help you. By taking their froth, you are depriving them of the nourishment that is lawfully theirs.”
Upamanyu once again agreed with the logic of his teacher.
The next day, he did not eat any of the alms he had begged, nor did he drink the milk of the cows, and neither did he take the froth from the calves. By evening, he was very hungry. Unable to control himself, he ate some Arka leaves in the forest. The Arka leaves being harmful to humans because of their pungent, acrimonious, and saline properties, caused Upamanyu to lose his eyesight. Unable to see, he crawled about and fell into a pit.
When Upamanyu did not return by sunset, rishi Ayoda-Dhaumya along with the other students went to search for him. They went into the forest shouting, “Ho Upamanyu, where are you?”
“Here I am teacher, at the bottom of the pit,” Upamanyu shouted back when he heard the rishi’s voice.
Seeing Upamanyu’s condition, the rishi asked him what caused him to fall into the pit. Upamanyu told him about how he ate some leaves, lost his sight, and fell into the pit.
“Oh my child, glorify the Ashwin twins. They are the physicians of the Gods. They will restore your sight.”
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