Balarama’s Pilgrimage (Part 7)

Balarama travelled with his group to the hermitage of sage Bakadaalbhya along river Saraswati next. The sage had become famous from an encounter with Dhritarashtra. The sage was living in the hermitage when Balarama visited the place.

Bakadaalbhya

Sage Bakadaalbhya wanted to perform a twelve year long sacrificial ritual (Satra). This was done even before the one that was conducted in the Naimisha forest by Janamejaya. He wanted to get the cows to give away as Dakshina (gift) from Dhritarashtra. It is said that the king offered several dead cattle and said. “If you like, take these away for your ritual!” This was spoken in the open royal assembly in which several eminent guests were seated.

The sage got very angry for the rudeness on the part of the king. He could have refused

to give any. That was a different matter. What he did was an insult. It is said that the sage went back with the dead cattle. He, then, performed a sacrifice with the meat intending the destruction of the kingdom of the Kurus.

Soon, Dhritarashtra found that his kingdom started decaying for no apparent reason. He tried several remedies, but, nothing worked. He, then, consulted some astrologers. They found out about the disastrous ritual that was done by the sage.

Dhritarashtra felt sorry for what he had done. He went to the sage taking with him a large number of excellent cattle and other gifts. The king apologized to the sage profusely and offered all the gifts he had carried with him. Apparently, the sage was pacified. He, then, conducted a different ritual, this time for the well being of the Kauravas. The land of the Kurus prospered from that time onwards.

Balarama took a holy dip in the river, performed charities at that place and went to the holy waters of Saraswati where king Yayati had performed rituals.

(I find it very hard to make meaningful stories from the rest of Balarama’s pilgrimage. Hence, we return to Arshajnanam and continue with the battle between Bhima and Duryodhana).

Balarama’s Pilgrimage (Part 6)

Balarama continued with his journey visiting places of great spiritual heritage along the banks of the river, Saraswati. Where he stopped next had its fame because several great sages had performed deep penances there. One was AarshtisheNa who gave up studying the Vedas finding no end to what remained to be learned. It is said that he went to that spot and meditated deeply for a long period. At the end, it is reported that all the Vedas appeared to him in a vision. The sage felt extremely pleased with his achievement and blessed the place with holiness. He proclaimed. “Those who take a dip in Saraswati here shall earn enough merit as though they have performed a horse sacrifice (ASwamedha)”. Then, he ascended to heaven.

ViSwaamitra

ViSwaamitra was a Vedic seer. He was born in a royal family as the son of king Gaathi. He ascended the throne at the death of his father. The sage appears in the story of RaamaayanNa.

During those days the demons (Raakhshasas) used to terrify the land of ViSwaamitra. The king once went on a hot chase of the demons with a vast army. He soon ended up in a forest. Unwittingly his army had ransacked the very same forest in which the great sage Vasishtha had his hermitage. The sage became very angry with the rude intrusion.

Vasishtha had a divine cow which was capable of fulfilling every wish of the sage (Kaamadhenu). He asked his cow to produce an army and destroy the soldiers of ViSwaaqmitra with its help.

Soon ViSwaamitra found a large number of hunters appearing from nowhere and annihilating his own army in front of his eyes. He also could see the sage standing nearby unarmed and unperturbed, giving cool orders against his men.

It was a great revelation to the king that his powers as the supreme monarch of the land was nothing compared to what the frail looking sage acquired through penance. It was also a challenge to him, to meet his adversary on equal footing.

ViSwaamitra gave up his throne and his entire royal belongings. He went to a forest and started meditating. His sole aim was to match the powers sage Vasishtha. Gradually, the king increased the intensity of his penance, giving up all food and drinks.

Soon, Brahma appeared before him ready to grant boons. What would the monk want? Wealth, powers, good life? ViSwaamitra asked for Brahminhood, nothing less. It is said that the god conferred the status to the king at the end.

It is said that two other sages, Sindhudweepa and Devaapi, born into non-Brahmin communities attained Brahminhood through meditation at the very same place .

There are several stories associated with him, especially, about his quarrel with the sage Vasishtha which is the theme of this story. The latter also happens to play a central role in RaamaayaNa, being the chief priest of Rama’s royal family.

Before we continue with the pilgrimage of Balarama let us return briefly to the main story of Mahabharatam. Henceforth, we may follow that pattern of making a little head way with the war along with the stories of pilgrimage of the great Yadava prince.

Balarama’s Pilgrimage ( Part 5 )

Sukra Teertham (The sacred waters of Sukra)

Balarama’s next halt was at the holy place of sage Sukra. He is considered to be the chief priest of the demons (Asuras). There is a celebrated treatise on moral codes attributed to the sage (Sukra Neeti) which is said to have been compiled at that place. There is a story of sage Mahodara (one with a big belly) who got a big relief from serious trouble there. As requested by Janamejaya, sage VaiSampaayana narrates the story.

The skull that was stuck

He story is linked to the RamayaNa epic. Rama was staying in the “danDaka” forests killing ferocious demons (Raakshasas) to protect the rituals of sages. When sage Mahodara passed through the forest the skull of one of the demons got stuck on his foot. The skull penetrated into the sage’s foot and created a deep wound. The sage tried all sorts of remedies. Nothing worked. He tried meditation. He also visited all the famous pilgrimage centres as advised by other sages. The skull remained stuck on his foot.

Finally, sage Mahodara reached the holy place of Sukra. As soon as his foot touched the sacred waters there the skull came off. The wound also healed within no time. The sage was greatly relieved. Because of this the place became famous under the name of Kapaala mocanam (relief from the skull).

Balarama paid homage to the sages there, honoured the Brahmins who had assembled and proceeded further.

Rushangu Teertham

The next visit of the Yadava chief was to the hermitage of sage Rushangu. The sage in old age was looking for a suitable place to end his life. That was an accepted custom those days to take voluntary death (Swacchanda Mrutyu). He asked his sons to take him to a place where there was plenty of water. His sons brought him to the shores of river Saraswati. The sage found the place so holy that he embraced death there. Before dying he told his sons. “Those who end their lives here shall not have to take re-births any more”.

Balarama performed the ritual bath and made the people assembled there happy with food and gifts and proceeded to the holy place where sage Viswamitra attained Brahminhood.

Balarama’s Pilgrimage (Part 4)

The pilgrims lead by Balarama reached the place called “the seven Saraswatis” (sapta saaraswata teertham)”. Janamejaya wanted to hear the story behind the seven Saraswati rivers and of sage MankaNaka who was associated with them. VaiSampaya, accordingly, started describing the origin of the rivers.

The sage recounted the name of the seven rivers as Suprabha, Kaancanaakshi, ViSaala, Manorama, Oghavati, SureNu and Vimalodaya. All of them made their appearance at the call of celebrities.

1. Suprabha

The first was associated with the Yajna of Brahma, himself, at a place called Pushkara. It was a long ritual, called Satra, lasting several years. All the gods and a large number of famous sages were present at that time. The Gandharvas sang and the Apsaras danced in the assembly of the guests. It was a wonderful ceremony in all respects.

Yet, the Brahmins commented. “The sacrifice is not that great. We do not find river Saraswati”. When Brahma came to know of the remarks from the learned he meditated and the holy river appeared at the place immediately. It was named Suprabha, the one with an excellent glow of light.

2. Kaancanaakshi

A large number of celebrated sages assembled once in the place called Naimisha on another occasion. They also had started a Satra as done by Brahma. They spent their leisure time discussing Vedic matters and narrating various moral stories. There the sages meditated on Saraswati and immediately the sacred river appeared bearing the name Kaancanaakshi (one with golden eyes).

3. ViSaala

The famous king, Gaya, conducted a Yajna in the land, also named after him, where he prayed to the river to make her divine presence. Saraswati answered the prayer and made her appearance with the name ViSaala (one with a wide span).

4. Manorama

Uddaalaka was another celebrated sage. He held a great sacrificial rite at Kosala. When he worshipped the river in his mind the river appeared at that place which later became famous as Manorama (pleasing to the mind)

5. Oghavati

King Puru of Mahabharata fame conducted a Yajna in which sage Vasishtha was the main priest. Saraswati made her appearance there as desired by the sage. She, later, came to be known as Oghavati (one that creates floods).

6. SureNu

River Saraswati came to know as SureNu (one with good sand) where she appeared at the great sacrifice of Daksha at the foot of the Himalayas. The river came in response to the prayer of the sage.

7. Vimaloda

Saraswati appeared as Vimaloda (one with clear water) where Brahma, himself, conducted a Yajna near the Himalaya valley.

Sage MankaNaka

MankaNaka was a sage of great penance. Once, he saw an Apsara woman bathing naked in the river Saraswati. The sage lost his self control. The result was the birth of the seven great sages (“saptarshi”), said to be in the waters of the same river.

There is another story told about the same sage MankaNaka. His finger was once cut by the KuSa grass which is used extensively in rituals. But, instead of blood, what flowed from his fingers was something like water, as if a piece of vegetable was cut. The sage thought that it was because of his power from penance and was highly excited. He was beyond himself with happiness that started dancing.

The gods reported the matter to Lord Siva who appeared before the sage. The Lord asked the sage what the matter was. When he reported his experience Siva cut his own finger. Ashes appeared on his finger in place of blood. The sage felt humbled. He prayed to the Lord for forgiveness for his haughtiness. Siva was pleased. He left saying that the waters of the seven Saraswatis was so sacred that any one praying to him at the place shall reach salvation.

Balarama stayed one night at the holy place, keeping a fast. He prayed to the sage MankaNaka there and made various gifts Brahmins and left the following morning to his next destination.

(There is confusion whether the seven rivers is at the same or different places. The narration suggests differently at different times. This is being pursued for future clarification)

Balarama’s Pilgrimage (Part 3)

In this part we get a brief description of a few other holy places along the river Saraswati visited by Balarama. There is no story relating to any of these holy places as retold in Mahabharatam.

VinaSanam

The first was called VinaSanam (destruction). It got the name because the river just disappeared, may be underground, at that point. It is heard that the reason was the river’s anger to some tribes of people who must have misbehaved with the river. There is no more detail available about the disappearance. Balarama touched the water of the river before it disappears at that point.

Subhhomikam

The next holy place the Yadava prince visited was called Subhoomikam (good earth). It is said that Apasara women enjoy themselves in the water discarding all their modesty. Balabhadra found a large number of Gandharva and Apsara women assembled there. The Yadava chief took his bath and offered valuable gifts to Brahmins there.

Gandharvateertham

He next went to the pilgrimage centre called Gandharva Teertham (the holy place of Gandharvas). Balarama found several Gandharvas, both men and women, singing and dancing there. Visvaavasu, the great Gandharava sage, was with them. Balarama offered cows and other gifts o Brahmins there before proceeding ahead.

Gargateertham

Then, he reached the Teertha of Garga. Garga was a sage of great learning, especially in astronomy. He observed the movement of celestial objects at the bank of river Sarasvati there. Hence, the place got that name. Balarama gave valuable gifts to the sages assembled and food to Brahmins there.

Sankhateertham

The place Balarama went next was called Sankhateertham. There was a tall mountain in the shape of a white conch shell at the bank of river Sarasvati near there. There was also a sacred fruit bearing tree next to that. Yaksha, Vidyaadhara, PiSaacas and Raakshasaas meditated there, eating only the fruit of the tree for days together. (All are celestial beings below the rank of the gods. The first two are of benign nature and the other two are demons). It is said that they all attained salvation as a result. Even to this day, pilgrims, including celestial beings, visit the place and observe fast eating only the fruit of that tree.

Saaraswatateertham, Dwaitavanam

The Yadava pilgrimage reached Saaraswatateertham next and then to Dwaitavam (the forest called Dwaitam). Balarama performed various austerities at those places.

Naagadhanvateertham

The next holy place along the route was called Naagadhanvateertham at a great distance from there. It is said that the serpent, Vaasuki, lives there. The gods went there and made him the king of serpents with appropriate installation ceremonies. It is said that fourteen thousand sages live there at all times. There were a few other holy places along the route that Balarama visited as advised by the sages in his group.

Saraswati turns eastward

After a few days Balarama reached a place where the river turns eastwards. The story behind it is as follows. In the first epoch, called Krita, sages performed a great sacrificial ceremony called Satra that lasted twelve years in that place. Pilgrims arrived for the Satra in hundreds and thousands. Among them were celebrated sages known by the name of Baalakhilya, ASmakutta, Dantolookhali and Samprataakhya. Some among them fasted eating only leaves. Others stayed merely by drinking the river water. Yet others sustained themselves on air alone.

Those who came late started camping further and further to the east finding no place near the river bank. It is said that the river took pity on them and took a diversion eastwards passing through the places they encamped. Later, the river returned westwards and continued with its northward journey.

Balarama gave food and various gifts to all who were assembled there. He, then, proceeded to the holy place called Sapta Saaraswata Teertham (centre of the seven Saraswati rivers) which we shall cover in the next part.

Balarama’s Pilgrimage (Part 2)

Trita’s well

Balarama’s pilgrimage took him next to a holy well along the banks of the river Saraswati. VaiSampaayana narrated the story behind the place as requested by Janamejaya. These stories are worth reading as they tell us a great deal about the rich cultural traditions of the land.

Sage Trita

Sage Goutama was a seer of Rigvedic period. He had three sons (besides others). They were called Ekata, Dwita and Trita. All the three had performed long years of hard penance and thus attained great fame. Sage Goutama, highly pleased with their achievements, went to heaven in due course.

The kings who used to worship sage Goutama for his austerities now turned to his noble sons for guidance. Trita was the best among the three, both in his Vedic knowledge and in its application to rituals.

The Brahmins, generally, remained poor without any worldly possessions. They made a living through the rewards they received for performing various rituals. One day the three brothers decided to perform a Yajna ritual. They approached kings and other rich people who used to patronize sage Gautama . A great ceremony was held at the end of which the three received generous gifts of cattle and other wealth.

Trita and his two brothers were on their way back after the successful completion of the ceremony. They had to pass through a dense forest on their way home. In the midst of the thick forest a wolf chased them. Trita ran for his life and fell down in a deep well. Both Ekta and Dwita were lucky to escape. Trita cried out loudly for help. His brothers heard him. But, they thought. “Let Trita look after himself. Without him, we can enjoy his share of the gifts. If he escapes, he is capable of earning gifts like with his knowledge of Vedas.

A Yajna from the bottom of well

Meanwhile, Trita was left to his fate in the deep well. Only the gods would help him. The sage wanted to pray in his special way, performing a Yajna. But, he was in the bottom of a well. The Yajna needed the special “soma” creeper. The juice extracted from it, considered to be a divine wine, was the essential offering to the gods. He also needed ghee to be offered into fire .What to do?

Trita thought of a plan. He found a wild creeper hanging down into the well. He imagined that to be “soma”. He crushed the creeper on the boulders in the well and extracted “soma”. The water in the well was his special ghee. He created fire in his imagination. Then, he started chanting the relevant Vedic texts and performing his imaginary Yajna. Only his extreme devotion was real.

The gods appear

Such Yajnas have the share of the offerings earmarked for the important gods. The gods appear personally and receive them. That is the custom and that determines the success of the Yajna. If correctly done, the gods get the message by the ripple it creates in heaven. If the gods delay, both heaven and earth are heated by the mantras chanted at the Yajna. The participants consume what is left over of the “soma” and earn enough merit to go to heaven.

Soon, the gods in heaven sensed Trita’s Yajna. They said. “Trita is performing his Yajna in his special way. We better go and partake of our share of the offerings. Else, he may even create new gods to replace us and make the offerings to them. He is so powerful.

So, the gods came down and accepted the “soma”. They said. “We are very pleased with your Yajna. What boons can we offer you?”

Trita said. “First, I want to get out of this well first. Then, let the water of this well turn sacred. Those who drink this water should get the same effect as drinking the “soma”.

The gods blessed him accordingly. Suddenly, river Saraswati gushed from underneath the well and carried the sage up the well in the thrust of its current. The sage looked around. His brothers had disappeared with the gifts. So, he uttered a curse on his brothers. “You have been greedy like a wolf. May you two and your children turn into wolves”.

It is said that the curse of the sage took immediate effect. The progeny of the two sages has been roaming the surface of earth as wolves from that day.

The water of the well turned sacred. Pilgrims have been visiting the well and drinking its water ever since. Balarama drank the well water and offered various gifts to Brahmins and to the poor. He, then, proceeded ahead with his entourage.

Balarama’s pilgrimage (Part 1)

The Indian Calendar

The story below has a connotation to Indian astrology. 27 constellations, which are considered to be relatively fixed in the sky because of their great distance from earth, were of great significance in Indians right from ancient days. They are called stars for convenience and are named “aSwini”, “bharaNi” and so on. The earth, in its rotation around the sun, passes past each of them in turn. The moon, going round the earth at the same time, also passes by the same stars. During this journey the moon waxes and wanes. Indian astrology crucially bases its calculations on the relative position of the sun, moon and earth with respect to these stars. This astrological phenomenon is poetically told in the story below.

Astrologers consider that the moon is strongest in its effect when it is near the star, “rohiNi” which is also hinted in the poetic imagery in the story.

Incidentally, the ancient Indian lunar calendar is based on this path taken by the earth and the moon. The time taken for a full cycle (that is one year), is divided into 12 equal parts and are taken to be the months. Thus, 2 and 1/4 of the stars are covered in a month. The month is given the name of that star (constellation) near which the moon becomes full. For example, in the first group the full moon appears when the earth passes past the star, “aSwini”. Hence, the month is called “aaSwina” and so on.

The Prabhaasa Teertham

The word Theertham means a pilgrimage centre, where generally, there is a holy river or lake for bathing. Prabhaasa is a holy place along the river Saraswati in the present day Gujarat, near to Krishna’s abode, Dwaaraka.

Balaraama

Balaraama was the son of Vasudeva (Krishna’s real father) born of Rohini. He was upset with the impending war between the two of his allies, Kauravas and Pandavas. So, he decided to go on a pilgrimage to avoid the war that was, according to him, immoral.

He ordered for elaborate preparations for his pilgrimage. A large caravan of animals and men was made ready as ordered by the Yadava chief. The group included Brahmins of great learning to perform rituals at the pilgrimage centres. A large number of milch cows with their horns covered in gold or silver was included in the group. They were meant to be gifts to deserving Brahmins. Food in abundance was also carried to offer to the poor all along the way.

Balaraama started northwards along the bank of the river, Saraswati. His first visit was to Prabhaasa along the holy river. Janamejaya, at that point, wanted to hear the importance of the holy place. Accordingly, sage VaiSampaayana narrated the story of Daksha Prajaapati (the latter word meaning the father of the human race). It was the time of the first Creation. Daksha was one of the first to be created by Brahma, the God of Creation. He was then given the task of procreating other living beings in the world. He produced 27 daughters (besides others) who were named “aSwini”, “bharaNi”, etc. He married them off to “soma” (the Moon).

All the daughters of Daksha were wide eyed and beautiful. But, prettiest of them was “rohiNi”. Hence, Soma was attracted more towards her. He spent all his time with this daughter of Daksha which made the other daughters angry and jealous. They went and complained to their father about it. Daksha called his son-in-law and asked him not to be partial to any. Soma agreed. But, he could not change his old ways.

Again the girls complained about it and again Daksha ordered his son-in-law to behave. This happened three times. Each time Soma agreed to change his ways, but, failed to do so once he was with his darling “rohiNi”. After the third offence Daksha uttered a curse on Soma. “May you suffer from the debilitating consumption!” The curse of the powerful Prajapati took immediate effect. Soma started getting pale day by day. He tried all sorts of cures including special prayers and rituals. Nothing worked. The gods went on a delegation to Daksha to save Soma from his malady. Daksha called Soma aside and said. “My words have to take effect. You must start spending time with your wives equally. For atonement, take a holy dip in the sacred river Saraswati. Then, you shall recover your health. But, as a reminder, you shall be inflicted with the malady half the time in each month. Henceforth, young man, do not humiliate women!”.

Soma, accordingly, took a dip in the holy river at Prabhaasa and started getting better day by day until he recovered fully and became his old self. But then, the curse of Daksha had to take effect. So, he started getting paler day by day for the next fifteen days. It is said that this, his holy dip, getting better and then the curse taking effect for the next fifteen days, has been going on ever since then. It is also said that Soma has been spending equal time with all of his wives ever since.

Balaraama and his entourage spent one night at Prabhaasa and continued northwards next morning.

The one who read combining words

Reading of the great epics like Mahabharata out to the public was given great emphasis throughout India, especially in Kerala. Learned men were appointed just for that task in the major temples throughout the state.

One such place was called Ampalappuzha. The ruler of the principality was known by the star of his birth, “Pooraatam”, and was reputed for his erudition. The temple had one scholar by name Neelakantha Deekshitar specifically for the daily reading from the Mahabharatam. The king had the habit of listening to the verses without fail.

One day Deekshitar was away on business. The king was greatly worried that he would miss his daily dose of Mahabharatam. It was then that he noticed a Brahmin seated in front of the deity doing his prayers. He was a stranger to the place and appeared to be of humble origin.

The king was not sure whether the visitor could handle the job, at least for the day. He decided to accost him with the question, “can you read from the Mahabharatam combining words together?” The king was trying to establish whether the newcomer was literate enough to read Sanskrit verses fluently and correctly. But, the actual words also implied, literally, whether the guy knew how to add something of his own to the original. The terse reply from the visitor was that “he would try”.

The reading started where it was left on the earlier day. The war was in full swing. Bhima was in great form thrashing the Kaurava army with his formidable mace. At that point, the Brahmin, innocently read a stanza:

“Then, the army of Duryodhana, thrashed by the mace of Bhima, took refuge under Karna, as the hair of a bald man does around his ears

(Tada Bheema gadaa trastaa Duryodhana varoothinee
Sikhaa khaarvaatakasyeva Karnamoola mupaagataa)”

The king was quite bald. The word Karna also means ear. Hence, the simile. The king had the whole of Mahabharatam on his finger tips. It was that his royal status demanded some one else reading the text out to him.

So, quick to catch the interpolation, he asked. “Is it in the original text?” The reader calmly and politely replied. “No, your Majesty! I added it”, as though that was what the king expected out of him.

The king promptly asked whether the visitor was Narayana Bhattathiri of Meppattoor. The reply was in the affirmative.

The story has an interesting background to it. The visitor was one of the greatest Sanskrit poets of the time who had just completed his renowned work called “Narayaneeyam”. The king was waiting eagerly for an opportunity to meet the poet. He, on his part, had heard about the learned king who welcomed poets and scholars with open hands. The poet came, specifically, for meeting the king. That was how their meeting took place. It is said that the poet stayed with the king for a while and composed an important poem on Sanskrit grammar, called “Prakriyaa Sarvasvam”.

Duty is supreme

Introduction

The Vedas appear in a language (form of Sanskrit) and style (symbolic) beyond easy comprehension. It is said that the epics have been written to convey the messages hidden in the Vedas. The main message is Dharma or the right path and conduct in life. What that is, depends on the adopted profession.

Many of the stories in the epics seem to suggest that following the Dharma in its letter and spirit gives human kind the ultimate goal in life, salvation. The following story tells something more.

There is something that pervades the entire universe, transcending both matter and force. What sages achieve through long years of penance seems to be the key to this substance that unifies the universe. Once that stage is achieved, then man is no more restrained by both space and time.

The following story is of a Brahmin, a housewife and a butcher. (The word used for the butcher is Vyadha which means a hunter. But, hunting was his way of collecting meat. His livelihood was by selling it. Hence, we use the word butcher in the story.) All the three follow their respective Dharmas. The Brahmin’s Dharma is the most difficult and he did not attain perfection in following his path. The other two did and, as a result, attained superior levels in spirituality.

Sage Markandeya told the following story to Yudhishthira in reply to the question on Dharma, especially, of a woman devoted to her husband.

The Brahmin

There was a Brahmin by name Kausika. He was once meditating under a tree. A crane was perched on one of the branches and its dropping fell right on the head of the meditating Kausika. He was upset and looked at the bird angrily. The poor bird was turned to ashes in the next instant by the Brahmin’s power from meditation. The Brahmin did feel sorry for the bird, but, at the same time was proud of his power.

The housewife

The Brahmin went to a housewife one day asking for food as was his custom. The lady received him with due respect and asked him to take seat. She would soon come back to him with food.

She was getting ready to serve the visiting Brahmin. Her husband arrived home in the meanwhile. The lady turned all her attention to him. She started helping him with his bath. She then served him food without even bothering about the waiting guest.

The Brahmin was getting furious. He called the lady and spoke. “Why are you ignoring me like this? I came hungry and you promised to serve me soon. Now, it looks like you have forgotten me. Are you not afraid of my wrath?”

The lady laughed and replied. “Don’t think I am like the crane that you burnt down with your anger. My supreme duty is to serve my husband. Everything else comes next. I do not think that your anger will work against me. I would have earned enough merit to make up for any shortcoming in serving a distinguished guest like you.”

She, then, went into the virtue of following one’s Dharma. She pointed out to the Brahmin that he did not follow his duty fully. As a Brahmin he should have overcome anger instead of punishing an innocent bird for a mistake it made unwittingly. She said that she was busy serving her husband. The Brahmin should visit the butcher in Mithila who was called a Dharma Vyadha or the righteous butcher to know more about one’s Dharma.

The Brahmin was surprised. How did the lady come to know what happened to him and the bird? She was so sure of what was right and wrong. There was something very convincing in the way she asked him to see the butcher. So, the Brahmin thanked the lady and left in search of the butcher.

And the Butcher

The butcher lived in the city of Mithila as the lady told him. The famous king Janaka was the ruler of Mithila at that time.

Dharma Vyadha was widely known for his wisdom. The Brahmin, Kausika, had no difficulty getting directions to the place where he worked. The butcher was busy cutting meat and serving his clients when the Brahmin reached him. Kausika was disgusted seeing the way carcasses were cut into meat.

The butcher spotted his guest from a distance and welcomed him as the one sent by the housewife. That came as the next surprise to the Brahmin. How did he and the lady get the sixth sense to know what happened elsewhere?

Dharma Vyadha took the Brahmin to his house as the butchery was not the right place to receive a distinguished guest. The Brahmin could not hide his repulsive feeling finding the wise man in the butchery.
The butcher replied. “For each man doing his duty properly is what is important. This was the profession of my father and all the other ancestors. If you are worried about the killing, try to understand that you cannot live in this world without that. You take lives even when you eat vegetables or fruit”.

Then, he went into the secret of his superior spirituality. He looked after his aged parents diligently and made an honest living by hunting and selling the meat.

He gave a long lecture to the Brahmin on Dharma. Veda Vyasa has nearly five hundred stanzas of poetry covering the advice given by the Dharma Vyadha. At the end the butcher asked the Brahmin to go to his parents and take good care of him. Meditation should take only the next place.

The Brahmin bowed before the Vyadha and took his leave. He returned to his parents and started looking after them with dedication.

Ashtavakra

Introduction

Ashtavakra was a child prodigy who rose to become one of the great philosophers of ancient times. He lived at the time of king Janaka of Videha who was the father of Sita of Ramayana fame. Janaka was himself a highly learned man. A philosophical work attributed to Ashtavakra, called the Ashtavakra Geeta, is considered by many as great as the famous Bhagavad Geeta. This Geeta is by way of a session in which king Janaka raises his doubts and Ashtavakra clarifies the points. Quite a few English translations are available of this Geeta on the Net. Sri Sri Ravishankar of The Art of Living has given a series of lectures on this.

Sage Lomasa pointed out the place where hermitage of Ashtavakra stood to Yudhishthira during their pilgrimage and narrated the story of the sage to the Pandava.

Born with eight bends

There was a famous Brahmin by name Uddalaka who had a son by name Swetaketu, daughter, Sujata and a disciple called Kahoda. Uddalaka was very pleased with his disciple, Kahoda, and gave his daughter Sujata in marriage to him.

Sujata soon became pregnant. It is said that the child, while in his mother’s womb, corrected the mistakes his father committed in chanting the Vedas. Kahoda got angry with his son for what he took to be his impudence. He cursed the child to be born with eight bends on his body.

Untimely death of Kahoda

Sujata was worried about their poverty when she knew about her pregnancy and that soon she would have to bring up a child. She pleaded with her husband to raise, somehow, some money. What Kahoda had with him as asset was his vast knowledge. He decided to approach king Janaka of Videha, who was himself a great scholar, for help. He was widely known for his generosity to learned men.

It was the custom those days for kings to set up debates among participating scholars and reward the winner by giving gifts of wealth. Often, there was also punishment for those who were defeated. When Kahoda reached the palace there was a great scholar there by name Vandi, who was the son of Varuna, the god of oceans. He was also ruthless in his dealings with his opponents in debates. He kept a stiff condition that those who lost should be thrown into the sea.

Kahoda had to accept the challenge as he was desperate for money. Unfortunately, he was defeated and was drowned in the sea by the king’s soldiers.

Ashtavakra learns the truth

The child was born to Kahoda only after his death. He had eight bends on his body exactly as cursed by his father. But, he was a genius from birth. The boy picked up all the Vedas and Sastras (sciences) in his early childhood.

Swetaketu lived in the hermitage along with his sister and nephew. Sujata tried to hide the truth about her husband’s untimely death from the boy. One day, Ashtavakra learnt the truth from his uncle Swetaketu. He was only in his teens at that time. Yet, he wanted to avenge the death of his father and went to king Janaka. Vandi was still living in great honour with king Janaka.

Too young for debate

But, Ashtavakra was denied entrance to the palace by the gate keepers. They told him that he was too young to challenge a great scholar like Vandi. There was a long argument between Ashtavakra and the sentry. The king’s gate keepers soon realized that they were in the presence of a boy of exceptional intelligence and learning. But, the king’s orders would not let the boy through. Finally, the gate keepers slipped him through pretending ignorance of his arrival.

In the presence of the mighty scholar

King Janaka was surprised finding a small boy arriving unannounced. The boy also had the audacity to ask for a debate with Vandi who was the greatest of all living scholars. Janaka tried to send the boy back and got into a debate with him in the process. The king soon realized that the boy was a child prodigy and indeed a match for the great Vandi in intelligence and scholarship. He was curious to know how he would fare against Vandi.
The debate between the two did not last long. The senior scholar had to accept defeat and the impending punishment. But, Vandi laughed and said that he would not drown in any ocean as he was the son of Varuna, the god of oceans. Instead, he promised to bring Kahoda back to life by appealing to his father, Varuna. True to his words, Kahoda rose from the ocean at the very instant, sent back by the god of oceans.

Ashtavakra regains form

Ashtavakra returned home to his mother with his father. Lomasa pointed the river called Samanga to Yudhiswhthira and said that Ashtavakra had regained the form of his body free from the bends by dipping into that river. Such was the power of its waters. Lomasa advised the Pandavas to take a holy dip and continue with their journey.

The hawk and a pigeon

This story was told first by sage Lomasa and again by Markandeya to Yudhishthira. Lomasa was explaining the significance of each place he visited in the company of the Pandavas. It was when they reached the river Vitasta near Yamuna that Lomasa told the story of the two birds.

There was a king by name Sibi. His father’s name was Useenara and hence, Sibi was also called Ouseenara. He had performed a large number of Yajnas. His fame spread far and wide and reached even heaven.

A refugee

One day Sibi was seated in his assembly hall attending to the affairs of state when a pigeon flew in and dropped down into his lap crying out for help. There was a hawk right behind, apparently chasing the pigeon. The hawk spoke. “Your Highness! This bird is my prey. Please leave it for me”. The king replied. “No, it came asking for help. It is my duty to save it at all costs”.

The hawk said. “But, it is nature’s way that birds like me live by eating pigeons. If you do not let me have my prey, I shall starve and die. The sin will haunt you for ever”.

Sibi said. “Leave this bird to me. I shall give you anything else that you choose to eat. I can give you any number of animals like oxen to last for the rest of your life”.

But, the bird would not budge. It said. “I do not eat such meat. If you do not let me have this pigeon, I shall die”.

The king was in a fix. He asked the hawk. “What can I give you to spare the life of this little bird?”
The hawk replied. “If you are so keen to save it, then give me flesh from your body in equal weight o this pigeon”.

Royal flesh in exchange

Sibi was willing for such a sacrifice. The little pigeon was placed on a balance. The king cut a piece of flesh from his thigh and placed it on the other. But, the little bird weighed heavier. Sibi cut another large piece and added that to balance against the pigeon. But, mysteriously, the pigeon weighed more even then. The king continued cutting more and more pieces from his body, but, the little pigeon weighed heavier than all those pieces together. Then, with a final resolve the king placed himself on the balance.

Sibi was ready to die for the little bird that came for help and was waiting for the hawk to start eating his body when he heard its voice. “King, open your eyes. I am not a hawk, but, Indra who came to test your spirit of charity. This pigeon is Agni, the god of fire. You have passed our test on you in flying colours. I offer you a place in heaven now itself. Your fame will last for all generations to come”. So, saying Indra disappeared with Agni from the scene.

This story is being told as the best example for sacrifice (Daanam).

The story of Sukanya

Introduction

Two characters in this story are the twin gods called the Aswini Devas. They are the physicians in heaven.
We have talked about Yajnas which are rituals in which various articles, like milk, ghee and an intoxicating drink called Soma are offered in the fire meant for many divinities. The gross body of the article is burnt. The god of fire carries the essence (of the offered article) to the respective gods.
In each Yajna there is a rule as to whom all, among gods, are entitled to their share. It is said that the Asini Devas were never entitled to any until the time of this story.

Sage Chyavana

Chyavana was one of the sons of the renowned Bhrigu. This sage spent all his time meditating. His penance was so deep that he remained standing at one place and lost track of time and his surroundings. He became a support for creepers in the forest. Gradually ants built a mound around him. Through the covering of the ant hill, it is said, that only his two powerful eyes shone like torch light.

There was a king by name Saryati ruling the land. He had several wives, but, only one child, one beautiful princess by name Sukanya. One day the king came to the forest with his army. Sukanya also came along in the company of her maids. She enjoyed herself plucking wild flowers and fruit and came to the ant hill covering the sage. The princess was surprised to find two shining objects beneath the ant hill. Out of childhood curiosity she pricked them with a thorn. She heard a groan from beneath and ran away in fright.

The king was having his bath in a nearby river at that time. Suddenly, all the soldiers of the king started complaining about acute pain in the stomach. Their bellies started swelling to suffocation in no time and they were in agony. The king was surprised. He asked every one whether there was any incident that could have caused their malady. None of them were aware of any.

A mismatched marriage

Then, Sukanya came running and told the king about her experience. The king rushed to the spot and discovered the sage beneath the ant hill with his bleeding eyes. The king profusely apologized to the sage for what his daughter did out of ignorance. He was willing to do anything to remedy the harm done.
Sage Chyavana spoke. “King, it is true that your daughter acted out of ignorance. But, she was rash at the same time. The only way you can redeem the situation is by marrying your daughter to me”.
The king took that as an order and gave his daughter in marriage to the sage.
Sukanya lived happily with sage Chyavana for many years. She looked after her old husband with full devotion.

Pursued by gods

Once, the Aswini Devas happened to see Sukanya moving alone in the forest. She appeared more beautiful than the best of the goddesses even in her rags. The Aswini Devas accosted the damsel and asked her who she was. Sukanya introduced herself to the divine visitors. Then, the twin gods spoke. “Fair lady, your aged husband does not deserve a beauty like you. You may choose one of us and live happily in heaven henceforth”. But, Sukanya politely refused the offer, confirming her devotion to her husband. The gods spoke again. “You should know that we are the physicians of heaven. We have a deal for you. We shall make your husband young and handsome and looking exactly like one of us. You must then choose one among the three”. Sukanya was willing to stand such a test.

A fair deal

Then, the gods asked her to bring her husband to the nearby river. The sage and the two gods immersed in the water at the same time. When they rose up Sukanya found three identically looking handsome youths. The pious lady meditated for a while and chose her own husband among the three.
Sage Chyavana was very pleased with the gods for giving him youth and good looks and wanted to offer them something in return. He spoke. “I am very pleased for this service you rendered to me. I shall make the two of you entitled for your share in all Yajnas henceforth”.

Thanks giving

King Saryati heard the happy news that sage Chyavana had been blessed with youth and beauty by the gods. He came to meet his daughter and son in law. The sage, then, asked the king to perform a Yajna by way of thanking the gods for their service. The king was quite happy to do that.
Chyavana was the chief priest at the ritual. He made an offering in between, addressed to the Aswini Devas. Lord Indra was angry that the sage was setting a bad precedent. He thought that the Aswini Devas never deserved a share. He appeared before the sage and tried to stop the offering to the Aswini Devas. But, the sage stood firm.
Furious that his command has been ignored, the king of gods invoked his irresistible weapon, the Vajra. But, the sage was unmoved. He chanted a Mantra and Indra’s hand holding his Vajra was paralyzed.

Man versus god

Chyavana wanted to put pressure on Indra. He created a demon from the sacrificial fire called ‘addiction’. He was an embodiment of what his name stood for. The demon filled the earth and sky and was more fearsome than what anyone had seen before.
He started chasing Indra at the command of sage Chyavana. Indra panicked. His hand holding the powerful Vajra was paralyzed. The king of gods bowed before the sage. He promised the sage that thenceforth the Aswini Devas would be eligible for a fare share of Soma and other offerings at Yajnas.
Chyavana was satisfied. It is said that he divided the demon into four parts and imbibed them into four objects – alcohol, women, gambling and hunting.
We now return to Arshajnanam to be with the pilgrims’ progress.

The story of Parasurama

Introduction

There are three famous characters in Indian epics with name Rama. All the three are included among the ten important incarnations of Vishnu. They are all famous for their skill in warfare, too. The first was Parasurama or Rama with the axe (Parasu) as weapon. The other two are Sree Rama of Ramayana. The last is Balarama who was the elder brother of Krishna.

Parasurama was born to sage Jamadagni in Renuka in the family of Brahmins. He belonged to the lineage of the renowned sage Bhrigu. Because of this, he is also known as Bhargava Rama.
Our Rama with an axe was considered an authority on all the fields of warfare, especially in the science of archery. Several characters of Mahabharata, for example Drona and Karna, were disciples of this sage. One may wonder why he ended up being a warrior in spite of being born in an illustrious family of Brahmins. The following story throws some light on this point.

Another important character in our story is a Hehaya king by name Arjuna. He was the son of Kritavirya and hence is known as Kartavirya Arjuna. It is said that he meditated on sage Dattatreya and got one thousand arms with his blessings.

An obedient son

Jamadagni had five sons in Renuka, the last being Rama. One day, Renuka went to the nearby river for bath. She happened to watch a king by name Chitraratha enjoying himself in the company of his wives in the same river. The good lady, Renuka, was infatuated with the king and forgot herself for a while watching him. When she came to her senses she quickly returned to the hermitage. But, sage Jamadagni’s watchful eyes noticed the change in mood in his wife and knew the reason with his special powers. He was enraged. He ordered his sons to kill his wife for this impropriety. The first four refused to do such a heinous crime. Jamadagni was angry with his sons and cursed them that they would lose their senses and become like animals.
Rama did not think twice and chopped the head of his mother with his axe. Jamadagni was pleased with his youngest son. By then, his anger had also left him.

The sage asked his son, Rama, for a boon. Parasurama promptly asked for the life of his mother. The Maharshi (sage) asked Rama to ask for another boon. Rama requested his father that his brothers get back to their normal senses. Jamadagni blessed Rama by way of the third boon that he would become the best in the world in warfare.

An encounter with Kartaveeryarjuna

One day sage Jamadagni had gone out. At that time the Hehaya king, Arjuna, came to the hermitage with his soldiers. Renuka received the king cordially. Sage Jamdagni had a special cow which served all the needs of the sage for his rituals. Arjuna was impressed with the extraordinary gifts of the cow and forcefully carried the animal away.

Soon Rama arrived, hearing the cry of the cow on the way. His mother told him all that happened. Parasurama was furious. He rushed to Kartaviryarjuna and challenged him for a battle. Parasurama chopped all the one thousand arms of the powerful Arjuna. Then, he pierced the breast of the king of Hehaya with his arrows and killed him.

The soldiers of Arjuna took flight unable to face the onslaught of Rama. They met sage Jamadagni collecting firewood for his daily rituals on the way. They took revenge for the killing of their king with the life of the unsuspecting sage.

Parasurama’s vow

Rama was deeply saddened to know about the killing of his father. He thought that the entire Kshatriya (royal) community had become arrogant beyond limit. He took an oath that he would teach them a lesson. It is said that he went around and killed all the kings whom he could find. This he did to twenty one generations of kings. He came to a place called Samanta Pancaka in between and washed his axe there in homage to his dead father. It is said that five rivers of blood started as a result from that place. (The Mahabharata war took place near there)

We now return, again briefly, to Arshajnanam to keep track of the progress of the Pandavas’ pilgrimage.

Rsyasrunga – the rainmaker

Sage Lomasa told the story of Rsyasrunga to the Pandavas when they reached the hermitage of sage Kasyapa during their pilgrimage. Rsyasrunga was actually born to Kasyapa, but, brought up by sage Vibhandaka. Vibhandaka was very strict with his son and never let him out of the surroundings of the hermitage. He was made to spend all his time in meditation right from his young days. Because of this, Rsyasrunga had not met any one other than his father, let alone any from the fair sex.

No rain in king Lomapada’s land

The story unfolds with the great king of Anga by name Lomapada. The king, once, happened to offend some Brahmins who lived in the palace to perform the rituals. The whole community of Brahmins was enraged by the king’s behaviour and left the palace en bloc in protest. The king did not take them seriously at that time.

(But, nature has its own ways to punish the guilty and reward the worthy). Lord Indra was not too pleased with the king as he was not getting his fare share from the rituals (Yajnas). He showed his displeasure by holding back rain in the entire Anga land. Famine set in and the king was worried. He consulted his ministers. They told him. “Lord Indra must be placated as soon as possible. We must get a capable Brahmin to performe the Yajna rituals. There is none as competent as Rsyasrunga for the purpose. But, it will not be easy to get the young sage as his father would never let him out his hermitage”.

Rsyasrunga to make rains

The king heard various suggestions on getting the young Rsyasrunga to the palace. The young sage was innocent of the ways of the world. But, how was one to get him past the watchful eyes of his father, the formidable Vibhandaka? The king offered rich rewards for those who accomplished the task. Many were tempted to try, but, did not dare to provoke the old sage, Vibhandaka.

There was an old courtesan in the palace who was willing to try. There was a stream that flowed through the Anga territory and passed by the hermitage of Vibhandaka. The old courtesan set forth to the forest in a canoe with a team of her young apprentices and made a secret camp near the hermitage. Within a couple of days the young ladies took note of the movements of the elder sage. He, normally, completed his morning rituals and then went out in search of food and materials for the next day’s sacrificial rites.

A handsome guest at the hermitage

The very next day Rshyasrunga found a young ascetic coming in the direction of his hermitage. His father had just gone out. So, the young sage undertook the task of receiving the visitor. He had never met someone who attracted his eyes so much. The visitor must surely have reached very high levels of meditation to appear so radiant and captivating. “His” matted hair was extraordinarily long. Rshyasrunga enjoyed the very smell that filled the air wherever the visitor stood. The visitor wore scanty clothes of extra nice material and moved gracefully towards the hermitage. Rshyasrunga thought that the visitor would have years of meditation to achieve such unusual powers to attract his heart.

He addressed the visitor. “Who are you and where is your hermitage? There is something special about you. Tell me more bout you and your people.”

The visitor, the young courtesan, did not try to contradict the words of praise from the young sage. She only told her host about the strange ways of her lot. They did not greet one another by bowing or prostrating. They embraced the other person and even made contact with one another’s lips. She demonstrated her special way of greeting by hugging Rshyasrunga. She also planted a gentle kiss on the young Rishi’s (sage’s) mouth. Rshyasrunga felt happiness which he had never before experienced. He was drawn to the visitor in a way that he never felt before.
The young courtesan spent time singing and dancing before the sage. She made sure that Rshyasrunga was completely won over by her charms. Then, she took leave promising to return soon to take him to her ‘hermitage’.

Vibhandaka returns

When the elder sage returned he found his son in a totally different mood. He appeared lost in thoughts and had even forgotten to perform his daily chores. Rshyasrunga told his father about the special visitor and how he was impressed by ‘his’ looks and accomplishments. Vibhandaka felt that there was some evil force at play. It could be some devil dressed as a saint who came to distract his son’s penances. He warned his son not to receive any such unwelcome visitors in future.

The elder sage left next morning as usual for his normal duties. He did not forget to warn his son to be extra watchful.

The young courtesan came back to Rshyasrunga soon after that. She agreed to take Rshyasrunga to her ‘hermitage’ as promised. The very sight of the special visitor made Rshyasrunga forget the warning words of his father. The young courtesan lead her eager host to the waiting canoe in which her accomplices were waiting. They rowed the canoe fast to the palace of king Lomapada. It is said that the moment Rshyasrunga set foot on the land of Anga rain started pouring down. The king was very pleased. He received his young visitor with deep reverence and offered him all the hospitality that was due for such a high ranking ascetic. The king had already made elaborate arrangements for a grand Yajna. He requested the young sage to start the ritual at his earliest convenience.

The king knew that the old sage would come looking for his son. So, rest houses were set up all along the way with all arrangements for offering hospitality to the sage.

As expected, Vibhandaka was worried when he found his son missing. He meditated for a while and learnt from his sixth sense that his son had been taken away to the king of Anga. So, he immediately started for the palace of Lomapada in an angry mood.

But, he was pleased with the hospitality he received along the way. He learnt about king Lomapada and why the king wanted his son in the palace. He mentally pardoned the underhand ways of the king in drawing his son to the palace.

The sage, finally, reached the palace. He was greeted by his son and the king, himself. He was pleased to hear that his son brought the much needed rain to the land of Anga.
Lomapada made his ultimate move to appease the old sage. He brought his daughter, Santha to Vibhandaka and offered her as wife to young Rsyasrunga. Vibhandaka was very pleased with the gesture and found the young princess a suitable bride for his son.

The story ends with the successful completion of the Yajna ritual and the happy marriage of the princess with the young sage, Rsyasrunga.

We return to Arshajnanam briefly and get back here for more stories.

The Story of Bhageeratha

King Sagara performs the great horse sacrifice

There was a king in the dynasty of Ikswaku by name Sagara. He was a great ruler who fought and won many battles over all the neighbouring kingdoms.

He had two wives and a number of children in them. The sons of Sagara were extremely powerful and arrogant. They went in all nooks and corners of the earth fighting with each and everyone who came across their way.

Sagara ruled over his vast kingdom for several years and decided that it was time for him to perform the Horse Sacrifice (Aswamedha) and become an emperor. His sons roamed about the earth leading the horse as a sign of regal supremacy over all kingdoms. They marched also over the ocean which was turned dry by sage Agastya. There they lost track of the sacrificial horse. The princes searched everywhere for the animal and found no trace of it. The sons of Sagara returned to the king and reported the matter to him. Sagara said. “Sons, you must somehow locate the horse and bring it back. You know that I have taken the vow to conduct the ritual and complete it without a hitch. The presence of the horse is crucial for the ceremony. So, do not return without the animal”.

A fatal encounter

So, the princes continued their search all over the earth. Finally, they found a big hole on the dry bed of the ocean. The valiant princes wanted to explore beneath the ocean and dug into the hole making it large enough for them all to enter.

Their perseverance was amply rewarded by the sight of their horse peacefully grazing near a hermitage. It was the hermitage of sage Kapila (who was said to be one of the minor – not one of the ten- incarnations of Vishnu). The sage had a halo around him resulting from years of penance. the sons of Sagara found the sage in deep meditation. The haughty princes did not bother about the sage or his meditation. They held their weapons high and ran to the horse like an invading army, shouting “here it is!”

The sage was disturbed in his meditation and opened his eyes in fury. Such was his power that his anger burned the hapless princes into ashes in an instant.

Sagara laments

The wandering sage Narada reported the misfortune of his sons to Sagara. The king was anguished hearing the tragic end of his dear sons. There was nothing that he could do for them. He had taken the vow and could not even move out until the horse was, somehow, brought back.
There was only a grandson for the king who was left behind. His name was Amsuman. He told the young prince about the tragedy of his father and uncles. The king asked the boy to trace the path travelled by his father and know more about the tragedy. If possible, he should get the sacrificial horse back, too.

Amsuman did not hesitate to start immediately. He followed the direction of sage Narada and reached the hermitage of sage Kapila. He found the sage in the same meditative posture and prostrated before him. He stood in deep reverence in front of the sage and waited patiently for the sage to open his eyes.

Sage Kapila was very pleased with the conduct of the young prince and told him so. He asked the boy to choose any boon. Amsuman begged the sage to release the horse. The hermit gladly did so and encouraged Amsuman to ask for another one. The prince asked for the salvation of his dead father and uncles this time.

The sage said. “I grant you this boon too, but, not immediately. You will have to bring the waters of the holy river Ganga from heaven to this place where your ancestors lie. Only your grandson will succeed in doing that”.

Amsuman returned to the palace with the horse and told his grand father about the boon he received from the sage. King Sagara was pleased and completed the ritual. He installed his grandson as the king in due course and retired to a forest to meditate.

Amsuman got a son by name Dileepa who went to the Himalayas and spent years in meditation with the hope of pleasing the heavenly Ganga. But, he died without success.

Bhageeratha

Dileepa had a son by name Bhageeratha. The prince heard about his mission early in his childhood. So, he set out to the Himalayas while he was still very young.

He spent years in deep meditation, praying to the holy Ganga. Finally the river appeared as goddess before him and agreed to flow down to earth. But, there was a problem. Her force would be such that nothing would withstand the fall of water from heaven. It needed someone powerful enough to receive the stream falling down from heaven and hold it. The goddess, herself, suggested the name of Lord Siva for the purpose.

So, Bhageeratha started meditating on Siva. The Lord appeared in due course and agreed to receive Ganga falling from heaven in his matted hair. Bhageeratha had to pray to Ganga, again, and request her to flow down to earth.

The heavy down pour of the sacred river then started, all the way from heaven to the matted hair of Lord Siva. Ganga was proud of her force and was not that sure how the Lord would withstand her onslaught. Lord Siva sensed what the haughty Ganga was thinking and stood firm with the result that not even a drop of water came out of Siva’s head!

Bhageeratha was the one who suffered because of the show of strength between the divinities. He had to spend years, again, praying to Siva to release at least some water for his purpose. The Lord was, no doubt, pleased with Bhageeratha and lifted some locks of his hair.

The water that fell from the Lord’s hair started flowing as the mighty Ganga. The river asked Bhageeratha to show her the way to his ancestors. So, Bhageeratha sped fast on his horse ahead, asking the river to follow him.

(Some of the Puranas report another obstacle on the way. A sage by name Jahnu was in meditation along the path of the mighty Ganga. He was infuriated when the river flooded his hermitage and drank the whole river dry. It took years of meditation for Bhageeratha to please the sage. The sage, pacified, let the river flow out of his ears. Ganga has an epithet, Jahnavi, because of this. Vyasa does not mention this incident in Mahabharatam.)

The river finally reached the dry bed of the ocean and filled it up to its former level. Bhageeratha moved further down into the underground where the ashes of his ancestors lay scattered. The contact with the holy river purified the sons of Sagara and gave them immediate salvation.

(All oceans have inherited the epithet of Saagaram because of this story. Lord Siva is depicted as having two wives, the wedded spouse, Parvathy, on his lap and his paramour, Ganga, on his head. The two divine ladies are said to be always quarrelling with each other.)

Let us get back briefly to Arshajnanam and return for the story of the innocent sage, Rishyasrunga, in the next episode.

The Vindhya bows down to Agastya

It is said that the mountain known by the name of Meru is so tall and huge that both the sun and the moon go round it after they rise in the east, set in the west and rise again next day. The Vindhya mountain used to watch that and was getting jealous of Meru for the special treatment.
One day the mountain spoke to the sun. “Why are you going round Meru and not me? Am I any less important?” The sun replied. “Meru is so tall that I have no other go. Besides, this has been the practice since creation”.

Vindhya thought that the height was the key issue for status. So, he decided to grow until his importance was recognized. He started becoming taller and taller day by day thereby blocking the rays of sun from reaching the earth. The whole world plunged into darkness day and night and the gods were worried. They were helpless against the might of the Vindhya. Only one person could talk sense to the mountain, sage Agastya. So, they told Agastya of the grave problem the world was facing.

Agastya went to the mountain and spoke. “Vindhya, you are now so tall that I find it difficult to cross over you. I have business to attend to, on your south side. So, better bend down low enough so that I can cross you without difficulty”.

Though proud, Vindhya knew that he had to be careful in dealing with a powerful sage like Agastya. So, he agreed and stooped down low for the sage to pass. Agastya crossed over to the south and commanded. “Now, remain like this until I return”. The mountain thought that he should better follow that order from the sage, too. After all, it would be a matter of days for the sage to return.

But, it is said that Agastya never returned. He settled down in the south permanently. Vindhya was compelled to remain low waiting for the return of the sage which never happened.

(Agastya is known to be a sage of the southern part of India, and is an author of a few celebrated works. Vindhya is situated in the centre of India and mostly has a low plateau. Meru is a mythical mountain. Some say that it was part of the Himalayas. )

We get to the story of Bhagiratha, next, who brought the river Ganga from heaven to earth, which ended up filling the ocean that was dried up by Agastya.

Thirst for an ocean of water

The killing of Vritra

One of the formidable foes of the gods was a demon by name Vritra. (The story is very old and even the Rik Veda refers to it.) He continuously harassed the gods in the company of the Kalakeyas. (The Kalakeyas are the ones whom Ajuna annihilated later on). The gods lead by Indra went to Brahma for guidance. Brahma said. “You need to make a special weapon to kill Vritra, made of human bones. There is an ascetic by name Dadheeca whom you could approach for the purpose. He is one who will not hesitate even to give up his life for such a noble cause”.
Accordingly, the gods went to Dadheeca. The hermit did not think twice when he heard that his body would be of great use for the gods. He welcomed death gladly leaving his body for the benefit of the gods. Brahma created the special weapon, called Vajra, out of the bones of the dead sage, Dadheeca and gave it to Indra.

The king of gods fought a fierce war against the invading Vritra and killed him. The Kalakeyas lost their valiant leader as a result. So, they went under the ocean and built a city for them to hide.

The demons are the most powerful and the gods are weak at night. Using this loophole, the Kalakeyas continued harassing the gods at night. During the day they would hide in their city under the ocean water. There was no end to the suffering of gods even after Vritra’s death.
The gods went to Vishnu and informed him of the threat from the Kalakeyas. Vishnu was aware of the problem and knew the way, though difficult, to end their threat. Somehow, the ocean must be drained of all water. There was only one person who was capable of accomplishing such a near impossible task. He was the son of Varuna, the guardian deity of the West and of all oceans. His name was Agastya who had acquired unparalleled powers from penance.
The gods decided to request the sage to come to their rescue. Agastya agreed and went to the ocean. He went into deep meditation on Varuna and started drinking the ocean waters. It is said that in one breath he drank the entire ocean dry.

The demons were exposed when the water was gone. The gods attacked them with full force and killed most of them in a fierce battle. The remaining ones escaped to the world below, to Patala.

Having their task accomplished, the gods went to sage Agastya, again, requesting him to release the water back to the ocean. But, Agastya said. “Oh, that is now beyond me. I have digested all the water by now. You will have to try other means to fill the ocean again.We shall get to that story after learning about another one on Agastya in the next episode

The story of sage Agastya

Agastya was a great sage. He remained celibate all his life and spent his time in deep meditation.
One day he found some ghosts hanging from some branches of a tree with their head facing down. The sage asked them who they were. They replied. “Son, we are your forefathers. We are stuck here in this condition because of you. Only when you produce children we get release from this bondage and reach the world above”.

Lopamudra

The king of Vidarbha had a daughter by name Lopamudra. She was exceptionally beautiful and of excellent character. Sage Agastya heard about the princess and approached the king for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

The king was in two minds. He was reluctant to give his darling daughter to a sage living in forest. At the same time, he feared the wrath of the powerful sage. Lopamudra sensed the dilemma of her father. She told the king. “Father, do not worry on my account. I shall gladly be the wife of this sage”.

Thus, Agastya got the pretty princess of Vidarbha as wife. He asked his wife to cast away all her rich clothes and precious jewellery. They were going to live in a forest where such expensive costumes would have no meaning. Lopamudra obeyed her husband without a murmur.
The two lived several years doing penance. Lopamudra took excellent care of her husband with all her heart.

No children

But, the sage was worried that his wife did not bear any children for him. He asked her for the reason. Lopamudra replied. “Dear husband, our way of life does not suit me to bear children and bring them up. If you want children, get me a decent place to live and wealth for their upbringing”. Agastya told her of his poverty. Where could he get the money for a house and other expenses?

Lopamudra reminded her husband that he had attained great powers through penance. He could get anything he wanted with that. But, the sage feared that years of penance would be wasted, if he spent them to gain material wealth. His good wife did not want him to make such a sacrifice for her sake and continued with her ascetic life.

In search of wealth

But, the sage wanted to get children badly. So, he set out begging for money. He approached a king and pleaded for help. The king replied. “Sage, I would have been only too pleased to give you anything you ask for. But, please look at my books account. See for yourself that what I collect as taxes are spent fully for the cause of people. Nothing is saved. If you insist, I will have to collect more taxes”. But, the sage did not want ordinary people burdened on account of him.
The king suggested another monarch of great wealth. The two approached the second ruler together. They got the same reply there. Then, Agastya went to a third king with the other two who was famous for his charities. But, the condition there was no different.

Then, one of the kings suggested the name of a demon (Asura) by name Ilvala who had amassed huge ill-gotten wealth. The sage decided to approach the demon and try his luck. The three kings also accompanied the sage.

Ilvala and Vatapi

Ilvala once requested a Brahmin to bless him for getting a son as powerful as Indra, the king of gods. The Brahmin refused the request right away. That made the demon angry. He wanted to take revenge on all Brahmins because one of them refused to grant him his wish.

He had a younger brother by name Vatapi. Being demons, the two had special powers. They came up with a plan to take revenge on Brahmins. Ilvala would turn his brother into a goat. He would invite any passer by, especially Brahmins, for a grand feast at his house. He would cut his brother, turned goat, into pieces and cook a delicacy with it. He would offer the guest this special meat dish. After meal he would call his brother out, “Vatapi”. His brother would respond from the belly of the visitor and come out alive in one piece. In the process the guest would be killed. The two demons, later, would enjoy a curry made of human flesh. All the valuables in the possession of the visitor would go into their treasure.

Agastya’s apetite

Agastya and the kings had heard about the trick played by the demon brothers. The kings were apprehensive. But, the sage was unnerved. As usual, Ilvala offered the special dish of goat meat. Agastya ate the dish to his fill. The kings did not touch the meat.

The meal was over and the demon was ready for the kill. He called, “Vatapi”. No reply. Probably, his brother did not hear him. “VATAPI”, called the demon aloud. Still, there was no response from the belly of the sage. By then, the elder demon was in panic. He shouted aloud looking at the belly of the sage, “VATAPI, COME OUT!”.

Sage agastya smiled and said. “Whom are you calling? If you expect anything to come out of my belly, then you are mistaken. I have digested all that I have eaten!”.

Ilvala was aghast. He played his trick once too often. Not only had he lost his brother, he now had a man in front whose power was beyond his imagination. He fell at the feet of the sage and begged for mercy for his action.

Agastya said. “What has happened has happened. We have come as we are in need of money. May be, you can help us”. Ilvala was ready to do anything to get rid of his visitors. The sage asked for enough wealth to keep his wife and his companions happy and returned the way he came.Lopamudra gave birth to a son in due course. Agastya could, thus, bring salvation to his ancestors through his son.

Happy ending

Damayanti was now certain that the charioteer of Rituparna who came assuming the name of Bahuka was none other than her husband, Nala. She did not know, as yet, how the Nishadha king managed to appear so completely different. She also needed permission from her parents before confronting her husband directly.

She went to her mother and said. “Mother, I have tested the charioteer thoroughly. There is no doubt in my mind that he is Nala. I need to find out why and how he is in such a disguise. Please speak to father about it. I need to have a long chat with my husband and get a few missing details”.

The re-union

The queen got the necessary nod from her husband. Then, Damayanti went to the place where Bahuka was staying. The confidence she gained through her clever tests that the charioteer was indeed Nala in disguise did not prepare her for the shock of meeting some one who looked so different. The person who was supposed to be the handsome Nala appeared with matted hair and wearing saffron clothes. He looked dirty and was ugly beyond description. Yet, she took courage and asked. “I am told that you call yourself Bahuka. Have you met my Nala who abandoned me in forest? Have I done any harm to him in my childhood? Did I not choose him in marriage ignoring all other suitors, including the ones from heaven? Did he not swear in front of fire at marriage that he would take care of me?”

Nala could not conceal his real identity any longer. He replied. “Try to understand that it was not my free will that worked when I gambled away all my possessions. I was not myself when I left you behind in the forest and disappeared. The cruel Kali had possessed me in revenge for your marrying me. But, that rascal of Kali was all along being tormented inside me by your curse. He, finally, had to leave me completely when I learnt the secret of dice from king Rituparna”.

Nala continued. “I came with the desire to see you just once. Your messengers are all over the world inviting kings for your second marriage. I also came to find out how you could even think of such a course of action”.

To that accusation Damayanti replied. “Please do not mistake me. The talk of my second Swayamvara was a mere ploy to get you here. No one other than you would have managed to cover the distance of eight hundred miles ( 100 Yojanas) in a day. I swear that I speak the truth”. A loud voice was heard from heaven at that very instant. “It is true that your chaste wife has not erred, in thought, speech or action”. This was followed by gods playing on divine drums (Dundubhi) and showering flowers on the pair by way of blessing.

Nala was pleased to learn the truth. He took out the cloth gifted by the serpent Karkotaka and wore it around him. Then, Damayanti saw the original form of her handsome husband and rushed to his outstretched arms.

The two exchanged their stories following their separation in the forest. The sorrows each suffered were washed away in the happy tears of their new found union.

A Grand royal welcome

Nala and Damayanti spent that night together and went to meet the king next morning. Bhima was greatly pleased to receive Nala appearing in his old radiant form. News passed around the kingdom that Nala has returned from his exile. The citizens of Vidarbha were overjoyed with the news. They decorated the streets and came in large numbers to receive the illustrious king who married their princess. Nala and Damayanti received the citizens graciously.
Nala went to Rituparna with Damayanti next. He tried to apologize to the king for any of his lapses while under his service. The large hearted king of Ayodhya cut him short and spared no words to appreciate the years the two spent happily together. Rituparna did not forget to bless the couple for a long and happy married life.

Back to his own country

Nala lived happily in the company of Damayanti in her father’s kingdom for a few days. Then, he decided that it was time for him to return to his own land. He took leave of his in-laws and drove his own chariot carried by his favourite horses to Nishadha taking Damayanti and the children with him. He went to Pushkara and said. “Brother, I have earned enough wealth while in exile. I offer all that, including myself, as stake and challenge you to a fresh game of dice. I want you to wager on the entire kingdom including your own life. If you refuse, then you should meet me in a duel. I am afraid that you have to choose between the two”.

Pushkara showed surprise to find his brother back. He was happy to play and was sure that he would win again. The two played and this time, to Pushkara’s dismay, he lost.

Nala said. “Brother, now the entire kingdom and even your life are at my disposal. I can do anything that I want with you. But, I do not blame you for what was done to me in the past. I do not want to punish you for it. You may take half the kingdom that is due to you and go”. With those words Nala sent Pushkara away and ruled his land as an ideal king for long, long years. He lived happily in the company of Damayanti and the children.

The sage, Brihadasva, concluded telling the story of Nala to Yudhishthira with this happy note.

The second marriage

Bahuka held the reins expertly and the horses galloped fast. It appeared to Rituparna that they were flying in the air. The other charioteer was seated next to Bahuka. He wondered who this Bahuka was, being so good with the horses. Was he Matalai, the charioteer of Indra? Or was he Nala?

Exchange of knowledge

The air rushed past him with such a force that the king found even breathing difficult. Suddenly, the garment which he wore around his chest flew off. He asked Bahuka to stop immediately so that he could fetch it. Bahuka said, “Your Excellency! Your garment is behind us by eight or ten miles by now”.

Rituparna was thrilled finding his horses galloping at unbelievable speed. He wanted to impress Bahuka with his own learning. He said. “Bahuka, look at that tree far in front of us. I can tell you exactly how many leaves it has”. Then, he gave the number. He asked Bahuka to stop the chariot when they reached near it. When they stopped the king said. “Now you break that particular branch and count the leaves on it. You multiply what you get by the number of branches. You shall arrive at my figure”. Bahuka was surprised that the king was absolutely right. He wanted to learn how he did it. In exchange he promised to teach the king his knowledge of horses.

Rituparna said. “I did my calculation using the science called Akshahridaya or the secret of dice. I shall teach you also how you can apply it in the game of dice. Once you know the secret there will be none who can beat you in that game”. Nala was, no doubt, interested. He remembered the words of the serpent, Karkotaka.

(Indian Statisticians observe that the principles of Statistics and Probability theory lie behind the science of dice as king Rituparna stated it. It is the basic theory of averages which the king applied. Of course, the theory of Probability plays a big role in the game of dice).
Bahuka started the chariot with renewed speed. The two, king and his charioteer, then taught each other their respective area of knowledge. It is said that it was at that moment that Kali completely left the body of Nala.

Arrival in Vidarbha

It was near sunset. The residents of Vidarbha heard a terrifying rumbling sound. They looked out and found a chariot arriving at a tremendous speed. Everyone wondered who would be coming. Damayanti was expecting Nala and came out into the open terrace of the palace to observe whether her dear husband finally arrived. She found the king, Rituparna, stepping out. The charioteer who sat in front also stepped down. He looked ugly and shabbily dressed and bore no resemblance to her handsome Nala.

Who was he? The sound of the chariot was exactly as though Nala, himself, was at the reins. But, who is this ugly man? Was it possible that Nala taught him his secret knowledge of horses? She decided to find out and sent her maid to the charioteer.

King Bhima surprised

The Vidarbha king wondered what would have brought Rituparna to his land. After receiving the king courteously Bhima asked his host what could be his mission.

Rituparna was equally confused. The Swayamwara was supposed to be the very next day. That was why he impressed upon his charioteer to use all his skill and reach the land of Vidarbha in such a hurry. But, he found no sign of any wedding arrangements. Nor did he find any other king at the palace. It would be highly embarrassing, if there was any confusion about the invitation he received. So, he replied that it was just a courtesy call on his part.

The Vidarbha king was even more puzzled with that reply. A mere courtesy call by some one from a distance of eight hundred miles! But, he outwardly showed no signs of surprise and lead Rituparna to a quarter of the palace that was hurriedly arranged for his comfortable stay.

Damayanti’s tests

Meanwhile, the maid sent by Damayanti accosted the charioteer, Bahuka. She repeated the words of Damayanti addressing her husband why he left her all alone in the forest. Bahuka shed tears and repeated the same words which he spoke earlier in reply to that question.

Damayanti’s suspicion grew stronger this time. She wanted to test the charioteer further. She knew some of the gifts of Nala that no other human beings could perform. Only raw meat and vegetables were supplied for dinner for the visitors. Damayanti made sure that there was no fire in the kitchen to cook the food. There was no water either. The maid was asked to hide and watch what would happen next.

The maid was greatly surprised to find that the charioteer was nonplussed by not finding water and fire. He seemed to be in prayer for a while and water filled the cooking pots automatically. He prayed again facing the setting sun and fire lit the wood in the oven instantaneously. Several steaming and sweet smelling dishes were made ready in no time by the charioteer. The maid managed to bring some sample of the dishes to her mistress. Damayanti was certain after tasting them that the cook was none other than her husband.

As a final test she sent her children to the charioteer. He embraced them with tears flowing down his cheeks and took them into his lap.

Damayanti was by now sure that the charioteer was none other than Nala. But, how did he look so different? We shall learn about it in the next, concluding, part of the story.

Search for Damayanti

Bhima of Vidarbha was greatly worried hearing about the tragedy that sent his daughter and her husband into the forest. The king thought that the two must be suffering and roaming about in forests with no help in sight. The immediate task was, somehow, to trace them. So, he sent Brahmins in all directions with promise of generous rewards.

One of them was Sudeva, a friend of Damayanti’s brother. He reached the kingdom of Chedi and came upon the maid attending on the queen. The Brahmin found that her resemblance to Damayanti was particularly striking. She was as beautiful, but dressed modestly. Her looks were that of a woman in distress. After carefully weighing in various possibilities, the Brahmin decided to confront her directly.

He addressed her. “Daughter of king Bhima, I am Sudeva, your brother’s friend. I came looking for you as ordered by your father. Your parents, brother and children are all keeping well and are anxiously waiting for your return”.

Damayanti started weeping hearing those words. She, in turn, enquired about her children and all other relations.

Princess Sunanda thought it strange that her friend should be so much in tears after meeting a stranger. She reported the matter to her mother.

The queen came immediately where Damayanti was talking with the visiting Brahmin. She asked Sudeva whether he knew her earlier.

Back in Vidarbha

Sudeva told the queen all about Damayanti, her marriage to Nala and the tragedy which deprived the Nishadha king of his land. The queen was, no doubt, taken by surprise with the revelation. She was keeping a princess as her maid all along, though unwittingly. Besides, Damayanti was her direct niece, her mother being the queen’s sister. The queen embraced her niece with the new found relationship.

Damayanti then took leave of the queen and her friend, Sunanda. She accompanied the Brahmin and reached her father’s palace in due course. Every one in the palace was happy beyond words to receive her. They all shared her grief when Damayanti narrated how she suffered in various forests and how fortunate she was to escape to Chedi palace.

In search of Nala

Damayanti , then, told her parents that she did not want to live long without Nala. Hearing those words, her mother wept and kept quiet. The king issued fresh orders for the Brahmins to renew the search for Nala.

Damayanti, somehow, sensed that Nala might not identify himself to strangers. So, she left a message with the Brahmins addressed to Nala. “You disappeared with half the piece of cloth I was wearing. You left me behind, helpless, while I was asleep in deep forest. You know what is right and what is wrong. Is it not the duty of a husband to look after his wife? Remember, your wife and children are awaiting your return”. Damayanti asked the Brahmins to repeat those very words in all public places wherever they go.

Just a hint

After a few days, one of the Brahmins returned from Ayodhya and reported a strange encounter there. He repeated the same words in the court of Rituparna. Neither the king nor those who were assembled spoke anything in reply. But, when he came out the charioteer of Rituparna approached him privately. He did not at all fit the description of Nala. On the contrary, he looked positively ugly. But, he appeared to be deeply in sorrow. He said. “Is it not the duty of a chaste wife to bear all shortcomings of her husband? If her husband happened to leave her and go, because of some misfortune, she should not get angry on him”.

Damayanti was certain that the person who spoke those words was certainly Nala. How he managed to change his own identity was a puzzle. She was determined to bring him out of his hiding. There must be a clever device to entice him to come into the open. She took her mother into confidence in the matter. Damayanti requested her mother not to let even her father know of their plan.

A second marriage

Damayanti made a mental calculation that an expert like Nala, and only one like him, would reach the Vidarbha palace from Ayodhya in a day by chariot. With this in mind she made a plan. She asked Sudeva, her brother’s friend, to take an invitation personally to Rituparna. But, this was done in complete secrecy, even without telling her own mother. The message said that Damayanti wanted to marry again as her first husband was not to be traced anywhere. It would be a Swayamwara like before. Naturally, no other kings were invited.

Rituparna was excited hearing the good news. He had heard about the exceptional beauty of Damayanti. There might be other suitors. But, time was short. Many would find it hard to reach the Swayamwara with such a short notice. But, he had confidence in his charioteer, Bahuka. So, with high hopes he asked the charioteer to start immediately.

Bahuka’s mind was in turmoil hearing that his wife was going to marry again. He thought. “True, I cheated her. She must have left all hopes of finding me later. Yet, how could she do this to me?” Outwardly, Bahuka was pleased with the news and was ready to start immediately.
He went to the stable and chose four horses of the best breed and of the most agile. The king was greatly angered looking at the lean horses. There were many others which were healthier. But, Bahuka assured him that those horses would take him to his destination in time.

We shall learn about their journey in the next episode.