By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

Sage Lomasa and the Pandavas reached the hermitage of Sage Raibhya on the banks of the Ganga. Sage Lomasa told them about the sanctity of this holy place. Then he started to recite the story of two sages, Bharadvaja and Raibhya who were dear friends. 

Raibhya had two sons named Paravasu and Arvavasu. They became scholars in Vedas just like their father and were respected by all, along with their father. This made Bharadvaja’s only son, Yavakrida jealous. He wished to gain knowledge of the scriptures quickly without seeking a teacher. 

Instead of learning for years, he chose a shortcut — to please Indra, the Lord of the Devas, asking him for direct knowledge of the Vedas. So he did intense penance and austerities to achieve this.

Indra appeared in front of him and advised that austerities are not the way to gain knowledge. The path to acquire knowledge is to study the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher. 

Yavakrida, however, didn’t yield. He refused to take Indra’s advice, went on and pursued more austerities, with even greater means, to please Indra. Indra appeared again and warned him that the path he was taking to seek knowledge was not the right path, saying that one can acquire knowledge only by studying. He then reminded Yavakrida that his own father Bharadvaja gained knowledge by studying patiently. Yavakrida refused to accept this answer again and threatened to cut off his own limbs and offer them to the sacred fire.  He wouldn’t give up on his penance. 

Continuing his severe penance, one day when he went for a bath, he saw an old man strenuously throwing handfuls of sand from the bank into the river Ganga. Yavakrida was puzzled by his action and asked what he was trying to accomplish. The old man replied, saying he was building a bridge across the river so people could easily cross. 

Yavakrida yelled at him, saying how foolish he was to accomplish his task in this ridiculous manner. The old brahmin said, “It is no crazier than learning the scriptures through austerities instead of studying under a teacher.” 

Yavakrida recognized that the old man was none other than Indra himself, and asked for his blessings. Indra at last blessed Yavakrida with knowledge of the Vedas, but with a lot of reluctance. Yavakrida became very proud to have learned Vedas directly from Indra instead of through conventional learning.

After becoming a scholar in the Vedas, Yavakrida grew an attitude.  He was thinking that he had acquired the knowledge of the Vedas through the boon of Indra instead of through a human, thus making him special. His father warned him against his pride. But Yavakrida was too proud to listen.

He started to disrespect Raibhya very much. Bharadvaja feared that his son might ruin himself by this attitude, so he decided to advise him by telling him an ancient story. 

There once lived a sage named Baladhi. His son’s untimely death plunged him into grief. He decided to do severe penance in order to get a son who would be deathless. He spent years on rigorous penance, needed because he was asking for immortality,. However, he realized that attaining immortality is not possible, so he was motivated to ask for a different boon. 

Seeing a mighty mountain in front of him. Baladhi asked for a son with a life that will persist as long as the mountain in front of him lasts. So, the sage was blessed with a son named Medhavi. He grew up with an arrogance, thinking that he was safe from death forever, as he would live as long as the mountain existed. 

He angered a great sage by disrespecting him in an unwarranted manner. The angry sage cursed Medhavi that he would turn into ashes, but the curse didn’t work on him. Medhavi remained in perfect health. The sage then realized that Medhavi had protection from the boon that he had received, to live as long as the mountain existed. 

So, the sage took the form of a wild buffalo.  By the power of his own penance, he crashed the mountain and broke it into pieces. That ended Medhavi’s life. After reciting the story, Bharadvaja concluded, telling his son to learn wisdom from this old story and not to be ruined by pride. Bharadvaja urged Yavakrida to cultivate self-restraint, and not to disobey the limits of good conduct, and to be respectful to the great Sage Raibhya.

One day Paravasu’s wife was alone in the garden of the hermitage of Raibhya. Yavakrida happened to see her. She was so beautiful and attractive that Yavakrida felt an irresistible desire to have her. Totally losing his self-control, overcome by lust, he dragged her to a lonely place and violated her person, committing the most dishonorable sin. 

Raibhya came to know about his daughter-in-law.  He was enraged about the manner she was disgraced by Yavakrida. He had no words to console his daughter-in-law. With his yogic power from his sacrificial fire, he raised a maiden as beautiful as his own daughter-in-law, along with a terrible demon. He commanded them to kill Yavakrida. 

The maiden tempted Yavakrida with her charms while he was performing a ritual.  When Yavakrida was distracted, she ran away with his kamandala, the water jug he was using for his rituals. The demon jumped at Yavakrida with a spear in his hand. Terrified, Yavakrida ran after the maiden to recover his kamandala, knowing that his mantras would be powerless until he cleansed himself with water. 

Unable to catch her, to save himself from the demon, he rushed to a pond for water but unfortunately the pond was dry. Then he ran to a nearby stream which also dried up as he approached it. There was no water for him anywhere. Together the maiden and the demon accomplished their task. Yavakrida was killed at the entrance to his father’s hermitage. 

Bharadvaja was very much distressed about his son’s death. In grief, he cursed his dear friend Raibhya for killing his only son. Regaining control of himself soon after, he yelled, “They alone are blessed who have no sons. I have not only lost my only son, but in the foolishness of my grief, I have also cursed my dear friend. What is the use of continuing my life?” He cremated his son’s body and then threw himself into the same funeral pyre.

After some time, Raibhya’s sons Paravasu and Arvavasu were invited to the palace of King Brihadyumna to perform a great yajňa and sacrifice. While arrangements were being made for the yajňa, Paravasu desired to go and see his wife, walking alone all night. Near the ashram he saw in the twilight something moving, which seemed to him like a wild beast and therefore shot it down with an arrow. 

It turned out that Paravasu had killed his own father, Raibhya, who was dressed in tree bark, mistaking him for a wild beast. He realized that the fatal mistake happened as a result of Bharadvaja’s curse. He returned to the yajňa and told his brother Arvavasu what had transpired.

Arvavasu consoled his brother and asked him to continue to perform the yajňa and said that he will go and perform their father’s last rites. He also said that he will do the penance on behalf of his brother freeing him from the terrible sin of killing their father. After finishing his penance on behalf of his brother, Arvavasu returned to the court of the king to join his brother and assist in the yajňa. 

Seeing the radiance on his brother’s face, Paravasu became jealous and told everyone that Arvavasu had killed their father. Arvavasu tried to deny his brother’s accusation, but none believed him. Arvavasu was expelled from the yajňa hall by the order of the king. Being not only learned but also virtuous, he retreated to the forest with a heavy heart. 

To find justice in the world, in despair, he immersed himself in rigorous penance. Soon the Gods appeared and asked him what boon he sought. Arvavasu asked to free his heart of all anger at his brother’s misconduct and to bring his father to life again. In this way, his brother’s sins would be washed off and he would be freed from his wickedness. The Gods fulfilled all his wishes.

Sage Lomasa thus finished the story, advising the Pandavas to take a bath in the holy river Ganga nearby, to purify themselves. He later emphasized the teaching in the story, “Learning is no protection against vanity or lust. A wise man should never lose his self-control. Many acquire knowledge and fame, only to lose self-control.  They fall prey to lust and ruin themselves.”

He continued saying, “Learning is one thing and virtue is quite another. It is true that one should know the difference between good and evil, if one is to seek good and shun evil. But this knowledge should soak into every thought and influence every action in one’s life. Then indeed knowledge becomes virtue. The knowledge that is undigested information, merely crammed into the mind, cannot instill virtue. It is just an outward show, like our clothes and it is not really part of us.”

More to come…

1. Hermitage (Ashram) – https://hindupad.com/ashram
2. Indra – https://pujayagna.com/blogs/hindu-gods-goddesses/lord-indra
3. Yavakrida & Old Man (Indra) – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/yavakridas-learning
4. Mountain – Digital Image by S. Hancherow
5. Wild Buffalo (Sage) & Medhavi – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/medhavis-pride
6. Demon & Yavakrida – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/medhavis-pride
7. Funeral pyre – https://www.deviantart.com/upb/art/Pyre-556253108
8. Paravasu kills Raibhya – http://netra-creative-vision.blogspot.com/2018/03
9. Paravasu accuses Arvavasu – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/raibhyas-sons

By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

Yudishthira was inspired by the story of Nala and Damayanti. Hearing the story from Sage Brihadvasa encouraged him to be more content and present with the situation, while he was preparing for the future. 

It had been five long years since Arjuna left them. As they hadn’t heard about Arjuna for a very long time, again the Pandavas started to worry about him.  

During this time Sage Lomasha visited them.  Through his divine vision he was able to know about Arjuna’s wellbeing and comforted Pandavas.  

Sage Lomasha advised the Pandavas to go on a pilgrimage.  Yudhishthira humbly requested the sage to join and guide them.  The sage happily agreed and escorted them to numerous holy places.  The sage recited many stories to the Pandavas, teaching them to be courageous and to be patient.  The Pandavas heard stories about sages, kings and demons. Here are some of those stories the Sage shared with them.

The first and foremost story was about Agastya Muni, who is one of the seven most revered rishis in the Vedic texts. Once Agastya witnessed some souls hanging upside down, being in pain. Startled by this sight, Agastya asked them who they were and the reason for their severe austerities. 

The souls answered, saying they were souls of his ancestors.  The reason they were in that state was because of Agastya himself.  They explained that Agastya, by being celibate, therefore hadn’t produced any children to do the rituals for the deceased forefathers.  They also said if Agastya would marry and have children then, not only them, but he himself would be set free from life and death.  So, Agastya decided to marry to gain salvation for his ancestors.

The king of Vidarbha came seeking Agastya’s blessings to have a child. The sage said that the king would be blessed with a beautiful daughter but with the condition that, when she comes of age, the marriage should be with him and no one else.  The king was delighted to receive this blessing, as at that time he was desperate to have a child.  

The king had a beautiful daughter as the sage promised and named her Lopamudra.  The king’s daughter grew up to be a beautiful maiden.  Even though her beauty was known to all, none came to marry her as they were afraid of Agastya muni. 

Agastya visited the kingdom of Vidharpa to claim his bride.  The king was not at all ready to give his daughter away to an ascetic.  He loved her so much and was worried that she would not be able to survive living in the forest.  But remembering his promise to the sage, he was afraid to break it so he was forced to full fill it.  

Seeing her parents in distress and understanding their dilemma, Lopamudra also consoled them and persuaded them to give her to the sage.  Hearing this from his beloved daughter was such a comfort to the king.  The marriage happened according to the Vedic rituals. 

As they were about to leave the palace, Agastya asked his wife to give away all her royal attires and jewelry, so she could wear clothes suiting an ascetic.  Having been brought up as a woman of high virtue and piousness, Lopamudra happily accepted his words without hesitation.  She went to live with him in the forest in ascetic clothes.  She devoted herself in his service and served him very well, winning his heart.  They both did severe penance and performed a great deal of austerities. 

One day Agastya thought that the time has come to bear a son, as he promised to his ancestral sprits. He approached his wife lovingly and shared his desire. Lopamudra, with due respect, spoke sweetly and said she would very much like for Agastya to first fulfill her wish. Her wish was for the sage to provide her with comforts similar to the ways she was raised by her parents. At first Agastya told her that such a lifestyle would incur expenses. With him being a sage, he could not afford to provide such a life, as this wish demanded that Agastya to earn the needed wealth. 

She reminded Agastya that he could certainly make all this happen by his spiritual powers. But Agastya didn’t want to diminish his state for material gains. Falling for her beauty and well-mannered nature, Agastya decided to seek help from nearby kings to fulfill her wishes.

To the first king he visited, Agastya said that he would like some donation from the king without the citizens of the country being affected by it. The king then produced the income and expenditure records which showed that nothing could be spared to fulfill Agastya’s need. This was the case with many other kings.  

Agastya began to look around for a way to earn some income.  When he couldn’t find any source of income, this led him to get the wealth from a demon named Ilvala.  

Ilvala and his brother Vatapi despised brahmins so much that they wanted to kill them all.  Bringing the dead from Yama Loka (hell) was a boon Ilvala had been blessed with in the past.  So, Ilvala would invite a brahmin for dinner and would magically change his brother Vatapi into a delicious food and serve that to the brahmin.  When dinner was over Ilvala would call Vatapi to come out from the brahmin’s stomach. Vatapi would come out, ripping the brahmin apart.  

Agastya knew this, so he went along with their plan when he was invited to dinner.  He ate Vatapi and digested him fully, using spiritual powers.  Ilvala called his brother many times but failed to bring him back.  Agastya explained that his brother had been digested and there was no way to bring him back. Knowing Agastya’s powers and desperate to bring his brother back Ilvala bowed before Agastya and gave him the wealth he needed.

After reaching home with the wealth, Agastya asked his wife if she would like to have ten good sons or one son who could win over ten at a time. She said she only needed a son who is rooted in righteousness with praiseworthy knowledge. She was blessed with the good and learned son as she wished. With this boon, Agastya fulfilled his ancestor’s wishes as well.

Lopamudra was not only the wife of a great sage but a great being in her own right. Many of the Rig Veda hymns are attributed to her. It is said that her hymns elaborate on the relationship between husband and wife who are following celibacy. 

As there are many stories about Agastya Muni, one of the other stories Sage Lomasha told the Pandavas was the following.

Mount Vindhya was the mighty mountain of the central range of India. Once Mount Vindhya got jealous about Mount Meru. It wanted to be as tall and mighty as Mount Meru, reaching to the sky and blocking the sun and the moon. So, Mount Vindhya started growing and growing, and began to block everything in its reach. 

The devas were threatened by this, so they sought help from Agastya Muni, who was on his way to the south. When Agastya arrived at the Mount Vindhya region, he sat down. Seeing the great Sage, Mount Vindhya bowed down to Agastya Muni with devotion and shared his frustration about Mount Meru and its mightiness. 

Agastya said to Mount Vindhya, “Just stay here. I will go down to the south and on my way back, we will deal with your issue.”  So, Mount Vindhya remained bowed down, waiting for Agastya to come back. It is believed that Agastya never returned.  He remained in the south, thus Mount Vindhya remains subdued. 

Sage Lomasha also recited the story of Rishyashringa to teach the Pandavas another important lesson.

Sage Vibhandaka, son of Rishi Kashyapa, saw the most beautiful nymph, Urvashi. This sight aroused him and he emitted his seed which fell into the river.  A nymph, cursed to be in a body of a doe, swallowed it and miraculously became pregnant. After giving birth to a son, she was liberated from her curse. 

The baby boy was born with horns, thus named Rishyashringa (deer-horned). Sage Vibhandaka decided to raise him isolated from society, specifically not exposing him to any female. So, Rishyashringa grew up unaware of the existence of the female gender. He practiced brahmacharya and acquired powers due to his chastity. 

The King of Anga, Romapada, was desperately searching to get relief from a drought and famine.  He couldn’t perform any yaj~nas (ritual fire ceremony) for relief as he had offended a brahmin. Therefore no other brahmin would agree to perform the rituals for him.  Due to the lack of the yaj~nas, Indra, King of the Devas, punished the kingdom of Anga by stopping the rain.  King Romapada was urgently searching to find a man with perfect chastity to get relief when he learned about Rishyashringa.  

King Romapada sent one of his courtesans to the forest to Rishyashringa, while his father was away, to bring him to his kingdom. Rishyashringa was amazed by the presence of the woman who claimed to be a hermit herself. She spoke so softly with a sweet tone.  He had never heard such a sweet voice in his life.  

He thought the woman was a man but was puzzled by the feelings developing in him naturally when she hugged him.  She played her tricks on him, arousing him, and then left before his father arrived.  Due to this Rishyashringa became lovesick and started slacking in his duties. 

When the father arrived, he was shocked to see the state of his son, not to mention the state of the ashram.  At once the sage knew what had happened.  He immediately went in search for the culprit who had disturbed his son’s celibacy. 

The courtesan came back to the son, carefully watching the father, without getting caught.  She invited Rishyashringa to follow her to her ashram, taking him straight to the kingdom of Anga.  Romapada was very pleased as it started to rain the moment Rishyashringa entered the kingdom. The king married his daughter Shanta to Rishyashringa. Thus Rishyashringa started to know about women for the first time.

The king was now afraid of Sage Vibhandaka’s wrath. He knew that the sage would come in search of his son. He prepared a grand welcome for the sage. Once the sage witnessed his son being so happy, living a royal life, he blessed him with a full heart and advised him to return to the forest once he had a son. Rishyashringa followed his father’s advice, returning to the forest life with his wife Shanta after producing an heir to the throne. 

Thus, Sage Lomasha narrated the story of Rishyashringa and gave the following teaching, “Some think that if someone is brought up without the knowledge of the world, it is easy to live a celibate life, but this is worthless.  Similarly, a kingdom guarded in the above manner would fall to the enemy easily.”   He then showed the Pandavas the place where Rishyashringa’s ashram once stood.  He asked them to have a holy bath in the nearby river to purify themselves and to get the blessings. They continued with their journey with Sage Lomasha. 

More to come…

1. Sage Lomasha – https://www.hindu-blog.com/2021/04/lomasa-devarishi-guide-of-pandavas-in-mahabharata.html
2. Agastya Muni – https://glorioushinduism.com/2021/08/11/agastya-the-conqueror-of-nature
3. Lopamudra – https://www.mythoworld.com/lopamudra-the-wife-of-sage-agastya
4. Agastya and Lopamudra – https://peepalinspires.com/lopamudra-and-agastya-exploring-the-relationship
5. Agastya and Ilvala – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/rishyasringa/
6. Sun blocked by Mount Vindhya – https://kathakids.com/mythology-for-children/when-vindhya-grew-tall
7. Agastya and Mount Vindhya – https://curiousport.com/story-of-vindhya-mountain-of-maa-vindhyavasini
8. Sage Vibhandaka – https://www.hindu-blog.com/2018/12/story-of-sage-vibhandaka-father-of-rishyasringa.html
9. King Romapada – https://www.indianetzone.com/33/romapada_king_anga.htm
10. King Romapada and Rishyashringa – https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/rishyasringa/

Krishna Avatar Part 41

By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

Sage Brihadvasa came to visit the Pandavas in the forest.  The sage narrated the story of King Nala of Nishadha for Yudhishthira to know that times will change.

Once there lived a mighty king named Nala who ruled the kingdom of Nishadha. He was very generous and noble.  He was not only brave but also very handsome, and was loved by all his citizens.  Nala was a gifted charioteer and also was known for his culinary expertise.  Still today in India, in the Tamil language, a dish well cooked, is called “Nalapakam,” meaning a dish as delicious as that prepared by Nala.

One day while Nala was wandering alone, he came across a lake with some beautiful swans.  Especially one of them really caught his attention. He slowly crept forward and caught the swan.  The bird cried out in pain while the other swans waited helplessly.  Nala spoke softly to the swan assuring it that he wouldn’t harm it and brought it to his palace.  

To free itself, the Swan told him about Damayanti, the charming daughter of King Bheema of Vidarbha kingdom.  It promised Nala that it would sing the praises of Nala to Damayanti if he would free itself.  Nala was delighted hearing this.  

He told the swan that he had once been told about Damayanti by someone else.  Ever since hearing about her, he had fallen in love with her without even seeing her. Nala said that he had decided to marry her and only her. Damayanti was indeed a very beautiful princess, and it is said that even the Devas, the celestial beings, wanted to marry her. 

Nala immediately freed the bird and requested it to do what it had promised him.  The swan flew away into the sky and reached Vidarbha kingdom.  Upon entering the royal garden, it started to recite Nala’s name. It certainly caught Damayanti’s attention.  She wanted to have the swan for herself.  She slowly went down to catch the swan.  It wasn’t easy to catch it, but at last she managed to grab the swan. 

Out of curiosity, Damayanti asked the swan about the name Nala that it was repeating.  The swan happily started telling praises of Nala.  Hearing this Damayanti fell in love with Nala as much as he was in love with her.  She decided to marry Nala, none but him.  

The swan thus finished its job successfully and returned to Nala.  Nala was thrilled to hear the news about Damayanti’s love towards him and released the swan back to its family, keeping his own promise.

When the time for Damayanti’s swayamvara came, Nala was invited, as were many other kings and princes.  The hall was not only full of mighty kings and princes from all over the earth, but also with celestial beings. They were all anxiously waiting to be selected by Damayanti.  But Damayanti’s eyes were fixed on one man, Nala himself.  She garlanded him at the ceremony, and they were happily married in front of all the guests with their blessings. 

When the celestial being Kali, the personification of Kali Yuga, heard about Damayanti disregarding the Devas and choosing a mortal man, he got very angry.  He vowed to bring down the happy life of Damayanti with Nala.  But it wasn’t easy because Nala was following the path of righteousness. It is said that it took 12 years for Kali to find fault and divert Nala from the righteous path.  

Being influenced by Kali, Nala played a game of dice with his cousin-brother Pushkara, gambling away his wealth and kingdom to him.  As Nala lost everything in gambling, he and Damayanti sent their children to her parents.  They went to the forest and wandered aimlessly.  

As they underwent much suffering, Nala was worried about Damayanti.  He didn’t want her to suffer any longer for his mistake.  He tried his best to convince her to go to her father’s kingdom, showing her the way. But she refused to leave Nala as she said that the husband needs the wife even more in adversity, therefore she will remain with Nala. Overpowered by grief, seeing his wife suffering, he then deserted Damayanti so that she would be forced to return to her father’s kingdom.

After leaving his wife with a heavy heart, he walked a long distance purposelessly in the forest came across a devastating fire.  When he was turning away from it, all of a sudden, he heard a cry for help. There, he saw the Serpent God, Karkotaka, caught on fire.  Nala jumped right into the fire and saved the serpent’s life.  

As requested by Nala, as a favor to him, Karkotaka changed Nala into an ugly dwarf so that he wouldn’t be recognized by others.  Karkotaka also suggested that Nala should go to the kingdom of Ayodhya and serve king Rituparna. There he could learn the game of dice, as Rituparna was the best there was in the game.  

Karkotaka, then gifted Nala a magic cloth which would restore his original form back when he desired. Taking his advice, Nala went to King Rituparna, taking the name of Bahuka and served him as both charioteer and cook. 

Meanwhile waking up alone in the forest, not knowing what had happened to Nala, Damayanti wept and wandered in the forest crying out for Nala. She sobbed for a while, coming to the conclusion that he left her deliberately. She searched for Nala everywhere, asking every animal and bird about him.  

When she was grabbed by a deadly python, a hunter saved her.  The hunter desired to marry her for her beauty. Taking advantage of her loneliness, he made his mind known to her.  He was burnt to ashes by her vow of chastity when he tried to force her into it.

While she was roaming in the forest, she met some great saints.  They received her with kindness and consoled her that she would be reunited with her husband after some time.  After these blessings Damayanti met a group of traders who were on their way to the kingdom of Chedi.  They invited her to join them. After travelling for many days, they camped at a lakeside.  At midnight, elephant herds came, destroying all that they carried.  She was shocked at the misfortunes striking at her one after another.  

After a long journey she was among the survivors who reached the kingdom of Chedi.  There, she met Queen Bhanumati. As she didn’t want to reveal her true identity to the queen, she told her that she had been abandoned by her husband, who was very noble but made a big mistake when gambling, playing a game of dice.  The queen received her with kindness and asked her to stay. Damayanti agreed and stayed with her, serving her as a royal maid.

Meanwhile, the king of the Vidarbha kingdom searched for his daughter everywhere.  He sent people all around to find her.  One day a minister of Vidarbha came to Chedi. He recognized Queen Damayanti, assisting Queen Bhanumati as a royal maid.  The minister was happy to find her there as he had been searching for her for a long time. 

Damayanti then found out that she had been staying with her aunt all along.  She happily returned to Vidarbha to her father’s kingdom and saw her children who had grown up fast. They reminded her of Nala, which made her miss Nala even more.  Her father promised to find Nala and sent out his ministers in search of him. 

When one of the ministers arrived at the court of King Rituparna, Bahuka caught the minister’s attention.  Even though he didn’t look like Nala, he resembled him so much in many ways, especially his charioting skills and culinary skills.  

He returned to his kingdom and told what he had observed in King Rituparna’s kingdom to Damayanti.  She too was convinced that it was Nala. Soon after, a plan was made to bring Nala to Vidarbha.  Damayanti, with the help of her father, planned to hold a fake second swayamvara, knowing Nala would somehow show up.  They announced that Damayanti has agreed to remarry. The invitation was sent to Ayodhya inviting King Rituparna.  He was informed only the day before the fake swayamvara.  

As there was not enough time to travel, the king was worried about missing the ceremony.  Hearing this, Nala assured the king that he would take him there in time to attend the ceremony.  The king agreed and Nala drove the chariot.  The horses flew in the air, so they reached the city within a day.  But both of them were surprised because there weren’t any festivities.  They were told that, as it’s the second marriage, they were keeping things quiet.

Reaching the palace Nala in the form of Bahuka, recognized his children playing outside at the terrace. He ran towards them and hugged them tightly. Observing this from her palace Damayanti rushed down and said to Bahuka, “I know it is you, Nala, I am sure of it.  I am so pleased to see you. Thank you for coming.”  

Nala was surprised at this and asked how she knew that it was him.  He also added a second question without a pause, with a sad voice asking if she was going to marry again. Damayanti with a smile instantly said, “No, Nala.  It was all a trick to get you to come here.  Who else but you could travel such a long distance in a day?” 

Hearing this, Nala was overjoyed.  He put on his magical cloth, which transformed him to his true form.  All were happy to see Nala, Damayanti and their children reunited again.  But now Nala had to regain his kingdom from his cousin Pushkara.  As Nala had learned Rituparna’s skills at dice and numbers, in exchange for his skill as a charioteer, he was ready to meet his cousin once more. 

After returning to his kingdom, Nala challenged Pushkara for a rematch of the game of dice.  Nala staked all the wealth he had earned from his father-in-law, himself and his wife for the Nishadha kingdom.  Pushkara was driven by the desire to gain the beautiful Damayanti. Sure of his own success, he accepted the rematch in dice. 

Nala, after many years of hardship, during which he never deviated from the path of righteousness, had overcome the influence of Kali.  He regained his kingdom by defeating Pushkara in the rematch.  Pushkara lost everything and became a slave.  But Nala forgave him for what he had done and gave him his palace back.  Nala and Damayanti were reunited with their citizens and lived happily thereafter. 

It is said that Kali offered Nala a boon when he left him.  Nala sought the boon that whoever read his story would not be unduly affected by the malefic effects of Kali.  Sage Brihadvasa, continued and said, “Now that you have listened to the story of Nala and Damayanti, you will be free of the ill effects of Kali, and the future will be bright for you and your family.” 

More to Come

1. King Nala and Swan – https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/08/28/science-in-nala-damayanthi-story-of-mahabharata-post-no-5371/
2. Damayanti and Swan – Damayanti and Swan https://kathakids.com/mythology-for-children/mahabharat/tales-from-mahabharata-damayantis-swayamvara/
3. Dayamanti about to place garland on Nala – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Damayanti_Choosing_a_Husband_by_Warwick_Goble.jpg
4. Nala leaving Dayamanti as she sleeps – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nala
5. Hunter and Dayamanti – https://kathakids.com/mythology-for-children/mahabharat/tales- from-mahabharata-the-separation-of-nala-and-damayanti/
6. King Rituparna guard and Bahuka (Nala driving chariot) – https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/08/28/science-in-nala-damayanthi-story-of-mahabharata-post-no-5371/
7. Dayamanti and Nala – https://www.indianetzone.com/6/nala_damayanti.htm

By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

Sage Vyasa visited the Pandavas in the forest, gave his support and offered great wisdom. He warned them to prepare themselves for a dreadful but a great war between their cousins, the Kauravas, and themselves.

He advised Yudhishthira to do penance with his brothers and wife and acquire many divine weapons. He then directed Arjuna to go to Mount Kailasa to do penance, to please Lord Shiva, to obtain a mighty weapon as a blessing.

Following Sage Vyasa’s advice, Arjuna at once got ready to depart. Draupadi wished him good fortune.  Her blessing words were felt as his mother’s wishes for him to fulfill what he was born for.  Draupadi also reminded how all their lives were dependent on his mission. She prayed to Gods and other divine powers for his success.

After taking leave from his brothers and Draupadi, Arjuna set out for the Himalayas. He reached the foothills in no time, with the knowledge he had acquired and been blessed with. He crossed the Gandhamardan range and reached Indrakeela Mountain. There he met an elderly sage who asked, “Who are you? Why are you wearing armor and holding weapons like a warrior, here in a place where sages who gave up everything and have given themselves to God live?  War and violence have no place here.”  He started laughing while saying this and advised Arjuna to leave his weapons behind.  

Arjuna introduced himself as the son of late King Pandu of Hastinapura and refused to obey the sage.  As Arjuna was hesitant to leave his weapons, the Sage revealed himself to be Indra, King of the Gods.  He blessed Arjuna, saying he just came to meet him and offered him a boon.  He also suggested that it was of no use to acquire weapons, but instead to ask for wealth and pleasure. 

Arjuna said that he is seeking only divine weapons, as he had left his brothers and wife in the forest. Indra asked Arjuna to worship the Lord of Lords, Shiva, and then to return to him for all further knowledge of divine weapons. 

Arjuna went to Mount Kailasa and began meditating in Lord Shiva’s name. Lord Shiva recognized Arjuna and knew the purpose for which he was there. Seeing Arjuna’s intense austerities, Lord Shiva decided to test his devotion before granting his wish. Along with his wife Parvati, Shiva came to the forest, dressed as hunters where Arjuna was doing his penance. 

When they reached there, they saw a wild boar charging at Arjuna. This wild boar was a demon called Mukasura, sent by Duryodhana to kill Arjuna. Hearing the wild boar’s grunts disturbed Arjuna’s meditation. He opened his eyes and charged the wild boar immediately with his bow. 

Simultaneously the visiting hunter shot at the wild boar. The two arrows pierced the boar at the same time. As Arjuna got closer to his kill, he found another arrow. Arjuna was furious about this incident. Then he saw the hunter who emerged from the trees. Arjuna asked the hunter who he was and why he was in this forest with a woman? 

The hunter replied. saying that the forest belonged to him and his clan.  He claimed the wild boar as his kill. Arjuna didn’t agree that it was the hunter who killed the boar, but said that he definitely can take the meat.  The hunter refused to take anything that belonged to someone else, arguing that it was his kill.

Unable to come to a conclusion about who killed the boar, they decided to settle it with a challenge. The fight between them went on for a long time. Arjuna found it surprisingly hard to beat his opponent. He used all his skills and weapons.  He ended up losing his Gandiva when the hunter simply snatched it away.  

At last, they ended up fighting each other without any weapons.  Arjuna was unable to beat the hunter in that duel as well.  Arjuna was so ashamed, as he had never lost a single challenge before. When he realized he could not defeat his opponent, he decided to seek divine intervention. 

He made a Shivalinga, placed a garland on it and prayed to Lord Shiva. To his amazement, he saw the hunter wearing the garland he’d offered to his Shivalinga.  Thus he realized that the hunter was none other than Lord Shiva himself. He sat at the hunter’s feet with folded hands and asked for forgiveness. 

Lord Shiva, pleased with Arjuna’s devotion and valor, appeared in his true form.  He gave the Gandiva bow back and blessed Arjuna with the mightiest weapon “Pashupata-astra.”  He gave a warning along with the weapon, saying, “Never use it unmindfully.  Use it only when you really need it, as it has the power to destroy the universe.”  He then asked Arjuna to visit Indra.  

Arjuna stood there with delight, especially after being blessed by Lord Shiva along with Parvati. He felt fully contented and in bliss.  All the Gods appeared, blessing Arjuna and granting him their own special divine weapons. Indra presented him his divine weapon “Vajra-yudha.” Arjuna thanked them all and offered his respect to them humbly with folded hands.

Indra brought down one of his special chariots to escort Arjuna to Amaravati, his abode in heavens.  Indra gave a grand welcome to his earthly son, asking him to stay in Amaravati for five years to learn to use all the celestial weapons he had acquired.  Arjuna agreed, but with one condition, that his brothers and Draupadi be informed of his wellbeing and his extended stay in Amaravati.  Indra immediately called upon Rishi Lomasa and requested him to convey the message to the other four Pandava brothers and to Draupadi on earth. 

Arjuna was delighted to see the grandeur of Amaravati, the beautiful gardens, the celestial nymphs and their divine dances.  He not only enjoyed hearing the music of the Gandharvas but also learned the art of music, musical instruments and dancing from Chitrasena, chief of Gandharvas.

During Arjuna’s stay in Amaravati, Urvashi, one of the most beautiful celestial nymphs, had fallen in love with him. But Arjuna could only see her as a mother, even though she was blessed to stay young forever. He gave her the respect that he would give his own mother.  Wishing for his love, Urvashi tried her level best to attract Arjuna by captivating gestures and postures.  Arjuna with his iron will was quite unshakable.  This offended Urvashi. 

Rejecting her efforts to win his love made her so angry, she cursed him. As he could not return her love, thus disappointing her, she cursed that he would turn into an eunuch.  Immediately regretting her hasty words and impressed with his self-controlled behavior, she modified her curse, saying that it would be effective for only one year, whenever he wished for it. 

Her curse was a boon which would help Arjuna successfully go through the period of incognito, so he could be unrecognized.  Arjuna bowed to her with gratitude.  Indra was very proud of Arjuna for his steadiness in his state.

In the forest after Arjuna’s departure, the Pandavas were a bit low in their sprit. All of them loved him dearly, so they really missed him. He was the favorite brother. They kept thinking about his safety and at times feared about losing him. Yudhishthira often blamed himself for creating distress for all his brothers and Draupadi, which buried him in sorrow. 

His brothers and Draupadi would cheer Yudhishthira up by praising Arjuna’s bravery and wisdom. Bhima and Draupadi continued their constant badgering about fighting to get their kingdom back, as they both believed it to be the right thing that kshatriyas would do. 

One day, as the two brothers Yudhishthira and Bhima were arguing, Sage Brihadvasa came to visit them. The Pandava brothers and Draupadi welcomed him, duly paying their respects. They took care of his needs and gave him a comfortable seat. 

Yudhishthira lamented to the sage in a distressed tone, saying, “Oh Sage, the cheaters invited us to play the dice game and have taken all our wealth and kingdom. Due to this, my brothers, the incomparable warriors, and my dear wife are in exile in the forest. My brother Arjuna, who went to acquire divine weapons, hasn’t returned for a very long time. We feel lifeless without him. Could you kindly tell us if our dear brother would return? When will we see him? We are in great grief. No one would have ever suffered the way I am suffering now. I am the most unfortunate and unhappiest man of all.”

Sage Brihadvasa spoke kindly to Yudhishthira, identifying his self-pity.  He said, “Don’t dwell in grief. Arjuna will return after receiving the divine weapons and blessings. You will defeat your enemies. You said there is no other man as unfortunate, who has suffered like you. That is not correct. There once lived a king who was more unfortunate and his sufferings were far greater than you could ever imagine. All that was due to a very small negligence. The result of this, he not only lost his kingdom but also his senses, mind and experienced hardships and embarrassment in life. Let me tell you his story.”  

Thus, Sage Brihadvasa started narrating to them the mind-blowing and heart-wrenching story of King Nala of Nishada.  

More to come…

1. Sage Vyasa – //indian-temples-history.blogspot.com/2012/02/bhagwad-gita-prayer-to-vyasa-maharshi.html?m=0

2. Mount Kailasa – https://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentdesplanche/12219182375

3. Shiva and Arjuna – https://www.indiadivine.org/arjunas-penance-pasupataastra

4. Shiva, Parvati and Arjuna – https://chithirapoomalai.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/mh_03_01-shiva-and-arjuna

5. Shiva, Parvati and Arjuna – https://www.researchut.com/hindu-mythology/arjuna-and-shiva/#gsc.tab=0

6. Urvashi and Arjuna – https://srimadmahabharat.blogspot.com/2018/05/46b-urvashi-curses-arjuna.html

7. Yudhishthira – https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/7e/87/837e879cccf038bb375e3cb3c56bb8a2.jpg