‘Having been prevented, he did not seek alms. He did not go begging a second time. He did not drink the milk. He did not drink the froth. One day in the forest, suffering from hunger, he ate the leaves of the arka tree.4 His eyes were affected by the acrid, pungent, bitter and unripe arka leaves and he went blind. Wandering blindly around, he fell into a well. When he did not return, the preceptor told his students, “I have forbidden Upamanyu everything and perhaps he is angry. That is the reason he has not returned and has stayed out so long.” Having said this, he went to the forest and cried out in a loud voice to Upamanyu. “O Upamanyu! Where are you? Come here my son.” On hearing his preceptor’s voice, he replied, “O preceptor! I am here. I have fallen into a well.” The preceptor asked, “How did you fall into this well?” He said, “I ate the leaves of the arka tree and went blind. That is how I fell into the well.” The preceptor replied, “Sing praises of the two Ashvins.5 Those divine physicians will restore your eyesight.” On hearing this, he6 began to worship the Ashvins with verses from the Rig Veda. “O fiery first-born beings, born before creation. I worship you two, infinite and radiant. You are birds with beautiful feathers, beyond measure, but all-pervading in the world and the universe; you vest in all beings. You are golden eagles into which everything disappears. You are free from falsehood and you do not decay. You are always triumphant. Having created the sun, you weave night and day with black and white threads. For our good fortune, you freed the bird of life that was seized by time. Those who suffer from the delusion of the senses think that you, who are beyond matter, have forms. Three hundred and sixty milking cows7 give birth to a single calf,8 the creator and destroyer of time. The calves are in different sheds, but they suckle the same truth. The Ashvins milk them of true knowledge. There are 720 spokes on the nave.9 To the rims of the wheel are stuck another twenty.10 Without a rim, this wheel revolves, without decay and with delusion. O Ashvins! Set this wheel in motion. One wheel of time revolves with twelve rims.11 Six spokes12 and one axle bear the immortal nectar to which the gods of the universe are addicted. O Ashvins! Free me from this wheel of time. After killing Vritra, Indra once won back the nectar. Like that, the Ashvins have won it back. The Ashvins cleft the mountain in all forms and freed the pleasures obtained from the senses. At the beginning of creation, you created the ten directions of the universe.13 You placed the sun and the moon above. The rishis perform yajnas according to their courses and so do gods and men who inhabit the earth. Mixing many colours, you have created objects of sight and the world and the universe were created from these. Gods and men who inhabit the earth follow these. O Ashvins! I worship only you and I worship the sky you have created. You are free and without decay, and create order from which even the gods are not free. You are the seed of everything. As male and female, you swallow food that becomes vital fluid and blood. The newborn baby sucks the mother’s breast and you are the baby. O Ashvins! Restore my sight and grant me life.” Thus praised, the Ashvins appeared and said, “We are pleased. Here is a cake. Take it and eat it.” Thus addressed, he replied, “O Ashvins! Your words can never be false. But I cannot eat this cake without offering it to my preceptor.” Then the Ashvins replied, “Many years ago, your preceptor once worshipped us. We were pleased and gave him a cake. He ate it without offering it to his preceptor. You should do what he had then done.” Thus addressed, he replied, “O Ashvins! I crave your pardon. I cannot eat this cake without offering it to my preceptor.” The Ashvins said, “We are pleased with your devotion to your preceptor. Your preceptor has teeth made of black iron. Yours will be golden. Your sight will be restored and you will have good fortune.” Thus addressed by the Ashvins, he14 regained his sight. He returned to his preceptor, saluted him and told him everything. He15 was very pleased with him and told him he would obtain good fortune as the Ashvins had promised. All the Vedas would be manifest to him. This was his trial.16
‘The other disciple of Ayoda-Dhoumya’s was named Veda. One day, his preceptor told him, “Veda, my son! Stay here in my house and serve your preceptor. Fortune will be yours.” He gave his promise and remained for a long time in his preceptor’s house, always obeying his preceptor. Like a bull always yoked to pull a heavy load, he endured the difficulties of heat and cold, hunger and thirst, and never complained. After a long time had passed, his preceptor was satisfied with him. Because of his preceptor’s satisfaction, he obtained complete knowledge and good fortune. This was his trial. Having received his preceptor’s permission, he returned home from his preceptor’s house and embarked on the householder stage of life. Three disciples came to live with him. But he never asked them to undertake any work or serve him in any way. Since he had himself suffered from the miseries of living in his preceptor’s house, he did not wish to be severe on his disciples. After some time had passed, two Kshatriyas, Janamejaya and Poushya, came to the Brahmana Veda and chose him as their preceptor.
‘One day, he had to leave to officiate at a sacrifice. He told one of his disciples named Utanka to look after his house. “Utanka,” he said, “whatever needs to be done in my house, perform it without negligence.” Leaving these instructions, Veda went away on his journey. Utanka lived in his preceptor’s house, always following his preceptor’s instructions. While he lived there, the women of his preceptor’s household assembled near him and told him, “Your preceptor’s wife is at the right period for conception and your preceptor is away from home. You must stand in his place and ensure that her period does not go barren.” Thus addressed by the women, he replied, “It is not proper for me to do this at the request of women. My preceptor has not asked me to do anything that is not proper.” After some time, his preceptor returned home from his journey. He heard everything that had happened and was very pleased. He told him, “Utanka, my son, what favour can I bestow on you? You have faithfully served me in accordance with what is proper. Consequently, the fondness we have for each other has increased. I grant you permission to leave. Go, and all your desires will be fulfilled.” Thus addressed, he replied, “Let me do what you wish. For it is said, he who asks without rightfully giving in return and he who gives without rightfully receiving in return, one of those will die and enmity created between them.17 Now that you have given me permission to leave, I wish to give my preceptor what he desires.” On hearing this, the preceptor replied, “Utanka, my son, wait for some time.” After some time, Utanka again told his preceptor, “Command me as to what I should give my preceptor.” His preceptor then replied, “Utanka, my son, you have asked me many times about what to give to your preceptor. Go to my wife and ask her what you should bring as a gift. Bring what she wants.” Thus instructed by his preceptor, Utanka went to his preceptor’s wife and said, “O madam! My preceptor has given me permission to go home. But I wish to bring a gift that brings pleasure and then go home, free from my debt. Command me as to what I should bring as a preceptor’s gift.” Thus addressed, his preceptor’s wife replied, “Go to King Poushya and get from him the earrings that his queen wears. Bring those here. Four days from now, the day is holy. On that day, I wish to appear radiant before the Brahmanas and serve them wearing those earrings. If you can do this, good fortune will be yours.” Thus instructed by his preceptor’s wife, Utanka took his leave.
‘When he was passing along the route, he met an extraordinarily large bull and an extraordinarily large man riding on it. The man addressed Utanka. “O Utanka! Eat the dung of this bull.” Though thus addressed, Utanka refused. The man said again, “Utanka, eat it. Do not hesitate. Your preceptor has himself eaten it before.” Thus addressed, Utanka agreed and ate the bull’s dung and drank the bull’s urine and then left for where the Kshatriya Poushya was. As he came near, Utanka found him seated. Utanka saluted him and said, “I have come to you as someone who asks.” The other answered, “O Bhagavan! I am Poushya. What can I do?” Utanka told him, “I have come to ask for a pair of earrings your wife wears, to give them as a gift to my preceptor. Please give me those earrings.” He told him, “G
o to the inner apartments of the palace and ask the queen.” He did as he had been asked, went to the inner apartments, but could not see the queen. He again told Poushya, “You should not treat me with a lie. Your queen is truly not in the inner apartment. I could not see her.” Thus addressed, Poushya thought for a while and said, “You must be defiled with leftover food. Try and remember. The queen cannot be seen by anyone who is defiled with leftover food. Since she is faithful to her husband, she doesn’t appear before anyone thus defiled.” Thus addressed, Utanka thought for a while. Remembering, he said, “Yes, that is true. Since I was in a hurry, I performed my ablutions while I was walking.” Poushya retorted, “This is a breaking of the rules. Ablutions cannot be performed while standing or walking.” Utanka agreed and sat down facing the east. He first washed his hands, face and feet properly. Then, silently, he thrice sipped just enough water, free from scum and froth, to reach his heart. He then washed twice and cleaned his orifices with water. Having done this, he entered the inner apartment and saw the queen.
‘On seeing him, the queen stood up, saluted him with respect and said, “O Bhagavan! Welcome. Command me as to what I should do for you.” He told her, “You should give me your earrings. I ask for them because I wish to give them as a gift to my preceptor.” She was pleased at his direct words and thought that such a worthy recipient could not be refused. Therefore, she took off her earrings and gave them to him. And told him, “Takshaka, king of the nagas, wants these earrings. Please be careful when carrying them.” Thus addressed, he told the queen, “Madam! Be reassured. Takshaka, king of the nagas, cannot overpower me.” Having said this, he took leave of the queen and went to Poushya.
‘He told him, “O, Poushya! I am very pleased.” Poushya replied, “O Bhagavan! You are a guest of many qualities. After a long time, we have found a worthy recipient in you. Therefore, I wish to perform a shraddha.18 Stay for some time.” Then Utanka said, “Yes, I will wait. But I wish to leave quickly. Please bring whatever food is ready.” As asked, he19 offered food that was readily available. Utanka saw that the food that was brought to him was cold and had a hair in it. He considered the food unclean and told Poushya, “Because you have offered me unclean food, you will go blind.” In turn, Poushya replied, “Since you have rendered unclean what was clean food,20 you will be without offspring.” Then Poushya inspected the cleanliness of the food closely. Because the food had been prepared by a woman who had not braided her hair, Poushya found that the food was cold and had a hair in it and was unclean. He pacified Utanka, “O Bhagavan! The food placed before you was cold, had a hair in it and was unclean. This was an error and I seek your pardon. Please don’t make me go blind.” Utanka replied, “What I say must happen. You will go blind, but you will recover your eyesight soon. Grant me that your curse on me should also not have effect.” Poushya said, “I cannot take back my curse even if I want to. Even now, my anger has not been pacified. Don’t you know that a Brahmana’s heart is soft as butter, even though his words are like sharp razors? The Kshatriya is not like that. His words are soft like butter, but his heart is like a sharp instrument. Since that is the case, I cannot take back my curse, because my heart is still sharp. Please go.” Then Utanka said, “I showed you the unclean food that was placed before me and allowed you to pacify me. Before that, you said I would be without offspring because I had rendered clean food unclean. But the food was unclean. Therefore, your curse will have no effect. Enough.” Saying this, Utanka left, taking the earrings with him.
‘On his way, Utanka saw a naked mendicant21 come towards him. He was sometimes visible and sometimes invisible. Placing the earrings on the ground, Utanka then went for some water. The mendicant quickly came to the place, picked up the earrings and ran away. Then Utanka dashed after him and seized him. Then Takshaka suddenly gave up his disguise, assumed his real form and disappeared into a large hole in the ground. Entering the world of the nagas, he went to his own home. Utanka followed him through the same hole and on entering the place, praised the nagas with the following words. “O snakes!22 Subjects of King Airavata,23 you adorn battles, you shower like clouds, driven by wind and charged with lightning. O offspring of Airavata! Handsome and many-formed, bedecked with earrings of many colours, you shine like the sun in the sky. Many are the habitations of the nagas on the northern banks of the Ganga. Who wishes to march in an army against the blazing sun without Airavata? When Dhritarashtra24 goes out, 20,000 nagas march as companions. I salute all of you who have Airavata as their elder brother, whether they live near him or far away. For the sake of the earrings, I salute Takshaka, son of Kadru, who has always lived in Kurukshetra and the Khandava region. Takshaka and Ashvasena25 were constant companions when they lived on the banks of the river Ikshumati in Kurukshetra. I must also salute Takshaka’s youngest brother, the great-souled Shrutasena,26 who lived in Mahadyumna in a desire to become a chief of the nagas.” When he saw that in spite of the salutations, he did not get back the earrings, he saw two women weaving a cloth on a loom. There were black and white threads in the loom. He also saw a wheel being turned by six boys and a man who was handsome.
‘He praised them with the following mantras. “Six boys keep turning this wheel with 360 spokes, perpetually moving in a cycle of twenty-four divisions. Two young women, representing the universe, are continually weaving with black and white threads, creating worlds and beings of the past and the present. O master of the thunderbolt!27 O protector of the worlds, the killer of Vritra28 and the destroyer of Namuchi!29 O great-souled one who is dressed in black, who brings out truth and untruth in the worlds! O he who in ancient times obtained as his mount the horse,30 which was another form of the fire-god, from the depths of the water. I always salute you, the lord of the universe. O lord of the three worlds! O Purandara!31” Then that man said to him, “I am pleased with your salutations. What can I do to please you?” He32 then told him, “Let the serpents be in my power.” Then that man again said, “Blow into this horse’s anus.” He then blew into the horse’s anus and from all the horse’s orifices that were blown into there billowed out flames and smoke. This burnt down the world of the nagas. Then the alarmed Takshaka, scared of being burnt by the fire, took the earrings, fled from his palace and told Utanka, “Please take back these earrings.” Utanka took the earrings back.
‘But having taken them back, he began to think. “Today is the sacred day mentioned by my preceptor’s wife. I have come very far away. How can I then give these to her?” As he was thus thinking, the man said, “Utanka, get on this horse. It will instantly take you to your preceptor’s house.” He agreed, mounted the horse and reached his preceptor’s house. After bathing, the preceptor’s wife was dressing her hair, thinking that if Utanka did not come, she would curse him. At that time, Utanka entered, saluted her and gave her the earrings. She said, “Utanka, you have come at the right time and the right place. Welcome, my son. You have been fortunate that I have not cursed you. May good fortune be with you.” Then Utanka saluted his preceptor and his preceptor said, “Welcome, Utanka, my son. What took you so long?” Utanka replied, “Takshaka, king of the nagas, cast impediments in my path and I had to go the world of the nagas. There I saw two women weaving a cloth with black and white threads on a loom. What did that mean? I saw a wheel with twelve spokes being turned by six boys. What did that mean? I also saw a man. Who was he? I saw an extraordinarily large horse. What was that? And as I was on my way along the road, I saw a man mounted on a bull. He respectfully addressed me as Utanka, and asked me to eat the bull’s dung, as my preceptor had done. On being requested by the man, I ate the bull’s dung. Who was this man? Please instruct me, what did all this mean?” Thus addressed, the preceptor told him, “The two women you saw are Dhata and Vidhata. The black and white threads represent night and day. The wheel with twelve spokes is the year with twelve months and the six boys turning it are the six seasons. The man is Parjanya.33 The horse is Agni.34 And the bull you saw on the way is Airavata, the king of elephant
s. The man who rode it is Indra. The bull’s dung that you ate is the nectar of immortality. It is certainly because you ate this that you were not killed in the world of the nagas. Indra is my friend and it is because of his kindness that you have returned with the earrings. Now, amiable Utanka, I give you permission to go. You will obtain good fortune.” Having received his preceptor’s permission, Utanka went towards Hastinapura, angry with Takshaka, and wishing to seek revenge.
‘In a short while, the good Brahmana Utanka reached Hastinapura and went to seek King Janamejaya, who had only recently returned victorious from Takshashila. He saw him seated, surrounded by his advisers. He uttered blessings of victory as was proper and then addressed him in words that had the right tone and metre. “O best of kings! You are spending your time in juvenile pursuits, when an important duty urgently demands your attention.” Thus addressed by the Brahmana, King Janamejaya saluted him, as was proper, and said in a gracious tone, “I perform the duties of my Kshatriya birth by looking after my subjects. Tell me, O king of Brahmanas, what should I do? I am obediently waiting for your words.” Having been thus addressed by that best of kings, the best of Brahmanas, superior because of his good deeds, replied thus, “O king of kings! It was Takshaka who performed violence on your father.35 Therefore, you should take vengeance on that evil-souled serpent. I think the time has come for you to take revenge, as destiny has ordained. Go, O king! And take revenge for the death of your great-souled father, who caused no offence, but succumbed to the five elements, like a tree struck by thunder, having been bitten by this evil-souled serpent. Drunk with power, Takshaka, worst of the serpent race, committed a crime when he bit your godlike father, the protector of the lineage of royal sages among kings. The evil one even repulsed Kashyapa.36 It is right for you, O king, to burn the evil one in the blazing fire of a snake-sacrifice. Do what is necessary and you will avenge your father. Thus, O king, you will also do me a great favour. O king of the world! O king who are pure! It was that evil one who obstructed me when I went on my preceptor’s work.” On hearing these words, the king was angry with Takshaka. As ghee stokes the sacrificial fire, the offerings of Utanka’s words inflamed him. In Utanka’s presence, the sorrowful king asked his advisers the details about his father’s ascent to heaven. When he heard from Utanka the circumstances of his father’s death, the king of kings was overcome with sorrow and grief.’
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