Mahabharata - Sage Chyavana and Sukanya

Chyavana and Sukanya

Sage Bhrgu had a son named Chyavana who performed severe austerities and penances. For a long period he remained in the same spot of ground. Such a long period elapsed and so immobile was he that an anthill was formed on his body and being engaged in severest penance with utmost concentration, he did not know of it. After a very long time, king Saryati came to that place along with his legion and beloved daughter Sukanya and camped beside a beautiful lake. Sukanya was very beautiful and she was wandering in the forest together with her companions when she came across the anthill. Chyavana had spotted her beauty and was looking at her when she, being fun loving and innocent, saw two sparkling things in an ant hill and poked at them with a thorn. Those things were actually the eyes of the sage and he cried out loudly in pain. Since he possessed tremendous power arising out of austerities his pain caused great inconvenience to the king’s forces and the king was very frightened. He knew that Chyavana was practicing austerity nearby and guessed rightly that the sage must had been harmed in some way, which has caused problem. He therefore enquired as to who might have caused pain to Chyavana. Sukanya then came to her father and said that she might have inadvertently hurt Chyavana. Hearing this, Saryati hurriedly went to the place where Chyavana was meditating in an ant hill and preyed with folded hands for forgiveness on behalf of his daughter. Chyavana sought to forgive her, on one condition that she should be given in marriage to him. At this Saryati, who loved his daughter dearly, became very sad by thinking about the age of the sage. But Sukanya, who was very virtuous, said that it was only right for her to marry the great sage after the pain caused by her to him. She said that it was the magnanimity of the sage that he did not curse the entire lot of the king owing to her action, but that he had very kindly sought to marry her. At this Saryati gladly gave Sukanya’s hand to Chyavana in marriage and went back to his kingdom with his troop.

Sukanya the erstwhile princess, now became the wife of an ascetic and began to tend him devotedly and helped him in his austerities and penances, looked after the ashrama and tended to the guests and the sacred fire as per duties of a pious wife. Once however, the twin Aswins, the celestial physicians, chanced to see Sukanya and fell in love with her. They pleaded with Sukanya to accept one of them as her husband forsaking Chyavana and enticed her with many temptations. Sukanya humbly replied that she was devoted and faithful to her husband and it would be impossible for her to leave him. At this Aswins conceived of an idea to test her and said that they would turn her husband young and beautiful and then she would have to select one of them or her husband as her partner. Having agreed to their proposal Sukanya went and told Chyavana everything. Chyavana permitted her to do the same and then Aswins asked Chyavana to enter into water and they themselves also entered into the water. When they came out of water Sukanya saw to her surprise three young and beautiful men of same appearance and they were all desirous of having her. Sukanya, as per the original conditions had to select one of them and being very intelligent she could easily find out who her husband Chyavana was and selected him.

Chyavana was very happy to regain youth and beauty and told the Aswins that since they had done such a favour to him, he would return their favour by giving them a fair share of the Soma in sacrifices. Aswins were not eligible to Soma in sacrifices, being inferior in status to other gods and hence they were delighted by the proposal.

When Saryati heard that Chyavana had gained a celestial beauty and youth and both his daughter and son in law are doing well living like celestials, he was very happy and himself came down to the ashrama. He had very nice discussions with Chyavana who in the course of the conversation requested him to perform a sacrifice where he would officiate. Saryati willingly prepared for the Yajna. In the sacrifice, while Chyavana was offering the Soma to the Aswins as per his promise, Indra, the king of gods, intervened and said that Aswins were physicians and this vocation prohibited them from sharing Soma with other gods. At this Chyavana said that Aswins were very kind and compassionate and they had restored him to his youth and therefore were entitled to Soma. Besides, they were also gods and like other gods they should pertake of Soma. Indra however repeatedly denied the status of gods to the Aswins and said that since they served all other gods they belonged to the servant class and were not entitled to the same treatment as gods. When Chyavana did not listen to his entreaties and was about to pour a large quantity of Soma as libations to the Aswins, Indra hurled his vajra. Chyavana, by the power of his asceticism, paralyzed that hand and then out of wrath he, through his ascetic energy, created a terrible demon called Mada, which was of gigantic proportion. He had a terrible, huge mouth with which he was about to devour the entire world. He was constantly licking his lips with his tongue. He also had terrible fangs extending over miles and his jaws extended till heaven. With that terrible form he rushed to devour Indra by the order of Chyavana. At this Indra was extremely frightened and told Chyavana that he had done this deliberately to showcase the power and might of Chyavana and to spread the fame of Saryati. Chyavana should have mercy on him and save him from the terrible demon. He also promised that Aswins from now on would have equal right to Soma as all other gods. Chyavana’s wrath was quickly appeased and he distributed Mada and put it into drinks, into women, into gambling and into field sports. Then Chyavana gratified Indra with Soma drink and the sacrifice was successfully conducted and he lived happily with Sukanya. Saryati’s fame also spread far and wide through this act of sacrifice.