Mahabharata - Penance of Yavakri

Yavakri's penance

The sages Bharadwaj and Raivya were two friends. They dwelt in the hermitages which were near to each other and took delight in each other's company. Raivya had two sons Arvavasu and Paravasu and Bharadwaja had only one son, Yavakri. Raivya and his sons were versed on Vedas and were extremely learned and erudite. Bharadwaja however was known for his asceticism. Raivya therefore enjoyed much goodwill and respect while Bharadwaja, on account of his not being a scholar, did not enjoy that respect. Therefore Bharadwaj's son, Yavakri was very unhappy and one day he set out to obtain the knowledge of Vedas by docuting severe penance.  He first exposed his body to a flaming fire. By practising the hardest of austerities, he was atlast able to cause anxiety among gods and Indra esp. became very anxious, lest he would be losing his Indrahood to Yavakri. He therefore came to Yavakri and asked him the purpose behind his rigid vows. Yavakri respectfully bowed to him and replied that he wanted to have a complete mastery over all Vedas and obtain knowledge so that he might never be slighted again. Indra said that that was not the proper way of getting the knowledge of Vedas which can only be obtained from the lips of a preceptor. Yavakri then once more started his penances and the severity of his penances once again disturbed Indra. He came to Yavakri and told him that his purpose of obtaining Vedic knowledge for himself and his father through penances will never be ssatisfied. So penance was not the proper way. He must go back and learn Vedas from a preceptor. Yavakri replied that he was determined to learn Vedas in that way and therefore would resourt to even stronger ascetism by offering hsi own limbs into fire.

Indra became very concerned and after some reflections he devised an idea. He assumed the role of a Brahmin and began to build a dam in that part of Bhagirathi where Yavakri used to go for ablutions. The Brahmin began to fill Ganga with sands and he threw handful of sand to Ganga and this attracted the attention of the sage. Yavakri asked him laughing, what was the Brahmin thinking by trying to fill the river with sand? Indra in the guise of Brahmin answered that it was very difficult for people to cross Bhagirathi using a boat. For that purpose he was building a dam to help people to cross the river. Yavakri laughed aloud and said that it was an impossible task to fill Ganga by using handful of sands. So the Brahmin as well might leave it and go home and do something practical instead of attempting the impractical and impossible. The Brahmin said that if Yavakri could hope to obtain knowledge of the the Vedas by mere penance  then it was possible for filling up Ganga using such handful of sands. At this Yavakri realized that the Brahmin was none other than Sankra, the chief of celestials and therefoore told him that even though it was impractical for him to attain the knowledge of Vedas using penance, Indra could make it practical by giving boons.

Atlast Indra agreed and gave him the boon that Vedas will be revealed to him and his father Bharadwaja and his wishes would be fulfilled. At this Yavakri became very happy and went to his father Bharadwaja and told him that by Indra's boon Vedas would be revealed to them both. Bharadwaja however was a wise man and he knew the pitfalls. He therefore warned his son that having the knowledge would make him proud and pride might result in destruction. He then narrated a story. In ancient times there was a sage called Valadhi who was much grief stricken by the death of his child. He therefore performed severest of penance and obtained a child that would be immortal. However the gods told him that a mortal's son cannot become immortal just like that. There must be some riders to the immortality clause. So the sage requested that the mountains which were nearby should be the instrumental cause, i.e. only upon the destruction of that mountain his son would die, knowing very well that it was impossible to destroy the mountain as it had existed for millions of years. Afterwards a son was born to the sage and he was called Medhavi. The boy was hot tempered and as he learned the circumstances of his birth he became very vain and proud and maltreated every sage and doing all sorts of mischiefs. Atlast he met a muni called Dhannushaksha whom he treated very roughly. The sage was very powerful and he cursed Medhavi to be reduced to ashes but nothing happened. Knowing the instrumental cause of the immortality of Medhavi by his power of Yoga, the sage created huge buffaloes and ordered them to destroy the mountain that was the cause of Medhavi's immortality. Once that mountain was destroyed, Medhavi fell down dead. All the sages therefore said that under no condition can a man overcome what has been ordained by his fate (past karma). Dhannusaksha destroyed a mountain using buffaloes.

Having told his son this story, Bharadwaja warned his son that he should not become proud and vain. Otherwise he would be destroyed. He should never disregard Raivya and his sons as Raivya was short tempered but very powerful sage and he could curse him. Yavakri assured his father that he would not do anything to offend Raivya as he had greatest respect for him. However, such was his nature that soon vanity overtook him and he began to insult other sages.

One day he went to the hermitage of Raivya and insulted his daughter in law. When Raivya came to know about this incident he flared up in anger and uttered mantras by tearing off a matted lock of his hair. At this sprang up an ogeress exactly resembling his daughter in law. Then he plucked another matted lock and offered it as another sacrifice with a mantra and there emerged a terrible demon. Both of them asked Raivya what would they do. Raivya told them to go and kill Yavakri. The ogeress enchanted Yavakri and deprived him of his water pot which rendered him an easy target for the demon to kill. Yavakri ran for his life to find a sacred pool of water where he could perform ablutions to escape his terrible fate but found none. Atlast he came to his father's hermitage and tried to enter the room of agnihotra sacrifice but was prevented from entering by a Sudra. And then the demon hurled a spear and killed him.

When Bharadwaja returned to his hermitage at the end of the day he was alarmed to find that the sacrifical fire did not burn so enthusiastically and also the Sudra did not rejoice upon seeing him. At this, he asked the Sudra about the facts and soon came to know from him that Raivya's curse had killed his son. Being mad with grief he cursed Raivya saying that his eldest son would kill him as he made Bharadwaja suffer on account of the loss of his only son. Then he realized his folly and lamented that he stooped so low that he gave way to wrath and cursed his friend. He was miserable on account of the death of his only son and therefore entered into a blazing fire.

At that time Vrihadyumna, whose priest was Raivya, commenced a great sacrifice and the two sons of Raivya, Aravavasu and Paravasu were engaged by the monarch to assist him in performance of the ceremony. Raivya remained in the hermitage. Paravasu returned to the hermitage at the end of the day. His father was wrapped in a black deer skin and Paravasu, being sleepy, thought that it was a dark coloured wild animal, and being afraid of his life, he killed his father, all the while thinking it to be an animal which might attack him. After realizing his mistake, he performed the last rites of his father and returned to the place of sacrifice. He then told his brother to observe a vow for him to expiate him from the sin of killing his father, a Brahmin. Arvavasu therefore went back to the hermitage to perform penance to expiate his brother from the sin and subsequently at the end of the vow, returned to the sacrifice. Seeing him, Paravasu conceived a devious plan and told the king that his brother was the real killer of his father and for that reason had gone for getting rid of the sin and a killer of Brahmin must never enter the place of sacrifice. The king immediately ordered his men to  turn out Arvavasu and they called him as a slayer of Brahmin. Aravavasu repeatedly said that it was not he who was the killer but his brother, but nobody paid any heed. Grief stricken, the sage returned to the woods and performed most severest kind of penance to please the sun god and the sun and other gods being pleased with him made him the chief priest of the sacrifice and compelled the king to dismiss Paravasu. They then granted boons to Arvavasu who asked for the life of his father Raivya. Then he further prayed that his brother should be absolved from sin, his father would have no recollection of being killed, and that both Bharadwaja and Yavakri would come alive. The gods happily bestowed all the boons and Yavakri and Bharadwaja became alive again. Yavakri on regaining his life asked the gods including Agni that even though he had succeeded in learning the Vedas and did severe penances, how could Raivya kill him in that manner. At this the gods told him that he had learnt the Vedas without any hard work and without the aid of a preceptor. But Raivya had obtained it the hard way by serving his preceptor and over a long period of time. That was why he could belittle Yavakri. No great work can be accomplished using short cuts. One has to work hard to gain knowledge and that hard earned knowledge only has value.

Mahabharata - Story of Ashtavakra

Ashtavakra and Vandin

Sage Uddalaka had a disciple named Kahoda who was devoted to his guru and had acquired much knowledge and wisdom. Uddalaka was delighted by his disciple's progress and being satisfied by the service rendered decided to give his daughter Sujata in marriage to Kahoda. Sujata and Kahoda was expecting a son, who became conversant with Vedas even while he was in the womb of the mother. One day when Kahoda was giving a discourse on Vedas the son, even while it was in an embryo stage, addressed its father and told him that what he read was not correct. Thus he insulted his father in front of all his disciples and Kahoda was livid with anger. He therefore cursed the foetus saying that it will be born with eight parts of its body crooked since it did not know how how respect its own father. The child was thus born crooked and was named as Ashtavakra. The child had an uncle (son of Uddalaka) of the same age, named Swetaketu. When the pregnancy was in its tenth month, Sujata, requested Kahoda to devise some means of sustenance of the family and accordingly Kahoda went to the court of king Janaka of Mithila who was a great royal sage. Janaka in his court had a great debator named Vandin who used to engage people in debate with him and those who were defeated were killed by being drowned. Kahoda was also defeated and he was killed by Vandin. Hearing this Uddalaka told Sujata to keep it a secret from Ashtavakra and accordingly the child grew up without knowing his true father. One day when Ashtavakra was twelve years old, he was sitting on the lap of Uddalaka. Swetaketu came there and told Ashtavakra to go away because he had the first right to sit in his father's lap. Such cruel words inflicted a deep wound in the heart of the child. Ashtavakra went to his mother crying and aksed her as to who was his father. Sujata, shedding lot of tears, told her son about his father who was killed by Vandin in Janaka's court. At this Ashtavakra became very angry and he asked Swetaketu to come with him to the court of Janaka to meet Vandin. He however enticed his uncle by saying that there in the court by listening to learned Brahmins the knowledge and wisdom would increase and therefore they should go. The nephew and the uncle went to the king's place but the gate keeper would not allow children to enter the assembly of the erudites thinking them to be mere curious onlookers. Ashtavakra then met the king and told him that it is said in the scriptures that if there is no Brahmin on the way, the right of way belongs to the blind, deaf, women, carrier of burden and then king. But if there is a Brahmin he has the right of way. The king was surprised by the eloquency of a child and allowed him to enter the assembly. The gatekeeper said that he was merely carrying out the order of Vandin that lads were not allowed to enter and only learned old Brahmins would be allowed. Ashtavakra argued that he might be young in age but old in knowledge and wisdom and therefore should not be slighted. At this the gatekeeper told him to recite a verse from the vedas eulogizing the Supreme Being. Ashtavakra further argued with him saying that wisdom does not depend upon age. He even said that he would enter the assembly and would defeat Vandin by his power of knowledge and oratory. The gatekeeper was still sceptical and then Ashtavakra once again told the king that he would like to enter into a debate with Vandin and he would definitely defeat him. The king said that it was not possible for him to defeat Vandin as men of far superior knowledge and abilities had been defeated and killed by Vandin. So Ashtavakra should not risk his life. But Ashtavakra was adamant. The king Janaka therefore to test the boy asked him a few questions. They were - the significance of the thing that had thirty divisions, twelve parts, twenty four joints and three hundred and sixty spokes. Ashtavakra replied that it was the ever moving wheel (of time) that had twelve peripheries (months), twenty four joints (hours), six naves (seasons) and sixty spokes (lunar phases or pakshas - fortnights). The king was pleased and asked again, "Which two always come together ordained by Gods, snatch away like hawks and from where are they produced?" He was asking about miseries and death. Ashtavakra understood and replied that these two should not find their place in the king's house and even in the houses of his enemies and that they are produced in the one that has wind as his charioteer (the mind that races like wind, i.e. uncontrolled mind gives birth to miseries and ultimately causes death). The king further asked, "What does not close its eyes even while sleeping, what does not move after birth, what has no heart and what increases even at its own speed?" ashtavakra replied that it is the fish that does not close its eyes while sleeping, the egg after birth does not move (i.e. after its produced it remains still until hatched), a stone as no heart and a river increase in its own speed. The king was very pleased with these answers and permitted him to enter into a debate with Vandin. Ashtavakra then declared his presence and demanded that Vandin be brought in front of him and Vandin appeared, suprised that a mere boy had the audacity of calling him into a debate and then he presented his first line of thoughts. He said,  "there is one fire that takes various shapes, there is one sun that illuminates the world, there is one Lord of the celestials, Indra, and there is one Lord of the manes, Yama." Ashtavakra said, "There are two friends in celestial world, Indra and Agni, who always move together, Narada and Parvata are two celestial sages, Aswinikumaras are twins and wheels of a car are two, husband and wife form a couple." Vandin said, "Three kinds of born beings are produced by acts, three vedas are together used for performing vajapeya sacrifice, three are number of words and three are divine lights." Ashtavakra said, "Four are the ashramas, four orders perform sacrifices, four are the cardinal points, four are the legs of cows." Vandin said, "There are five fires, five sacrifices, five sacred rivers." Ashtavakra said, "There are six seasons, six senses, six stars in constellation Kirtika." Vandin uses number seven as seven domestic animals, seven wild animals, seven rishis of the yore and seven strings of Vina. Ashtavakra said on number eight that there are eight vasus, eight angles of Yupa, eight legs of an animal called Sarabha. Vandin then narrates the properties of number nine and in this way Ashtavakra takes the argument to number twelve. Vandin then mentions about thirteen islands and thirteenth lunar day and stops being unable to proceed farther. Ashtavakra provided some more examples with the number thirteen and thus won the battle.

The real significance of this battle was not playing with numbers but to prove the superiority of the concept of Advaita, i.e. one Supreme Being who pervades everything, the grand cosmic unity, that was later preached by Ashtavakra. Vandin did not accept the superiority of consciousness or Atman as the Supreme Being that pervades everything and therefore brought forward arguments from a pure materialistic standpoint, asserting the superiority of sense, sense objects, sense organs and intellect and denying consciousness. But Ashtavakra pushed him to the limit to assert that one consciousness underlying everything. When a person attains the knowledge of Self or Atman all bonds break for him and he becomes emancipated.

The assembly broke into a loud uproar as everybody was disgusted with Vandin and his ways. Brahmins began to praise Ashtavakra. Ashtavakra then said that Vandin must be killed by drowning as he had done with others who were defeated by him. At this Vandin was delighted and said that he was actually the son of Varuna, the lord of all waters. Lord Varuna had commenced a sacrifice extending for twelve years for which Vandin was entrusted to send the best of Brahmins and he did the same by sending all who were defeated by him. None of them had drowned. All of them had been happily enjoying the hospitality of king Varuna. Ashtavakra was so angry that he refused to listen and asked Janaka to drown Vandin as per agreement. Janaka said that as per the terms Vandin was in now Ashtavakra's hand and he was free to do what he wanted with him. Vandin said that he was really Varuna's son and that drowning him would help him to return to his abode. He also said that Ashtavakra's father Kahoda would appear immediately in front of him and he would be very happy with his son's accomplishments.

Then Kahoda along with all Brahmins who were drowned appeared in the king's court and everybody was amazed. Kahoda told king Janaka that it is because that a son can surpass his father in merit that a man wants to have son. His son had accomplished what he failed to do and he was proud of that. Vandin then duly worshipping the Brahmins and praising the august assembly and sacrifice of the king, entered into his realms in the water. Ashtavakra duly worshipped his father and returned to his hermitage along with his uncle. Then in presence of his mother his father asked him to enter into the water of the river Samanga. When Ashtavakra did the same all his crooked limbs became straightened and from that time onwards the river came to be known as Samanga or straightened limbs and developed purifying power. Ashtavakra became a very famous sage and his doctrine concerned unity of every being with God or the Advaita (non dualism).