Mahabharata - The Story of Sankha and Likhita

This story was told by Vyasa to Yudhisthira in Shanti Parva. Once there lived two brothers, both rishis, named Sankha and Likhita. Two brothers used to live in two beautiful houses near the bank of the river Vahuda. The trees in the ashrama were always full of luscious fruits and beautiful flowers. Once Likhita, came to the hermitage of his brother Sankha. At that time Sankha had gone on some errands and was not available in the ashrama. Likhita was hungry and therefore he plucked some fruits from the trees and ate them, thinking that anyway they belonged to his brother, so he had rights to eat them. When Sankha came back he saw that Likhit was eating fruits and he was not happy. He asked Likhita by whose permission did he pluck the fruits from the trees. Likhita said that he had taken them because he was hungry. Sankha, who had a different sense of justice told Likhita that even though he had taken the fruits from the trees of his brother, since he had taken them without telling him, he had done a wrong. Therefore he must go to the king and seek punishment. Likhita, who always obeyed his elder brother went to the king Sudyumna. Hearing that sage Likhita had come to visit him the king hastened to meet him. Likhita told him that he did a grave mistake by appropriating what did not belong to him. Therefore he had committed theft and he should be punished by the king. The king was surprised. He told Likhita that if the king is bestowed with the responsibility of punishing a wrong doer, he also had the right to forgive. Therefore he would pardon Likhita. But Likhita did not relent. He said that he had committed a grave sin by violating the principles and he should be punished like an ordinary thief. The punishment of theft was cutting off the hands. Likhita asked Sudumnya to perform his dharma as a king, as a ruler and chastiser, to set examples. The king was very unhappy, but he ordered the hands to be chopped off. Likhita was happy and despite being in great pain, he returned to the hermitage of his brother showing him the punishment meted out to him. Sankha said that he was not at all angry with Likhita and he wanted him to be punished by the king because of the consideration of righteousness as espoused by the Vedas. Sages should set examples in front of the society and if they transgress their moral responsibilities and duties the society is in grave danger. Also the king should be the one inflicting punishment on any wrong doer and that's why he sent Likhita to the king, though he himself was capable of punishing him. He then told Likhita to go and take a bath in the river and offer oblations to the Gods, pitris and the rishis. Likhita performed his oblations and at this a miracle happened. His two hands appeared as it is. Overjoyed, Likhita ran to his brother to show him the miracle. Then venerated Sankha, the great sage, told his brother that all this had happened because of the power of his penances. 

The great king Sudyumna, by establishing righteousness even against his own wish, earned great merit and fame.

Purana - the story of Samjna and Surya

Surya or Vivasvan was born to the sage Kashyapa and his wife Dakshayani. His other name was Martanda. He was married to the daughter of Viswakarma, Samjna and they had two sons and a daughter. The two sons were Vivasvat Manu and Yama and the daughter was Yamuna. Yama and Yamuna were born as twins. Samjna could not withstand the tremendous power of the sun and therefore she created a look alike of hers, called Chhaya, and went to live at his father's place. She entrusted her sons and daughters to Chhaya imploring her not to reveal her identity. Chhaya agreed. However she said that if nobody insulted her by dragging her by hair, she would not reveal anything. Samjna thereafter went to the place of Viswakarma. But Viswakarma, when he heard that Samjna had left her husband, became very angry and rebuked her harshly. He asked her to go back to her husband's place and take care of her children. Samjna, who was in no mood to relent therefore left her father's place, took the form of a mare and went to roam freely in the Uttara Kuru area. Now Chhaya was managing well but in the meanwhile she had her own sons. The first one was called Savarni Manu as Chhaya was also called Savarna, the second one called Shanaischara. When she had her own sons, Chhaya began to neglect the sons and daughters of Samjna. Vivasvat Manu was a good natured child, so he did not protest. But Yama was ill tempered and he could not accept this behavior. In a ft of anger once he showed his feet to Chhaya who promptly cursed him that he foot would fall down. Yama was afraid and he went to his father, Vivasvan crying, saying that Chhaya could not eb his mother since she cursed him. Vivassvan after listening to Yama pacified him saying that only a portion of his foot would come out being affected by worms, so he had no fear. When Sun asked Chhaya the reason for her negligence of her sons, Chhaya could not give a good answer. Vivasvan through his Yogic power came to know of everything and he took Chhaya's hair and was about to curse her. Then Chhaya revealed everything about Samjna. Sun hurriedly went to Viswakarma's house seeking Samjna. But Viswakarma told him that Samjna left his house and went as a mare to Uttara Kuru. Vivasvan therefore took the form of a horse and went in search of Samjna. When he got her finally they spent a delightful time as horse and a mare in Uttara Kuru and two sons were born to them who were known as Aswini Kumaras - Nasatta and Dasra. The Aswini Kumaras became physicians of the gods.

Then when Vivasvan came back with Samjna Viwakarma devised an idea. He put Sun on one of his giant wheels to get him rid of some of his lustre and power. The Sun then became more bearable and tolerable to Samjna and they began to live happily together in their previous forms. The excess power given up by the Sun was used in making a trident for Shiva and a Chakra or Discuss for Vishnu. 

Yama later became the Lord of all the pitris and the dead. Yamuna became the famous river on earth. Shani or Shanaischara became a planet Shani. Savarni Manu would become a Manu of the later ages and Vaivasvat Many became the Manu or the king of the present Manvantara.

Purana - Story of Prithu

In the race of Svayambhu Manu there was a king called Vena who was born in the family of rishi Atri. His father was Anga and mother was Sunitha.  Although Vena's fatehr was a pious person, his mother belonged to the house of death that was responsible for many reprehensible acts. Vena never followed the path of righteousness as prescribed in the Vedas. Vena was extremely arrogant, used to torture his subjects, never followed any scriptural injunctions and was ruthless in extracting his taxes. He even went to the extent of denying all gods and the supreme God Head and declared that all sacrifices should be offered to him as the supreme being of the universe. According to him there was no other God than him, the king. After tolerating his oppressive regime for a long time, when afetr repeated entreaties he did not get back to the path of righteousness, the sages became extremely angry with him. The Rishis had tremendous power. They cursed the king to death. However with the death of the king lawlessness reigned supreme. Therefore they had to get a new king. The Rishis then performed a mini sacrifice. They rubbed the hand of Vena as if they were rubbing the wood sticks meant for igniting the sacred fire and from Vena's left hand came out a race of terrible people. They did not follow Vedas and were called as Mlecchas. From his left leg came out a race of extremely ugly looking people whom the rishi's told "Nishada", meaning, "sit down". This race of people came to known as Nishadas and they lived in the jungles. They were cruel and barbaric and their main profession was hunting. From his right hand came out a divine person who was named as Prithu. He was anointed as the new king by all the gods including Brahma and the 7 prominent sages. Prithu was a very pious and he restored the Vedic practices, brought peace and harmony and ensured that his subjects were treated fairly.  Prithu was born as part of Vishnu and had been gifted with power to bring lasting change. Under the rule of Prithu there was all round prosperity. Even seas and mountains used to make way for his travels out of respect. During his time the royal bards - the Suta and the Magadhi castes were born who began to sing the praises of the kings, their exploits and their genealogy. However people were not getting regular food supplies because of the erratic produces from the soil. They came and complained to Prithu against mother earth. Prithu got angry and he took up his bow and arrow to punish earth. The earth took the form of a cow and began to ran with its tail up. Prithu ran behind her and threatened to shoot her. The earth begged forgiveness and asked Prithu why he wanted to kill a woman. Prithu replied that since earth had sinned in denying food to her children there would be no sin incurred in killing her. The earth then said that if Prithu could get her a suitable calf she would give bountiful of corns as milk. Prithu agreed and he atfirst used his bow and arrow to make all the lands uniform so that the milk could flow everywhere. Previously there was no agricultural practices and therefore people had shortage of food. They used to live on fruits and roots and meats. But after Prithu's endeavour agriculture became an established practice among people. Prithu used Swayambhuva Manu as the calf and got the corns as the milk. Apart from Prithu, the sages, the gods, the pitris, the asuras, the Nagas, the rakshasas, the yakshas, the Gandharvas, the pishachas, the mountains, the rivers, the trees, all separately milked the earth for the fruition of their desires. The sages used Soma as calf and extracted penance as milk, the Nagas used Airavata as calf and got poison as milk, the yakshas got Kuber as calf and disappearance as milk, the rakshasas got blood as milk, the mountains got many minerals, the trees got the medicines etc. Thus Prithu was the first king of the earth and after his name the earth came to be known as Prithivi. She is also known to be a daughter of Prithu since he spared her life.

This is a beautiful allegory of how agricultural practices started. From a primarily nomadic life people took to cultivation when there was a terrible food shortage and Prithu was a brilliant thinker who first discovered the science of agriculture. He tilted the earth till there were lands where seeds could be sown and through his tenacious effort a bountiful harvest was realized by the people for the first time. Probably he introduced the art of cultivation on a mass scale and thus solved the problem of food shortage. The rest of the gifts of earth to the other species are narrated to depict how mother nature gave everybody everything that they needed. Since mother nature was closely associated with earth the two got entangled in the story. The earth is also called Gau in Samskrit - which is also the word for cow. Therefore the allegory states that the earth assumed the form of a cow to provide nourishment to its children just as cow would provide milk from its udder after being milked by a competent milkmaid. Here Prithu assumed the role of milking the cow in the form of earth through the tilting of land. Thus the agricultural societies were formed and people settled down in villages and towns adopting the practices of agriculture and animal husbandry. Since the king was their protector he was hailed as the supreme lord and taxes needed to be paid to him.

Purana - The Story of Pralaya

The Puranas describe two types of Pralaya - Khandapralaya in which there is partial destruction and Mahapralaya in which there is total destruction. Normally a Khandapralaya takes place after every Manvantara or the reign of a Manu while a Mahapralaya takes place at the end of a Kalpa or the day of Brahma. In Mahapralaya everything is destroyed, i.e. get back to the source, the unmanifest, and creation begins anew. In a Khandapralaya there is the destruction of many species of animals including human beings, but some survive to begin a new cycle. During the time of Pralaya first there would be a widespread famine that would last for many years as there will be no rain for many years. No plants, corns and herbs will be available and animals will die in hordes. Next there will be a tremendous heatwave from the sevenfold power of the seven rays of the sun that would scorch all surviving animals. The heat will dry up all water and they will accumulate in the form of vapours. Next from the subterranean region Sesha will emit tremendous fumes and flames that will come out and burn everything and Siva's third eye will open and burn the world. Then seven destructive clouds led by Samvartaka will spring up from the vapours accumulated and it will rain continuously for many years until seas are all united into one great mass. Earth will be a vast expanse of water and nothing will survive that.

Note how this vision realistically depicts the scientific conditions of the earth during its creation as well as possibility during the stages when major species like the dinosaurs disappeared from the earth. First earth was a big fireball, extremely hot and then gases formed and then volcanic eruptions were galore. Then rain came and water bodies formed and in the vast mass of water first signs of life appeared in the form of simple carbon molecules who replicated and coalesced to form bigger and more complex organisms. When major species disappeared from the earth owing to large scale destruction, new species appeared after earth being habitable again. 

Mahabharata - The Story of Savitri and Satyavana

Aswapati, the king of the Madra, was a very pious and dutiful king. He was a great giver of wealth, performed sacrifices and was well loved by his subjects. He was truthful and a master of passion. But the king had one great regret. He did not have any offspring and he was growing old. He therefore did a yagna for eighteen long years. He fasted and ate only one time a day, poured oblations in the fire to satisfy goddess savitri, led a life of austere brahmacharya or celibacy and thus at the end of eighteen years the goddess was highly pleased with him and appeared to him. When the king asked for many offspring the goddess gave him a boon that a beautiful daughter will be born to him who will fulfill all his desires. The king was delighted and in due course of time he got rewarded with a daughter whom he named as Savitri after the goddess. The daughter was beauty embodied, she was verily the Shree or Lakshmi incarnated, such was her beauty and intelligence. When she grew up and attained the prime of her youth the king tried his best to get her married to suitable men, but none were brave enough to ask for her hands as she was not only beautiful, but also pure and radiant like a goddess. So the king, who became sad on account of his failure, asked his daughter to go and find a suitor herself. So Savitri along with a royal retinue went to the hermitage of the royal sages in a forest to seek blessings of the the great sages. When she came back to Madra, sage Narada had visited his father. Seeing her Narada said to her father Aswapati as to why was he not giving his daughter in marriage to a worthy suitor? The king replied that he had sent Savitri for the purpose of selecting a husband for herself and perhaps she had come back accomplishing that mission. He then asked Savitri to tell them as to whom she had selected as her husband. Savitri said that in the forest she met prince Satyavana, whom she had mentally chosen as her husband. Narada became very grave by listening to this and Aswapati asked Narada as to who Satyavana was and what did he know about him. Narada said that in the Salwa kingdom there was a king named Dyumatsena who was wise and virtuous. But he became blind through misfortune and his enemies had taken away his kingdom. With his wife and his child he left his kingdom and came to the forest and lived like a hermit. The child who grew up in that ashrama was Satyavana whom Savirtri had chosen as her husband. The king and queen were truthful and hence the child was named as Satyavana. He was an excellent prince, of noble qualities. He was truthful, handsome and had all good qualities. He looked after his parents and was always magnanimous. He was pious and dutiful and an ideal husband. However he had one defect that would overshadow all his qualities. The king asked Narada about the defect. Narada said that Satyavana was destined to be extremely short lived. In fact he would die in a year from then. The king was saddened by this and asked his daughter to change his mind. But Savitri said that she could not chose anybody else, come what may. Since she has mentally selected Satyavana as her husband she would marry him and nobody else. The king acquiesced and Narada blessed her heartily and took his leave. The king began to make preparations for his daughter's wedding. 

The king visited the hermitage of Dyumatsena in the forest on foot and disclosed his identity to the blind king who sat on a kusha grass seat under a tree. When the blind former king asked for the purpose of his visit Aswapati told him that he sought an alliance with him by marrying off his daughter to Dyumatsena's son Satyavana. At first Dyumtasena did not agree to the proposal saying that though he had desired such an alliance when he was a king, now that he was living as an ascetic it would be extremely difficult for Savitri to live the life of deprivation, leaving all the luxury of her palace. But Aswapati told him that since they were equal as kings the alliance was only desirable. Moreover his daughter had chosen the husband and therefore she would be capable of living with her husband anywhere. Such an alliance would only be mutually beneficial. Dyumatsena agreed and Savitri and Satyavana got married in presence of all the sages and the munis of the forest, following the norms. Savitri came to reside in that hermitage. She got rid of all her ornaments and costly robes and wore only the clothes as worn by the hermitage dwellers. She behaved impeccably towards her mother and father in law, pleased them in every way and also loved her husband and shared all the work of the hermitage willingly. She led a very happy life. Everybody loved her because of her sweetness of nature. But inward she had one nagging fear, she knew that her husband would die in a year and she dreaded that thought. 

Atlast a year passed and Savitri knew that the appointed moment would come our days later. She began to undertake fast for three nights and when Dyumatsena requested her not to undertake the fast she replied that she was doing it for the sake of her husband. At this Dyumatsena, who was concerned about her delicate health nevertheless agreed. On the fourth day, the day of breaking her fast, Savitri was blessed by all the Brahmanas of the forest who recited Swasti verses and blessed her never to suffer from widowhood. When requested to break her fast Savitri said that she would do so only at sunset. On that day Satyavana had to go to the forest for cutting wood for the sacred fire. Savitri requested for his permission to accompany him. Satyavana at first objected saying that the path through the wood would be too torturous for her. Besides, she was already tired and lean with her fasting. However he would not deny Savitri the only request that she had made after her marriage. So he agreed provided Dyumatsena agreed. Savitri took permission from his father in law. He was also concerned about her health but could not deny her daughter in law the only request that she had made to him since marriage. Savitri thus went with his husband to the wood. This was her first outing with her husband and she knew that it was the last one. She was very afraid but she did not express it. Quietly she went with him deep into the forest. She saw the lovely blossoming trees, the peacocks and other birds and animals and the streams and rivulets. Her husband started gathering fruits and cutting the logs and she helped him.

After sometime Satyavana was tired and he had a terrible headache. He requested Savitri to sit for a while so that he could sleep for sometime placing his head on her lap. Savitri did so and she knew that the moment had come. She began to count every minute. Suddenly she saw a terrible and dark looking person, clad in red attire and his head decked with a diadem. He was of large proportion, carried a noose in his hand and was dreadful to look at. Savitri stood up reverentially and with folded hands asked for the identity of the god of death. The god replied, that he was Yama, the lord of the pitris or the ancestors. Because Savitri had acquired considerable merit in her piousness, asceticism and virtue that she could see him and talk to him. When asked by Savitri why did he come in person when normally his associates come to take the dead to his abode, Yama replied that Satyavana was extremely meritorious and that was why he had come himself. Then Yama with his noose brought out the subtle body from Satyavana's body, which was the size of a thumb, and tied it to his noose and went southwards. When the subtle essence left the body, the body lost all its luster and remained motionless.  Savitri followed Yama. At this Yama asked her to desist from following him further, go back to the hermitage and perform the last rites of her husband. But Savitri continued to follow him. At this Yama was irritated and told her sternly to go back. Savitri was intrepid. She replied that she was bound to follow her husband as per her marital vow. Also it is ordained that by following the seven steps with anybody one becomes friend to that person. Also by her religious merit she had been able to come thus far unimpeded. So according to her, acquiring religious merit should be th purpose of life for anybody, be in any mode of life like brahmacharya or studenship, garhasthya or householder, vanaprasthi or forest dweller and sannyas or renunciate. By keeping one's senses under control and by observing vows as well as practising one of the four modes of life sincerely and as per injunction of the scriptures one can acquire religious merit, as has been declared by the wise. Hearing this wisdom Yama was extremely satisfied and asked her for a boon, anything apart from her husband's life. Savitri requested that her father in law Dyumatsena should get back his eyesight and should enjoy a good health. Yama agreed and proceeded further. But Savitri still followed her. Yama by this time was more malleable and he told Savitri that since she was fasting and weak she should go back and should not come thus far. Savitri told him that the wise men said that the company of wise and great men was always desirable, even for a short period of time. One should always keep the company of the righteous and a friendship with them was even more desirable. This was in effect a praise of Yama because Savitri was in his company. Yama was highly pleased and he asked for a second boon. Savitri said that her fatehr in law should get back his kingdom and should never be defeated by his enemies. Yama agreed to grant that wish and asked her to return. But Savitri continued to keep pace with him. Savitri told Yama that since he acted according to the decree of punishing the evil doers and restraining mankind from committing sins his name was Yama (literally - controller). One must be always kind to the fellow creatures and must never cause any injury or harm. Everything in this world is transitory as the death of her husband had revealed. Therefore one should cultivate devotion and faith and should love everybody. Yama said that her words were like nectar to him and he was very pleased with her and therefore she could ask for a third boon, except for the life of her husband. Savitri, knowing her own father's wish now went to fulfill it. She asked for hundred sons for her father who would perpetuate her father's lineage. Yama granted and said that one hundred illustrious sons would be born to her father (a boon that was earlier sought by Aswapati to goddess Savitri) and they would perpetuate his race. Then Yama told her to go back. But Savitri continued and told Yama that she did not feel any fatigue as she was with her husband. She also told him that Yama's other name was Vaivaswata as he was the powerful son of Vivaswan, the Solar Deity. Also he was the Lord of the Justice as he dispensed justice righteously and without any discrimination. One should always seek the company of the righteous people as goodness of heart alone inspired the confidence of all creatures. Yama was again very pleased and said that he never heard such beautiful viewpoints from anybody save her. She should therefore ask for a fourth boon and then go away. Savitri then asked for a hundred sons that would be begotten by her and by Satyavana. Yama did not think much before he consented to the boon and resumed his journey. Savitri however did not leave his company. She went alongside and said to him that righteous always sought the company of pious and righteous. Righteous people through their actions upheld all morality and therefore the heaven and the earth. Righteous through their actions caused the sun to stay in its course. The righteous continued to do good without any expectation knowing that it was the eternal practice. Righteous were the protectors of all and the righteous maintained the dignity of the office and the position bestowed upon them, implying indirectly that since Yama was righteous he would do only what was right and just. Yama, hearing all this was mighty pleased. He knew that Savitri wanted to get her husband back to life and therefore he had agreed to the fourth boon. He was merely testing Savitri's tenacity, wisdom and fortitude all along. He now told her to ask for any impossible boon, well knowing what was expected. She did not let go of this chance. She therefore told Yama that she had already asked for a hundred sons that she would beget from her husband Satyavana. That would not be possible if Satyavana was dead. Therefore Yama should give back his life. Yama was only too willing. He loosened his noose and let Satyavana's subtle body go back to his body. He said that Satyavana and Savitri would live long and their fame would be eternal. His other boons would also be effective immediately, i.e. Savitri's father in law will get back his eyesight and kingdom, Aswapati would get his hundred offspring of his wife, the daughter from Malava kingdom called Malavi, and Savitri and Satyavana would have hundred sons that would perpetuate their race. Moreover this story would grant all of them immortality. Thus saying, Yama departed for his abode. He had already freed the soul of Satyavana.

Savitri, being pleased with her accomplishment, went back to the place where Satyavana's corpse lay and put his head back on her lap. Soon Satyavana came back to life as if he woke up from a dream. He was his former self again. He told Savitri that he had a most wonderful dream, that a mighty person was carrying him away somewhere and he was helplessly hanging on to a noose. Savitri told him that it was Yama who had carried him, now he had gone restoring him to life and all was well. It was already night and they should go back to the hermitage, else his parents would be very worried. 

Satyavana hearing this was grief stricken. He said that never before he was so late in returning to the hermitage. His parents would be very worried and they could not live without him. Once when he returned late they had searched for him everywhere. This time they would be sick with worry and might come to harm. If anything happened to the parents Satyavana said that he would not be able to live and therefore they must hurry and go back to the hermitage even though it was dark. Saying this, Satyavana began to cry. Savitri, then told him that if she was virtuous and truthful, no harm would come their way and in the way of their parents, and they would be alright. Saying this she supported her husband and went along the same way that they had come. They had lost the fruits but Savitri took hold of her husband's axe and also also held her husband and quickly proceeded. After sometime Satyavana could recognize the path saying that he could see the palasa trees that would lead to the ashrama and therefore they should continue. By that time he had regained his strength and identified the path that would lead to the hermitage and proceeded quickly.

In the meanwhile Dyumatsena had regained his vision and was surprised as he could see everything. The old couple then realized that their son and daughter in law had not returned and they were extremely worried. They searched everywhere in all the hermitages and wailed loudly. All the other hermitage dwellers came out and helped to calm them. The sages recounted to the king stories of valours of other kings and royal families to distract them. Then one Brahmin Suvarchas said that since Savitri was extremely pious, performed austerities and self restraint, there was no doubt that Satyavana was alive. Then Gautama said by virtue of his knowledge of Vedas, austerities and the performance of all religious rites he knew for sure that Satyavana was alive. Then his disciple said that what his guru said must be true and Satyavana was alive as Savitri bore all auspicious marks. Bharadwaja told the king that Satyavana must be alive as Savitri was chaste, self restraint and pious. Dalabhya said that getting back the vision was indeed a good sign for Dyumatsena. It means that something good must be happening to them and since Savitri did not take any food and completed her vows, her power of penance would keep her husband safe. Another sage Apastamba said that all signs indicate that the prince was safe. Dhaumya told the king that Satyavana was pious and meritorious and he must be safe and he had possessed all signs of a long life. Thus comforted Dyumatsena was assured and soon his son and daughter in law reached there. All the sages then made them sit beside the fire and asked them the reason for the delay which caused so much anxiety. Satyavana said truthfully that he felt a headache in the forest and fell asleep and when he woke up it was very late. He knew nothing more. The rishi Gautama however realized that there was more to this and that Savitri held the key to the mystery. He therefore asked Savitri to narrate everything if it was not a secret. Savitri then told them the story truthfully, that she knew about her husband's imminent death owing to the prediction of Narada, that she accompanied him to the forest for that purpose, met and convinced Yama who was taking his soul away to the pitri loka, and got wonderful boons for her in laws, her father and herself and her husband. Hearing all these everybody was extremely happy and the sages blessed Savitri saying that she saved the race of the the king which was facing deep calamity.

In the morning there came to the hermitage a large body of people from the kingdom of Salwa. They brought the news that the usurper of Dyumatsena's throne was killed by his minister and all his enemies were slain by his soldiers. The people wanted Dyumatsena back as their king, whether he was blind or not. And when they saw their king healthy and with eyesight restored they were delighted and the king again marched to his kingdom with his army and his subjects singing his praise, accompanied by his son. Savitri also rode in a palanquin together his mother in law Saivya and went to the kingdom like a queen. In due time they had hundred mighty sons and her father also had hundred sons born to her mother Malavi and they lived happily for a long time. Thus Savitri became the symbol of chastity, of righteousness, of love for one's husband to defy even death and became synonymous with the devoted and chaste wife who can bring back her husband to life by her sheer power of penance. Even today people utter the name of Savitri along with Sati, the consort of Shiva who gave up her life not able to withstand the insults hurled at her husband Shiva by her father Dakhsya.

Mahabharata - Story of Mudgala and Durvasa

Sage Mudgala was a pious, truthful person who performed hard austerities together with hims family members. He used to live in Kurukshetra. He lived like a pigeon, i.e. lived by collecting grains from the fields after they have been cut by their owners, also called Unccha vritti, a form of severe austerity. Yet he used to entertain his guests with his limited means. He also performed Vedic injunctions and sacrifices. He collected with his family members the grains from the field for a fortnight and then ate them after duly offering them to the gods and the guests. By the virtue of his penance the food increased manifold when guests came to visit him and many pious and learned Brahmanas partook of that sanctified food. Even the king of gods Indra used to take part in that Yajna and took his share, such was the power of the penance.

One day, sage Durvasa, who was noted for his quick temper, came to hear of the the sacrifice of the sage Mudgala and decided to test him. In behavior and look he was like a maniac. He wandered the earth devoid of any possession or any care for his body. He was always angry and cursed whosoever failed to discharge their duty properly. Everybody was afraid of Durvasa, because of his ability to curse others on account of the toughest austerities that he underwent. Mudgala extended a warm welcome to the sage and washed his feet and gave him an excellent meal with all the grains collected over a period. Durvasa ate up all of that and  smeared all over his body the remaining food without leaving anything fro Mudgala and then went away. Mudgala was not at all angry. He again went for collecting the grains.But Durvasa came again in the next season and ate up all that was offered. Mudgala was not all affected by anger although he was very much afflicted by hunger. Durvasa again came and did the same several times more. Yet, the sage Mudgala, though worn out by hunger, never once did harbour any anger against the sage. Durvasa, who himself had failed to control his anger, was now defeated. Very pleased by the behavior of the sage he said, that by his behavior and extra ordinary self control Mudgala had performed a wonderful feat. Nobody can control the pangs of hunger. Hunger and sense gratification drive even pious men to lose their temper. Mudgala had set example of self restraint. By remaining calm and serene even under the gravest provocation by Durvasa, by completely overcoming the pangs of hunger, Mudgala had conquered those realms of heaven that are unconquered by even the mightiest sages. Therefore he would soon go to his heavenly abode. As soon as Durvasa spoke, the heavenly chariot with the messenger appeared and requested Mudgala to accompany him to the heaven.

Mudgala however asked the celestial messenger to describe him about heaven and then he would decide whether he wanted to go there or not. The celestial messenger said that only pious and virtuous can reach heaven and can enjoy all the pleasures there. In heaven there is neither grief nor sickness nor old age. People enjoy eternal youth and enjoy in the company of the other celestial maidens and gods and get all the objects of enjoyment. There is only pleasure and no pain. People are ever joyous, beautiful and ever free. Higher above the realms of the heaven of Indra are the realms of Brahma where only sages and the highest of the gods live. They are above all pains and pleasures and they enjoy divine bliss. However there is one disadvantage of all heavenly pleasures, that they are temporary. People can live in heaven as long as their karma permits. Once their merits are exhausted they fall back to earth and are born among men and once again go through all the pleasures and pains of life. If perchance they happen to lead a sinful life they may have even inferior births. So the people who have to leave behind heavenly enjoyments and take birth are unhappy as they fall from heaven upon exhaustion of their merits. This is the reality for even Brahma Loka. There the sages may enjoy greater bliss for a greater duration but they will have to take birth again.

Hearing this Mudgala asked him, "is there any realm from where there is no return?" The celestial messenger said that higher than even the realm of Brahma there is the realm of the Vishnu, the Supreme Being, wherefrom there is no return. However only people in whom the knowledge has dawned of the futility of the world of senses can go to that region and they are above all duality of pleasure and pain. They have completely mastered their senses and are not attracted by desires for the material world. They lead a completely selfless and blameless life and in the end attain to the Supreme Being.

Hearing this Mudgala said that he wanted to go to the realm wherefrom there was no return. He did not want the heavenly pleasures as that did not attract him. The celestial messenger and the sage Durvasa went back, and sage Mudgala resorted to his Unccha practice, completely mastered his senses, engaged himself in Yogic contemplation of the Supreme Being and being steadfast on his goal of liberation merged his mind and ego with that of the Supreme Being and thus gave up his body. He became fully emancipated and attained to the supreme Brahman, the pure existence, consciousness and bliss.