Yavakri

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STORY OF YAVAKRI—MAHABHARATA VANA PARAVA CHAPTERS 135-138

SECTI0N CXXXV

"Lomasa said, 'Here, 0 king, is visible the river Samanga, whose former name was

Madhuvila, and yonder is the spot named Kardamila, the bathing place of Bharata.

The lord of Sachi, when fallen into misery in consequence of having slain Vritra,

became freed from his sin, by performing his ablutions in this Samanga. Here, 0 bull among

men, is the spot where the Mainaka mountain hath sunk into the interior of the earth; and it

is hence called Vinasana. For obtaining sons, here Aditi in days of yore had cooked

that celebrated food, (presided over by the Supreme Being). 0 ye bulls among men,

ascended this lofty mountain and put an end to your inglorious misery unworthy to

be uttered. Here, 0 king, before thee is the Kanakhala range, the favourite resort of

sages. 'And yonder is the mighty river Ganga. Here, in ancient times, the holy sage

Sanatkumara attained ascetic success. 0 scion of the Ajamidha race, by performing thy

ablutions here in this river, thou wilt be freed from all thy sins. 0 son of Kunti, do

thou together with thy ministers, touch (the waters) of this lake called Punya, and this

mountain Bhrigutunga and also (the water of) these two rivers, called Tushniganga. Here, 0

Kunti's son, appeareth the hermitage of the sage Sthulasiras. Resign here thy anger and

sense of self- importance. There, 0 son of Pandu, is seen the beautiful hermitage of Raivya, where perished Bharadwaja's son, Yavakri, profound in Vedic lore.'

"Yudhishthira said, 'How did the mighty sage, Yavakri, son of the ascetic Bharadwaja,

acquire profundity in the Vedas? And how also did he perish? I am anxious to hear all this,

just as it happened. I take delight in listening to the narration of the deeds of god-like men.'

"Lomasa said, 'Bharadwaja and Raivya were two friends. And they dwelt here, ever taking

the greatest pleasure in each other's company. Now, Raivya had two sons, named Arvavasu

and Paravasu. And, Bharadwaja, 0 Bharata's son, had an only son, named Yavakri.

Raivya and his two sons were versed in the Vedas, while Bharadwaja practised asceticism.

But, 0 son of Bharata, from their boyhood, the friendship subsisting between those two was

unequalled. 0 sinless one, the highspirited Yavakri finding that his father, who practised

asceticism, was slighted by the Brahmanas, while Raivya with his sons was greatlyrespected by them, was overwhelmed with sorrow, and became sore aggrieved. Thereupon,

0 son of Pandu, he entered upon severe austerities, for (obtaining) a knowledge of the

Vedas. And he exposed his body to a flaming fire. By thus practising the most rigid

austerities, he caused anxiety in the mind of Indra. Then Indra, 0 Yudhishthira, went

to him and addressed him saying, 'Wherefore, 0 sage, hast thou become engaged in

practising such rigid austerities?' Yavakri said, '0 thou adored of celestial hosts, I am

practising severe penances, because I wish that such a knowledge of the Vedas as hath

never been acquired by any Brahmana whatever, may be manifest unto me. 0 conqueror of

Paka, these endeavours of mine have been for Vedic lore. 0 Kausika, by the force of my

asceticism. I purpose to obtain all sorts of knowledge. 0 lord, a knowledge of the Vedas

as learnt through teachers, is acquired in a long time. Therefore, (with the view of attainingin short time a proficiency in the Vedas), I have put forth these high endeavours.' Indra said,

'0 Brahmana sage, the way that thou hast adopted is not the proper way. What for, 0

Brahamana, wilt thou destroy thyself? Go and learn from the lips of a preceptor.'

"Lomasa said, '0 son of Bharata, having said this, Sakra went away, and Yavakri of

immeasurable energy, once more directed his attention to asceticism. 0 king, we have

heard that carrying on severe austerities he again greatly agitated Indra. And the god Indra,

slayer of Vala, again came unto that great sage, who was engaged in austere penances; and

forbade him, saying, Thou art striving with the object that Vedic lore may be manifest unto

thee as well as unto thy father; but thy exertions can never be successful. nor is this act of

thine well-advised.' Yavakri said, '0 lord of the celestials, if thou wilt not do for me what I

want, I shall, observing stricter vows, practise still severer penances. 0 lord of celestials!

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not one of them. This Raivya, 0 my son, is possessed of great energy, and his two sons

are like him. Therefore, be thou vigilant-so as never to approach him. 0 my son, Raivya is

a great ascetic of an irritable temper. When angry, he can do thee harm. Yavakri said, 'I

shall do as thou biddest me. 0f father, do thou not by any means entertain anxiety for that.

Raivya deserveth my regard even as thou, my father.' Having replied unto his father in these

sweet words, Yavakri, fearing nothing and nobody, began to delight in wantonly offending

other munis.

SECTI0N CXXXVI

"Lomasa said, '0ne day in the month of Chaitra, while fearlessly wandering at large,

Yavakri approached the hermitage of Raivya. And 0 son of Bharata, in that beautiful

hermitage, adorned with trees bearing blossoms, he happened to behold the daughter-in-

law of Raivya, sauntering about like a Kinnara woman. And having lost his senses through

passion, Yavakri shamelessly spake unto the bashful maiden, saying, 'Be thou attached unto

me.' Thereupon, knowing his nature, and afraid of a curse, as well as thinking of Raivya's

power, she went unto him saying, 'I agree.' Then, 0 son of Bharata, taking him in private,

she kept him chained. 0 conqueror of foes, returning to his hermitage, Raivya found his

daughter-in-law, Paravasu's wife, in tears. 0 Yudhishthira, thereat consoling her with soft

words, he enquired of her as to the cause of her grief. Thereupon, the beautiful damsel toldhim all that Yavakri had said unto her, and what she also had cleverly said unto him.

Hearing of this gross misbehaviour of Yavakri, the mind of the sage flamed up, and he

waxed exceedingly wroth. And being thus seized with passion, the great sage of a highly

irascible temper, tore off a matted lock of his hair, and with holy mantras, offered it as a

sacrifice on the sacred fire. At this, there sprang out of it a female exactly resembling his

daughter-in-law. And then he plucked another matted lock of his hair, and again offered it

as a sacrifice into the fire. Thereupon sprang out of it a demon, terrible to behold, and

having fierce eyes. Then those, two spake unto Raivya, saying, 'What shall we do?'

Thereat, the angry sage said unto them, 'Go and kill Yavakri.' Then saying, 'We shall

do (as thou biddest)'-they two went away with the intention of slaying Yavakri. And with

her charms, the female whom the large-hearted sage had created, robbed Yavakri of hissacred water-pot. Then with his uplifted spear the demon flew at Yavakri, when he had

been deprived of his water-pot and rendered unclean. And seeing the demon approach with

uplifted spear for the purpose of slaying him, Yavakri rose up all on a sudden and fled

towards a tank. But finding it devoid of water, he hurried towards all the rivers. But they

too were all dried up. And being obstructed again and again by the fierce demon, holding

the spear, Yavakri in fright attempted to enter into the Agnihotra room of his father. But

there, 0 king, he was repulsed by a blind Sudra warder, and he remained at the door,

grasped by the man. And, finding Yavakri thus grasped by the Sudra, the demon hurled his

spear at him, and thereupon he fell down dead, pierced in the heart. After slaying Yavakri,

the demon went back to Raivya, and with the permission of that sage, began to live with the

female.SECTI0N CXXXVII

"Lomasa said, '0 son of Kunti, Bharadwaja returned to his hermitage after performing the

ritual duties of the day, and having collected the sacrificial fuel. And because his son had

been slain, the sacrificial fires which used to welcome him everyday, did not on that

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day come forward to welcome him. And marking this change in the Agnihotra, the great

sage asked the blind Sudra warder seated there, saying, 'Why is it. 0 Sudra, that the fires

rejoice not at sight of me? Thou too dost not rejoice as is thy wont. Is it all well with my

hermitage? I hope that my son of little sense had not gone to the sage Raivya. Answer

speedily, 0 Sudra, all these questions of mine. My mind misgiveth me.' The Sudra said,

'Thy son of little sense had gone to the sage Raivya, and therefore it is that lie lieth prostrate

(on the ground), having been slain by a powerful demon. Being attacked by the Rakshasa,

holding a spear, he attempted to force his way into this room, and I therefore barred his

way with my arms. Then desirous of having water in an unclean state, as he stood hopeless,

he was slain by the vehement Rakshasa, carrying a spear in his hand.' 0n hearing from the

Sudra of this great calamity, Bharadwaja, sorely afflicted with grief, began to lament,

embracing his dead son. And he said, '0 my son, it is for the good of the Brahmanas that

thou didst practise penances, with the intention that the Vedas unstudied by any Brahmana

whatever might be manifest unto thee. Thy behaviour towards the Brahmanas had always

been for their good, and thou hadst also been innocent in regard to all creatures. But, alas!

(at last) thou didst lapse into rudeness. I had prohibited thee, 0 my son, from visiting the

residence of Raivya; but alas! to that very hermitage, (destructive to thee) as the god of

death himself, Yama, didst thou repair. Evil-minded is that man, who, (knowing that I aman old man, and also that (Yavakri) was my only son, had given way to wrath. It is through

the agency of Raivya that I have sustained the loss of my child. Without thee, 0 my son, I

shall give up my life, the most precious thing in the world. In grief for the death of my son,

I renounce my life; but this I say that Raivya's eldest son shall in a short time kill him

although he be innocent. Blessed are those to whom children have never been born, for they

lead a happy life, without having to experience the grief (incident to the death of a child).

Who in this world can be more wicked than those who from affliction, and deprived of their

sense by sorrow consequent upon the death of a child, curse even their dearest friend! I

found my son dead, and, therefore, have cursed my dearest friend. Ah! what second man

can there be in this world, destined to suffer so grievous a misfortune!' Having lamented

long Bharadwaja cremated his son and then himself entered into a full-blazing fire.'SECTI0N CXXXVIII

"Lomasa said, 'At that very time, the mighty king, Vrihadyumna, of high fortune, who was

the Yajamana of Raivya, commenced a sacrifice. And the two sons of Raivya, Arvavasu

and Paravasu, were engaged by that intelligent monarch, to assist him in the performance of

the ceremony. And, 0 son of Kunti, taking the permission of their father, they two went to

the sacrifice, while Raivya with Paravasu's wife remained in the hermitage. And it came to

pass that one day, desirous of seeing his wife. Paravasu returned home alone. And he met

his father in the wood, wrapped in the skin of a black antelope. And the night was far

advanced and dark; and Paravasu, blinded by drowsiness in that deep wood, mistook his

father for a straggling deer. And mistaking him for a deer, Paravasu, for the sake of personal

safety, unintentionally killed his father. Then, 0 son of Bharata, after performing the funeralrites (of his father), he returned to the sacrifice and there addressed his brother saying, 'Thou

wilt never be able to perform this task unassisted. I again, have killed our father, mistaking

him for a deer. 0 brother, for me do thou observe a vow, prescribed in the case of killing a

Brahmana. 0 Muni, I shall be able to perform this work (sacrifice), without any assistant.'

Arvavasu said, 'Do thou then thyself officiate at this sacrifice of the gifted Vrihadyumna;

and for thee will I, bringing my senses under perfect control, observe the vow prescribed in

the case of slaying a Brahmana.'

"Lomasa said, 'Having observed the vow relative to the killing of a Brahmana, the sage

Arvavasu came back to the sacrifice. Seeing his brother arrive, Paravasu, in accents

choked with malice, addressed Vrihadyumna, saying, '0 king, see that this slayer of a

Brahmana enter not into thy sacrifice, nor look at it. Even by a glance, the killer of a

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Brahmana can, without doubt, do thee harm.' 0 lord of men, immediately on hearing this,

the king ordered his attendants (to turn out Arvavasu). 0 king, on being driven out by the

king's attendants, and repeatedly addressed by them - '0 slayer of a Brahmana-----

Arvavasu more than once cried, 'It is not I that have killed a Brahmana. Not did he own

that he had observed the vow for his own sake. He said that his brother had committed the

sin, and that he had freed him therefrom.' Having said this in anger, and being

reprimanded by the attendants, the Brahmana sage of austere penances, retired in silence

into the woods. There betaking himself to the severest penances, the great Brahmana

sought the protection of the Sun. Thereupon, the revelation teaching the mantra relative to

the worship of the Sun, became manifest unto him and that eternal deity who obtaineth his

share (of the sacrificial butter) first, appeared before him in an embodied form.' "Lomasa

said, 'The celestials, 0 king, were well pleased with Arvavasu for his acts. And they made

him engaged as the chief priest in the sacrifice (of Vrihadyumna), and Paravasu to be

dismissed from it. Then Agni and the other celestials (of their own accord) bestowed boons

on Arvavasu. And they also prayed that his father might be restored to life. He further

prayed that his brother might be absolved from his sin; that his father might have no

recollection of his having been slain; that Bharadwaja and Yavakri might both be restored to

life; and that the solar revelation might attain celebrity (on earth). Then the god said, 'Sobe it,' and conferred on him other boons also. Thereat, 0 Yudhishthira, all of these

persons regained their life. Yavakri now addressed Agni and the other deities, saying, 'I had

obtained a knowledge of all the Vedas, and also practised penances. How came it then, 0

chiefs of the immortals, that Raivya succeeded in killing me in that way?' Thereupon the

gods said, '0 Yavakri, never act again as those have done. What thou askest about is quite

possible, for thou hast learnt the Vedas without exertion, and without the help of a

preceptor. But this man (Raivya) bearing various troubles, had satisfied his preceptor by his

conduct, and obtained (from the latter) the excellent Vedas through great exertions and in a

long time.'

"Lomasa said, 'Having said this to Yavakri, and restored all those to life, the celestials with

Indra at their head, ascended to heaven. Here, 0 Yudhishthira, is the sacred hermitage of that sage embellished with trees bearing blossoms and fruits at all seasons. 0 tiger among

kings, dwelling at this spot, thou wilt be delivered from all thy sins.'

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Yavakri