Stories from Mahabharata
Birth of Sage Ashtavakra
Stories from Mahabharata
Long ago, there was a learned Rishi of the name of Uddalaka, who was famous for his knowledge of the Vedas and scriptures. Many students learned under him. One of this disciples was Kahoda, who pleased his Guru exceedingly with his devotion. So much impressed was Uddalaka, that upon Kahoda finishing his studies, he gave him is only daugter Sujata in marriage. Even after the marriage, the couple continued to reside in the hermitage of of Uddalaka, where Kahoda assisted his father-in-law in teaching.
In due course of time, Sujata became pregnant. She was in the habbit of sitting near her father and husband while they were teaching. Her unborn child attained mastery over the Vedas by listening to his grandfather expound them. Kahoda was not equally skilled as his Guru, however, and made a number of mistakes while reciting the scriptures. Unable to bear these errors, the child started correcting them from his mother's womb! Humiliated before his disciples, Kahoda cursed his son, saying, "As you insulted your father, may you be born with eight bends in your body!". Accordingly, the child was born with his body crooked in eight places, and was named Ashtavakra (one with eight deformations).
Vasus are Cursed by Vasishta
Stories from Mahabharata
Vasishta, the son of Varuna was a great sage. (This account is different from the one that makes him the wish-born son of Lord Brahma). He had his hermitage on Mount Meru, and this spot was very beautiful and secluded. He possessed a cow called Nandini, which was the daughter of Surabhi, by the sage Kashyapa. (Here, Surabhi is probably Kamadhenu). This cow, like her mother, was capable of yielding great riches to its possessor. It was in the habit of roaming the woods near the hermitage of the Rishi.
One day, the celestial Vasus came to this spot, accompanied by their wives. They were eight brothers, who normally lived in the heaven. When one of the ladies beheld Nandini, the cow of plenty, she became desirous of possessing it. She said to her husband Dyu, "My Lord, I wish to obtain this cow for my friend. My friend Jitavati, the daughter of the sage Usinara, is mortal. By drinking the milk from this cow regularly, she will be free from disease and decrepitude. Get this cow for me."
Now the Vasu knew that the cow belonged to the Rishi. So he tried to persuade his wife to forget about the cow, for the Rishi would not part with it under any circumstances. However, unable to bear the nagging of his wife, he ultimately decided to carry the cow away by force. Assisted by his brothers, he took the cow away to his home.
Rishi Vasishta had been away from his hermitage at this time. When he got back, he was surprised to see that his cow had not returned, long past its usual time. He searched the nearby woods and saw no sign of the cow. He then used his Yogic power and divined all that had taken place. He then cursed the Vasus, saying, "Since in their arrogance the Vasus have committed the sin of stealing a Brahmana's property, may they be born on earth and suffer a mortal's fate!".
When the Vasu's came to know of the Rishi's curse, they became penitent, and begged the Rishi to save them from his curse. At last, the sage relented. He said, "My curse cannot be completely stayed. The seven of you who have merely obeyed your brother's orders, shall not have to suffer the mortal fate for long. However, Dyu, who is really the author of this mischief, will have to suffer his curse for a long time. However, he shall be an illustrious warrior, and will not have any children."
Later, when King Mahabhishak was cursed by Lord Brahma to be born as King Shantanu, and it became known that the Goddess Ganga will be his wife, the Vasu's begged her to be their mother in their mortal incarnation. They were the seven children drowned by Ganga when she was the wife of King Shantanu. The eighth child was the incarnation of Dyu, and he came to be known as Bhishma. After a long life, full of sorrows towards its end, he returned to heaven after his death at the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
Story of Urvashi and Pururava
Stories from Mahabharata
Apsaras are the celestial maidens of Indian mythology. They are not to be confused with angels. They are extremely beautiful immortals who live in heaven and entertain the demi-Gods with their dancing and singing. Urvashi is one such apsara. There are many legends about her birth but the following one is most prevalent.
Once the revered sage Narnarayan was meditating in the holy shrine of Badrinath situated in the Himalayas. Indra, the king of the demi-Gods, did not want the sage to acquire divine powers through the meditation and sent two apsaras to distract him. The sage struck his thigh and created a woman so beautiful that Indra’s apsaras were left matchless. This was Urvashi, named from ur, the Sanskrit word for thigh. After his meditation was complete the sage gifted Urvashi to Indra, and she occupied the pride of place in Indra’s court.
Atri was one of Brahma’s seven sons who married Bhadra. He later went on to conceive a son named Som or the Moon. Som was a very attractive young man and eloped with Sage Brahaspati's wife, Tara. Som and Tara gave birth to Buddh during the absence of Brahaspati. Vaivasvata Manu's daughter Ila fell in love with Buddh. They together conceived a son named Pururuva. Pururuva became a great king and established the Lunar Dynasty named after his grandfather. Ages later, in his incarnation as Krishna, Vishnu took birth in this dynasty.
Urvashi found the atmosphere in heaven stifling. Everything was cold and synthetic including the colours and the fragrances of the flowers. Urvashi often stole to the Earth at night with her friends to feel the wet dew under her feet and the soft breeze against her body. On the other hand Pururava envied the Gods. He was a regular invitee to Indra's court and was haunted at night by the grandeur he saw there. He would then take his chariot above the clouds and hurtle through the skies at break-neck speed. It was on such an occasion that the two met.
Urvashi was returning to heaven just before dawn with the other apsaras, when she was abducted by a demon. Pururava saw this and chased the demon on his chariot and freed Urvashi from his clutches. The brief period their bodies touched changed their lives forever. For the first time Urvasi experienced the warm flesh of a mortal, for the first time she heard blood pounding in veins and for the first time she heard the inhalation and exhalation of breath. Pururava had seen Urvashi in Indra’s court before and to actually be close to the most beautiful woman in heaven gave him a high. Pururava left Urvashi with her friends but when they parted each was madly in love with the other but unsure whether the love was being reciprocated.
Urvashi was a woman in a man’s world and in keeping with the tradition of the times expected the man to make the first move. Pururava on the other hand feared rejection because he did not expect the pride of heaven to come and live with a mortal, and hence did not approach Urvashi. So both pined for each other. Urvashi was giving a dance performance in which she was portraying Vishnu’s consort, Laxmi. Her concentration was with Pururava and she called out her lover’s name instead of saying “Vishnu”. Her teacher, the sage Bharat, got offended and cursed Urvashi. “You will get to live with the person you are thinking about,” he said, “And you will also give birth to his son. But you will have to choose between the father and son, because the day they see each other you will have to leave them both and return to heaven.”
The curse actually emboldened Urvashi. She wasn’t even thinking about children, she was sure to get her love. She sent a friend to earth to find out about Pururava. The friend located the king in the garden of Gandhmadan (meaning intoxicating fragrance), whining away for his ladylove. The sage was set. Urvashi left heaven and went to the waiting arms of Pururava.
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