Shaap to Janamejaya

Soot Jee said - "King Janamejaya was about to do a sacrifice with his three brothers - Shrutsen, Ugrasem and Bheemsen in Kuru Kshetra. As they were sitting for a sacrifice, that an offspring of celestial bitch Saramaa came there. His brothers tried to push him away so he ran away to his mother. His mother asked him - "Why do you weep?" He said weeping - "I was beaten by Janamejaya's brothers." His mother said - "You must have committed some mistake for which you were beaten." He said - "I have not committed any mistake, I did not touch anything holy there." At this Saraaa went to the place where Janamejaya was doing Yagya and asked him - "When my son has not committed any mistake to you, why did you beat my son?" They could not reply anything, so she gave them Shaap, "Since you have beaten my son without any reason, an evil will fall upon you when you will least expect it." Hearing this Janamejaya got very dejected and came back to home after the sacrifice. He started searching for some Purohit who could neutralize its effect.

One day Janamejaya went for hunting, that he found an Aashram of Muni Shrutshravaa there. Muni had a son named Somshravaa who was also a good ascetic. Janamejaya requested Shrutshravaa to permit him to appoint his son as his Purohit. Muni said - "My son is a great ascetic and is born from a she-snake. He can free you from all offenses committed towards Mahaadev. He has one particular habit that he gives anything to a Braahman if he asks for. If you can tolerate this habit you can take him." Janamejaya accepted it and brought him to his capital. He said to his brothers - "This is the sage I have chosen our Purohit so you should obey him without any question." His brothers accepted it, and Janamejaya proceeded towards Takshyashilaa and took it over.

About the same time there was a Muni named Ayod-Dhaumya who had three disciples - Upamanyu, Aaruni, and Ved. Muni sent Aaruni of Paanchaal to stop some water in a field. He could not stop it by normal means so he lay down there and the water stopped. After a while when Guru did not see Aaruni, he asked his other disciples, "Where is Aaruni?" The disciples said - "Guru Jee, You yourself have sent him to stop the water in the field." Guru Je got worried so he himself went to find Aaruni along with his other disciples, and called him loudly. Aaruni replied - "I am here lying to stop the water. I could not stop it by any other means, so I myself lay down here to stop it. It is only after hearing your voice that I stood up to answer your call. Tell me now what to do?" Guru Jee said - "Because by getting up you have opened the water course, from now on you will be known as Uddaalak and since you have obeyed me you will earn a good fortune. You will know all Ved and Dharm Shaastra by my grace." Aaruni went back to his country.

Dhaumya's another disciple was Upamanyu. He called him and said to him - "Go look after the cows." Upamanyu took them to graze the whole day and brought them in the evening and stood before is Guru respectfully. Guru cast a look on Upamanyu and asked - "Son, How did you support yourself, you look quite healthy." Upamanyu said - "I live upon the milk of these cows." Guru Jee said - "It is not appropriate to drink cows' milk without my permission." "Yes Guru Jee." and he went away to tend the cows. After a while he came back and stood before his Guru Jee. Guru Jee observed that he was still healthy. He again asked him - "Upamanyu, You don't eat anything from alms, nor you go for alms second time, nor you are drinking milk of these cows, still you are healthy. How do you support yourself now?" Upamanyu said - "I sip the froth these calves throw out of their mouth while sucking their mother's teats." Guru Jee said - "These calves must be throwing much froth out of generosity. Don't you think that by doing this you should be sharing their full meal? It is unlawful for you to drink the froth like this." And Upamanyu accepting his mistake again went away to tend the cows.

Now he didn't have anything to eat - no alms, no  milk, no froth. Once, out of the hunger, Upamanyu ate Aak leaves (by eating these leaves one becomes blind) and became blind. As he was walking around, he fell into a pit, thus could not return home that evening. When Guru Jee did not see him in the evening, he got worried about him. He had restrained him from eating everything, so he didn;t know how he would be. He himself went in search of him. He called in the forest - "O Upamanyu, Where are you?" Upamanyu replied - "I am here in this well. I ate Aak leaves, so I became blind and have fallen in this well." Guru Jee said - "Pray Ashwinee Kumaar, they will restore your sight."

And Upamanyu prayed them. [Upamanyu's prayer is given here]. Ashwinee Kumaar appeared before him and gave him a cake to eat. Upamanyu said - "You have said correctly, b ut I cannot take this cake without first offering to my Guru." Ashwinee Kumaar said to him - "Once before your Guru invoked us and we gave a cake him too, but he had eaten it without offering to his Guru. You also do the same what your Guru did." Upamanyu said - "I beg your pardon, but I cannot take this cake without offering to him." Ashwinee Kumaar got very pleased with him and said to him  We are very pleased with you. Your Guru's teeth are of black iron, but your teeth will be of gold. Your eyes will be all right and you will have good fortune." He got his sight back, came out of the well, and greeted Guru Jee. Guru Jee also blessed him with the knowledge of Ved and all Dharm Shaastra. This was Upamanyu's test.

Ved completed his studies and wanted to lead domestic life. His Guru said - "Son, Serve your Guru for some more time, it will be good for you." Ved stayed back and served his Guru tolerating everything without a murmur. After a long time Guru was satisfied. As a result of this satisfaction he also got a good fortune and universal knowledge. This was Ved's trial. He then came back to his home and started leading his family life. While living in family, he had three disciples. He never told them to do any work because he himself suffered a lot in his Guru's house.

Uttank Brings Paushya's Queen's Earrings

Janamejaya and Paushya went to Ved's house and appointed him as their spiritual guide. Once Ved had to go somewhere in relation to sacrifice, so he appointed his one disciple Uttank at his house to take care of his house and said to him - "Take care of everything whatsoever in my house as I do it." and he went on his journey

Now it so happened, that the the women of Ved's house said to Uttank - "This is the season when your Guru's wife can become pregnant, so go to her and do the needful." Uttank said - "It is not proper for me to do this just on asking women. My Guru has not ordered me to do anything which is improper." After a while Ved had come back, he got very pleased with Uttank's behavior and asked him to ask anything he wished for. You have served my very well, and our friendship has increased as time has passed. I permit you to leave and go wherever you want. Be happy."

Uttank said - "Let me do something for you, because it has been said - One who gives instruction contrary to usage, and he who receives it, one of the two dies and enmity develops between them. You have permitted me to leave, so I wish to give you your due honorarium before I leave." Ved asked him to wait for a while. Uttank asked him again after some time for the honorarium. Ved said to him - "You have asked me several times about this, I don't need anything, you may go to your mistress and ask her if she wants anything."

So Uttank went to his Guru's wife and said to her - "My Guru has permitted me to leave so I wish to give him something so that I am not indebted to him. He does not need anything but he told me to ask you if you need anything." Guru's wife said - "If you wish to bring me something, then bring me the earrings of King Paushya's wife. There is some auspicious day on fourth day from today, and I want to wear them on that day before the Braahman. If you will be able to bring them till then a good fortune will await you, and if not what good can you expect?"

As Uttank proceeded to bring them he saw an extraordinary bull and an extraordinary man. The man asked Uttank to eat the bulls dung. Uttank was hesitant to eat it, but the man ordered him to eat it without hesitation as his master also ate it before. So Uttank also ate his dung and drank his urine. Then he washed his mouth and went to King Paushya. When he arrived at his palace, he saw Paushya sitting in his court. King asked him what he could he do for him? Uttank said - "I have come here to ask for the pair of earrings which I wish to present to my Guru's wife." Paushya told him to go to his inner apartments and ask for them from his queen.

Uttank went to the inner apartments but he could not see the queen, so he came back and said to the King - "It is not proper to deceive me. The queen is not there." The King said - "Recollect if you are not impure with anything, because my wife is a chaste woman and cannot be seen by anyone who is impure of anything, nor she appears before anybody who is defiled." Uttank recollected that he did his oblations in standing position, maybe this was the reason but the King told him that it was not the reason. Then he sat down faced eastward, washed his face, hands and mouth, wiped his face twice etc, then he entered the apartments and this time he saw the queen.

Queen greeted him and asked him what could she do for him? He said to her - "I have come to beg you for your earrings, because I have to give them to my Guru's wife. [She wants them.]" She readily gave them to him and said - "These earrings are very much sought by Takshak, that is why you should take them with great care." "I will. He will not be able to overtake me. D not worry." After taking them he went to King Paushya and thanked him. Paushya said - "Such charity is made once in a while, so I wish to perform a Shraaddh." Uttank agreed for this. When the food was brought for him, he saw that there was a hair in it; and it was cold also, so he thought it unclean. He gave Shaap to Paushya, "You have offered me unclean food that is why you become blind." Paushya said in his reply- "Because you have declared the clean food as unclean you will remain childless." At this Uttank said - "You should not give Shaap to me after offering me unclean food. Prove it that it is clean." Paushya looked at the food and found it unclean. It was prepared by a woman with loose hair. He asked Uttank's forgiveness, and prayed him that he should not become blind.

Uttank told him that his words could not be untrue, but he will not be blind for too long and requested to grant that his own Shaap should not affect him. Paushya said - "I cannot revoke my Shaap because I have still not come out of my anger, but you will not know this because Braahman's heart is very soft although his words are very sharp, while in Kshatriya's case it is otherwise. Now go your own way." At this Uttank said - "I showed you the uncleanliness of the food, and I am pacified by you. You said the unclean food as clean that is why you gave me Shaap, but since the food was already unclean, so your Shaap will not affect me." And Uttank went away from there.

On his way he saw a naked beggar who sometimes appeared and sometimes disappeared. Uttank was thirsty so he kept the earrings on ground and went to bring some water. In the meantime that beggar came and took away the earrings. He came back and followed the beggar and seized him but he instantly changed into Takshak and entered the hole and went away to his regions. Uttank tried to dig the hole with a stick but could not make progress faster, so Indra sent his Vajra to help him. His Vajra entered his stick and made the hole wider quickly. Uttank entered the hole and came to the regions of Naag. Then he prayed Naag, still he could not get the earrings.

When Uttank did not get the earrings even after praying Naag, he looked around and saw two women weaving a cloth on a loom with black and white threads. He saw a wheel of 12 spokes turned by six boys (seasons), and a handsome man on a horse. He prayed them with Mantra. The man with horse said to him - "I am pleased with your prayer, tell me what can I do for you?" Uttank said - Let all these snakes be under my control." He said - "Blow into this horse." Uttank blew into the horse and a fire with smoke came out of his every pore and started burning the Naag Lok. Takshak immediately came out with earrings and handed over them to him.

After taking earrings from Takshak, Uttank thought, "Oh, This is the fourth day for my madam, how can I reach there being so far from that place?" That man guessed it and offered his horse to go to his destination; it took him to his Guru's house instantly. Guru's wife welcomed him and said - "Since you are innocent, I will not give you Shaap. All your wishes should come true." Uttank waited for his Guru. When his Guru came he greeted him and said - "When I was bringing earrings, Takshak took them to his Lok, so I had to follow him to his Lok, there I saw two women weaving a cloth with black and white threads. And I saw a wheel with 12 spokes turning by 6 boys. I saw a man also with horse. Who were those and what were they doing? Besides when I was going I saw a man and a bull of extraordinary size. He asked me to eat bull's dung saying that "Your master has also eaten it before." Who were those people?"

Guru Jee said - "The two women were Dhaataa and Vidhaataa, the black and white threads were day and night. The wheel with 12 spokes driven by 6 boys was year with 12 months and six seasons The man was Parajanya (the deity of rain) and the horse was Agni. The bull was Airaavat, and the man with the bull was Indra and the dung you ate was Amrit, that is why you did not die in Naag Lok. Now you may go." Uttank in anger with Takshak headed towards Hastinaapur. In Hastinaapur, he waited upon King Janamejaya who was to return from Takshshilaa. When he had returned, he said to him - "How do you spend your time in childish things when other matters of more urgency demand your attention?" The King asked - "What is that, O Muni?"

Muni said - "Don't forget, that you father was bitten by Takshak, that is why you should take revenge from him. The time has come now. He did not allow even Kashyap (the son of Vaidya) who was coming to treat your father, to come to him. You do the Sarp Yagya to burn him. Give order for this Yagya immediately. By doing this you will oblige me also, as he has offended me also while I was doing my Guru's work." Hearing this King also got angry and he ordered for the Sarp Yagya.