365bet

Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Uttanka included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).

Story of ٳٲṅk

(մṄK). An ideal disciple of Veda who was the disciple of Āpodadhaumya.

ٳٲṅk and the Guru’s wife.

After entrusting management of the ś to ٳٲṅk, Veda once went out on a tour of the country, and ٳٲṅk stayed in the Āśrama carrying out the instructions of the Guru. Then came the menstrual period of Veda’s wife, and his other wives requested ٳٲṅk to do the needful, so that the fertile period of their co-wife was not wasted. ٳٲṅk’s reply to them was as follows:� "Asked by women, I shall not do this improper act; and the preceptor has not asked me to do such a thing though it might be improper."

His Guru, Āpodadhaumya returned to the Āśrama some time after this, and was very pleased to hear about the above incident. He blessed ٳٲṅk. (Ѳٲ Āī Parva, Chapter 3).

His tuition fee.

His education being over, it was now time for ٳٲṅk to give due offerings—tuition fee to his guru, and ٳٲṅk enquired of the guru as to what he would have by way of 岹ṣiṇ�. The guru asked ٳٲṅk to get his wife’s instruction in the matter and act accordingly. Because of the aforesaid incident (ٳٲṅk not acting on the guru’s wife during her menstrual period) she had a grouse against him, and therefore, asked him to bring as his tuition fee the earrings worn by the ṣaٰⲹ wife of King ʲṣa.

ٳٲṅk set out to procure the ear-rings. On the way he saw an ox, and on its back a big man, who called out to ٳٲṅk to eat the excretion of the ox. When ٳٲṅk hesitated to do so, the man on the ox asked him again to eat it, pointing out that his guru, Veda, had done it. Then did ٳٲṅk consume both the excretion and urine of the ox, and did his oblations, in his perplexed mood, standing. ٳٲṅk arrived at the palace of King ʲṣa and told him about the object of his visit. The King agreed to it. But, when ٳٲṅk entered the Zenana ʲṣa’s ṣaٰⲹ wife could not be seen. When ٳٲṅk told the King about this, he remained thoughtful for some time and told the former that he might surely have become impure due to performance of oblations in the wrong manner, and that his wife would not be visible, due to her chastity, to the eyes of such impure folk. ٳٲṅk admitted to having, on his way, performed oblations not in the proper manner, and then he sat down facing the east after washing his hands, feet etc. and performed oblation in the correct manner. Then did the wife of King ʲṣa become visible to him, and she, pleased at his humility, handed over her ear-rings to him. She also advised him to be very careful about the earrings as they had once been coveted by ղṣa첹, King of the serpents. Bidding adieu to the queen, ٳٲṅk saw the King and they sat together to take food. Not only was the rice cold; but a hair was also found in it. ٳٲṅk cursed the King and rendered him blind, and the King, in turn, cursed ٳٲṅk not to have children. But, both of them became calm quite soon and withdrew their curses.

On his way back to the Āśrama with the ear-rings, he had only just stepped into a pool for a wash, when a naked Buddha sannyāsin, who was following him, snatched and ran off with the ear-rings. It was really ղṣa첹 disguised as the sannyāsin who thus snatched the ear-rings. ٳٲṅk chased him and caught him when he assumed his original form of the serpent King and disappeared into a cave. ٳٲṅk waited at the mouth of the cave stupefied, when Indra deputed his ղܻ to help ٳٲṅk. The ղܻ cut a tunnel-like route to from the earth and through the cave ٳٲṅk reached by this route and found out the palace of ղṣa첹.

Though ٳٲṅk praised and cajoled the (serpents) their King ղṣa첹 did not make his appearance. ٳٲṅk saw there two women, who had been weaving clothes, and on one machine there were black and white threads. The machine had one wheel with twelve spokes and was turned by six boys. Also was there a horse, and a man. When ٳٲṅk praised them, the horse and the man approached him. The man advised ٳٲṅk to blow through the anus of the horse so that the snakes could be brought round. ٳٲṅk did so, when lo! from all the pores on the body of the horse, flames of fire began sprouting out. When the 岵ǰ첹 (country of serpents) got thus filled with fire and flames, ղṣa첹 lost his nerves and came out with the stolen ear-rings, which ٳٲṅk received back. But, that was the last day on which the rings had been promised to be given to his guru’s wife by ٳٲṅk, who remained there gloomy and sorrow-stricken at the thought that he would not be able to travel all the distance before sunset and give the ear-rings to the guru’s wife. Then the horseman gave the horse to ٳٲṅk, who reached the Āśrama just in time when the guru’s wife was about to curse ٳٲṅk for not returning with the rings though it was nearly dusk time. Now the guru and his wife blessed ٳٲṅk, who detailed to them his experiences since leaving the Āśrama in quest of the ear-rings. Then the guru spoke thus to ٳٲṅk�"The two women whom you found engaged in weaving were ٳ and վ, the white and black strings, day and night, and the six boys who turned the wheel with twelve spokes were the six seasons. The ox seen by you on the way was 屹ٲ (Indra’s elephant), the horse seen in was Agnideva, and the horseman, Indra. The excretion you ate on your way was nectar and that was the reason why you did not die in the 岵ǰ첹. Indra who is my friend blessed you because of mercy towards you, my disciple. You could bring back the ear-rings also because of Indra’s blessings."

Then the guru blessed ٳٲṅk and the latter took leave of thim. (Ѳٲ Ādi Parva, Chapter 3).

ٳٲṅk and Janamejaya’s serpent ⲹñ.

ٳٲṅk, determined on taking vengeance on ղṣa첹, went away directly from the ś to Ჹپܰ, where he met Janamejaya and told him the fact that it was ղṣa첹, who had bitten to death ʲīṣi, his (Janamejaya) father. It was thus prompted by ٳٲṅk to take revenge upon ղṣa첹 that Janamejaya performed the serpent ⲹñ. (Ѳٲ Ādi Parva, Chapter 3).

ٳٲṅk and ٳܲԻܳ.

See under ٳܲԻܳ.

ٳٲṅk attained salvation.

ٳٲṅk was put up at a place called Ujjālaka. When he became old, he went about visiting many temples. During this tour one day ٳٲṅk saw a hunter in the forest called Gulika attempting to steal the golden plates on the dome of the վṣṇ temple in ܱī. Gulika raised his sword to kill ٳٲṅk, when he told the former that he would have to suffer the results of sin during many births if he committed a sin. This admonition of ٳٲṅk so touched the heart of the hunter that he fell dead on the spot with a repentant heart. ٳٲṅk sprinkled Ҳṅg water on the corpse of the hunter, who attained ղṇṭ (abode of վṣṇ). On the advice of վṣṇ, ٳٲṅk went to 岹ī where he did tapas and also attained ղṇṭ. (Nāradīya ʳܰṇa).

In Chapters 53-58 of ś Parva of Ѳٲ is related the story of one ٳٲṅk muni, under the caption 'Utaṅkopākhyāna.' In Ѳٲ (original) he is referred to as ٳٲṅk; but in its Malayālam rendering he is called Utaṅka. There are no substantial differences between the story of ٳٲṅk and that of Utaṅka, Veda’s disciple. But, since, there are differences, in certain aspects some information about the ٳٲṅk of the 'Utaṅkopākhyāna' is given below�

General.

ٳٲṅk was a disciple of Gautama, the husband of 󲹱. The guru had more love for ٳٲṅk than for his other disciples, and therefore did not permit the latter to leave the Āśrama even after the other disciples were sent away. ٳٲṅk became old; wrinkles attacked his body and greyness his head.

Tuition fee (Guru岹ṣiṇ�).

ٳٲṅk once returned from the woods with firewood, in a very tired condition. The daughter of the guru shed tears at the sight. Gautama called ٳٲṅk to him and asked him about the cause of his grief and sorrow. ٳٲṅk replied that the hairs on his head turned grey on account of sorrow that he was not permitted to leave the Āśrama although it was hundred years since he had gone there first as disciple. Then Gautama permitted ٳٲṅk to quit the Āśrama. ٳٲṅk asked Gautama what he should offer as tuition fee. Gautama consulted his wife on the topic and she suggested as tuition fee the two ear-rings of gems worn by the wife of King ܻ, who used to eat the flesh of man. Immediately ٳٲṅk set out to fetch the ear-rings and on his way met ܻ in the forest, and told the latter about his mission. ܻ tried to eat ٳٲṅk, who told him that he was in duty bound to obtain the ear-rings for his guru’s wife and that, after fulfilling the mission, he would return to ܻ to be eaten up by him. ܻ agreed to the proposition. He directed ٳٲṅk to his wife Ѳ岹ⲹԳī, who spoke to him thus�"Devas and Ѳ󲹰ṣi covet these ear-rings. If I place them on the ground, serpents will steal them; if handed over to ṣṭ, ۲ṣa will steal them, and if the watchman sleeps, Devas will snatch them off. Therefore, you should bring some token for me to believe that you are deputed by my husband." Accordingly ٳٲṅk went back to ܻ and returned to his wife with a token from him, and Ѳ岹ⲹԳī handed over her ear-rings to ٳٲṅk. Being told by ܻ that ٳٲṅk need not return again to him, ٳٲṅk started for Gautama’s ś with the ear-rings. Feeling hungry on the way, ٳٲṅk tied to the branch of a vilva tree the ear-rings bundled in deer skin and ate vilva fruits. Just then the bundle of deer skin got untied and the ear-rings kept in it fell on the ground. A serpent carried off the rings between its teeth and concealed itself in a mole-hill. Highly grieved and upset by the sight, ٳٲṅk fell down from the tree. For 35 days ٳٲṅk dug the molehill. Then Indra felt great sympathy for him, appeared on the spot, and passed his ղܻ through the mole-hill. Then the earth burst open and ٳٲṅk entered through the opening, and a horse, its tail white and the rest of the body black in colour presented itself to him. It asked ٳٲṅk to blow through its anus. ٳٲṅk did so and the 岵ǰ첹 was filled with flames of fire. (The horse was Agnideva). Then did the serpents return the ear-rings to ٳٲṅk, who returned with it to Gautama and presented it to him (Gautama) as tuition fee.

ٳٲṅk about to curse Śrī ṛṣṇa.

ٳٲṅk once went to ٱ, and during their talk was about to curse ṛṣṇa for not attempting to bring about a compromise between the Kauravas and the ṇḍ. At once ṛṣṇa exhibited his վśū貹 (himself as containing the whole universe). Thereupon ٳٲṅk saluted ṛṣṇa, who asked him to request for any boon. He prayed for the boon that water might be made available in any desert he visited. ṛṣṇa told him that whenever he required water he might successfully think of him.

Indra tested ٳٲṅk.

Some time afterwards, while roaming about quite thirsty and tired in a desert, ٳٲṅk thought about ṛṣṇa, and at once there appeared before him a naked 䲹ṇḍ, his body covered with mud. Dogs encircled him. ٳٲṅk hesitated to drink the water given to him by this 䲹ṇḍ, who had some water with him. The 䲹ṇḍ again insisted on ٳٲṅk drinking the water, but he again refused the offer. The caṇḍāla then disappeared with the dogs. Within a few minutes a person with disc, conch, club etc. about him appeared, and ٳٲṅk recognised him as Śrī ṛṣṇa. ٳٲṅk told ṛṣṇa that it was not proper to give water to a brahmin through a caṇḍāla. ṛṣṇa’s reply to this was as follows:�"I asked Indra to give you nectar instead of water, and he argued that it was not proper that men should be given nectar. I pleaded for you again. Indra replied to this that he himself would, in the guise of a caṇḍāla give nectar to you, and he should not be found fault with, if you refused the nectar. I accepted that proposition of his. But, you did not accept nectar thus offered to you. So, you cannot be given nectar now. But, there will appear water-laden clouds in deserts which you traverse, which would be known as 'ٳٲṅk clouds' and they would give you sweet water.

ٳٲṅk was pleased, and it is the ٳٲṅk clouds, which form as per the above orders of ṛṣṇa that cause rain to fall, though rarely, in deserts even today.

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Help to become even better: