India, the land of spirituality, brings us stories of great Rishis (sages)
and Sannyasis, whose extraordinary lives of piety and devotion went on to
become an undying inspiration for generations to come. While some of these
highly spiritual seers veritably moved mountains and earned the benevolence
and boons of the Lord, some others displayed strong personalities and, more
importantly, a fiery temper to go with it.
Rishis
are supposed to be calm and peaceful at all times, due to their deep
involvement in prayer and penance. They also strictly follow a satvik diet,
which involves consuming only seasonal fruits and vegetables, legumes and
whole grains, nuts, seeds, oil and certain other dairy products and
non-meat-based foods. Such foods are believed to further calm the mind and
the body, to make the person's aura more serene and divine.
In spite of all this, celebrated and venerated rishis such as Vishwamitra
and Durvasa were rather infamous for their short temper. Why and how did
this happen?
Let us now take a look at the lives of these two powerful Rishis.
Rishi Vishwamitra
Brahmarishi
Vishwamitra
is one of the most respected rishis of India. Credited as the author of most
of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, including the sacred and all-powerful Gayatri
Mantra, he is revered in the Puranas as the first of only 24 rishis who have
understood the actual power of the mantra.
The Balakanda of the
Valmiki
Ramayana narrates in detail the life and times of this sage. The Mahabharata
further sketches his relationship with Menaka, which resulted in the birth
of his daughter, Shakuntala.
The name "Vishwamitra" literally means "friend of the world". He is a
popular figure in other Southeast Asian cultures as well. In those regions,
he is referred to by other names such as Swamil (in Thailand), Bodaw (in
Myanmar), Wiswamitra (in Java) and Nila Purba (in Malaysia).
Birth and Life
Vishwamitra was a king of ancient India. He was also called Kaushika, as he
was a descendant of the Kusha family. Originally the ruler of the
Chandravanshis, he was the king of Kanyakubja. A brave warrior, he was the
great-grandson of king Kusha (not Lord Rama's son Kusha), who was the
manasaputra (son arising out of the mind) of Lord Brahma himself.
Kusha had a son, the mighty, powerful and righteous Kushanabha, also
referred to as Gaadhi. His illustrious son, Vishwamitra, ably ruled the
kingdom for many thousands of years, before he finally gave up everything
and went on to become a
saint.
The Vishnu Purana and Harivamsha chapter 27 of the Mahabharata narrates the
birth of this great sage. According to this Purana, Kushanabha married a
damsel hailing from the Purukutsa dynasty. They were descendants of the
Ishvaku king Trasadasyu. In due course of time, they had a son named Gaadhi,
who then had a daughter named Satyavati (not the Satyavati from the
Mahabharata).
Satyavati married an old Brahmin called Ruchika. He was the foremost member
of the Bhrigu race. Ruchika wanted a son possessing the qualities of a
Brahmin and hence, he gave Satyavati a charu (sacrificial offering), which
he had prepared himself. He then also gave her mother another charu, to make
her conceive a son with a Kshatriya's (warrior) characteristics.
Satyavati's mother secretly asked her daughter to exchange her charu with
her. This resulted in Satyavati's mother giving birth to Vishwamitra, the
son of a Kshatriya Gaadhi. He had all the qualities of a Brahmin, just as
Ruchika had desired. In the meantime, Satyavati gave birth to Jamadagni, who
was the father of
Parashurama.
Jamadagni was a Brahmin, who possessed the qualities of a Kshatriya.
Clash with Vasishtha
Vishwamitra always had a personality clash with sage Vasishtha. In one
instance, the former cursed king Harishchandra that he would turn into a
crane. When Vasishtha came to know of this, he turned himself into a crane
too, so that he could accompany the king. There were many more clashes
between the two sages. In some cases, it became so extreme that Lord
Brahma
had to interfere to defuse the tension between them.
On yet another occasion, Vasishtha singlehandedly destroyed Vishwamitra's
entire army by using his great spiritual and mystical powers. The latter,
seething with rage, decided to undertake austere penance in order to avenge
this humiliation. He then performed tapasya (penance) for several years to
appease
Lord
Shiva. The Lord finally appeared and granted him the knowledge of
celestial weaponry. Filled with pride at his achievement, Vishwamitra
proceeded to Vasishtha's ashrama (hermitage) and caused utter havoc, also
killing Vasishtha's thousand sons.
An enraged Vasishtha brought forth his brahmadanda, a wooden stick, which
contained the power of Brahma himself. It consumed all of Vishwamitra's most
powerful weapons, including his Brahmastra. He then attempted to attack his
marauder, but the Devas interjected in time and stopped him from doing the
unthinkable. In this way, Vishwamitra was humiliated once again at the hands
of Sage Vasishtha. The latter then worked to restore his ashrama.
Vishwamitra Takes up Sannyasa
The above-mentioned incident was a turning point in Vishwamitra's life. He
realized that spiritual power would always be far greater than physical
might. Seeking to become a greater spiritual force than Vasishtha, he
renounced his kingdom and took up sannyasa.
He undertook severe penance, after which Brahma appeared before him and gave
him the title of Rajarishi; the Royal One who became a Rishi. He continued
to perform even more severe austerities.
Vishwamitra Falls in Love with Menaka
In the meantime, he also had a daughter by the name of Shakuntala, from his
relationship with the beautiful apsara Menaka.
Menaka
was born from the churning of the ocean by the Devas and the Asuras
(demons), during the Samudra Manthan episode. She was one of the most
beautiful, talented and intelligent apsaras. She went on to become one of
the prime apsaras in Lord Indra's court.
Vishwamitra's severe penance and his rapid climb in the spiritual realm
frightened Indra and made him insecure. The former had already tried to
create another heaven on his own, with his siddhis. Indra was concerned
that, if the Sage was not stopped in his tracks, he would manage to usurp
his position as King of the Devas.
Vishvamitra with Menaka
Poster
He then decided to send Menaka down to Earth to lure the rishi and distract
him from his penance. Menaka successfully completed her mission – the sage
was consumed with lust and passion the moment he set his eyes on her.
However, Menaka herself fell for him. They entered into a relationship and
lived together for 10 years. During this time, a baby girl was born to them.
This girl, called Shakuntala, later grew up in Sage Kanva's ashrama.
The Birth of Shakuntala
Poster
When Vishwamitra realized how he had been tricked by
Indra,
he flew into a rage. However, he loved Menaka deeply and also knew the true
extent of her feelings for him. So he told her that she would be separated
from him forever. Menaka was very proud of her own youth and beauty.
Kaushika knew this and cursed her that she would not possess this beauty in
her next birth.
Several years later, Shakuntala fell in love with King Dushyanta and gave
birth to a child called Bharata. In due course of time, he ascended the
throne and came to be known as Emperor Bharata, the one after whom India was
first named.
Kaushika Becomes a Maharishi
Kaushika then went to the banks of the river Kaushiki, which was the spirit
of his own sister. There, he continued his penance for yet another thousand
years. This time, Brahma bestowed upon him the title of Maharishi. He,
however, told him that he could not become a Jitendriya just as yet, as he
still had not conquered his passions.
This had been evident by the fact that Vishwamitra had cursed Indra's other
apsara,
Rambha. She had been sent down by the latter to destroy his penance once
again. When he realized that Indra was trying to trick him yet again, he was
absolutely furious and cursed Rambha that she would turn into a stone and
remain like that for a thousand years.
Kaushika Rises to Become a Brahmarishi
After cursing Rambha, Kaushika went to the highest mountain of the Himalayas
to undertake more penance. This time, he stopped eating and reduced his
breathing to the barest possible minimum, just in order to live. He was
again tested by Indra, who disguised himself as a poor Brahmin, begging for
food. He approached Kaushika just as the latter was getting ready to break
his fast after several years. He readily gave his food away and resumed his
meditation.
Vishwamitra had faced several obstacles along his journey towards becoming a
Brahmarishi. This made him mellow, freeing him up of his greed, jealousy,
anger and all other negative emotions. The
Brahmin tried
his level best to irk him and make him angry. But Vishwamitra continued to
remain calm and smiling throughout; thus proving that he had gained complete
control over his emotions and passions.
He continued thus for a thousand years, after which Brahma again appeared
before him. He told him to approach Vasishtha, as he alone could bestow the
title of Brahmarishi upon him. He also officially named him Vishwamitra, the
"Friend of the Whole World".
Vishwamitra then went to Vasishtha's ashrama. Initially, he felt a little
pride in coming so close to becoming a Brahmarishi. But once Vasishtha
blessed him, he at once felt all his pride leaving him, thus making his
heart pure and desire-free. Sensing this change in him, Vasishtha responded
by greeting him affectionately and embracing him. With this, the long feud
between them ended instantly and for all time.
Thus, after facing thousands of years of immense difficulties, Vishwamitra
was finally conferred the title of Brahmarishi, by Rishi Vasishtha himself.
Gayatri Mantra
Sage Vishwamitra is said to have found the sacred
Gayatri
Mantra. This is a verse from a sukta of the Rigveda and Gayatri is the name
of the Vedic meter in which this verse has been composed.
Om and Gayatri Mantra
Puja Thali
The Gayatri Mantra is regarded as the highest and most powerful prayer in
Hinduism and is still widely chanted around the world. In the olden days,
women were barred from chanting this mantra. However, modern reforms and
schools of thought today include women and people of all castes in its
recitation and propagation.
Legends
Being a prominent figure in Hinduism, Vishwamitra features in several
legends and works of the Sanatana Dharma. Here are a few of the most famous
legends associated with him:
Trishanku Swarga
Vishwamitra is known to have created his own version of Heaven, named as the
Trishanku Swarga. King Trishanku once asked his guru, Rishi Vasishtha, to
send him to heaven while he was still in his own body. The guru told him
that there was no way one could experience heaven without first leaving
their body.
The king asked Vasishtha's hundred sons if they could help fulfill his
desire. Offended and outraged that he had no respect for their father, they
refused and cursed Trishanku that he would turn into a Chandala or
untouchable.
Immediately, he was transformed into a person smeared with ash, clothed in
black and wearing iron jewelry. When he entered his kingdom looking thus,
his subjects failed to recognize him and drove him out of there.
Trishanku then came across Vishwamitra and requested him to help him out.
The latter agreed and organized a great yagna (sacrificial fire ritual) to
appease the Devas, pleading them to accept Trishanku into heaven. When none
of the Devas responded, the angry Vishwamitra used his siddhis and ordered
Trishanku to ascend to heaven. To the utter amazement of all present there,
Trishanku rose to the skies and actually reached the gate of heaven. There,
Indra pushed him back down to Earth.
Indra's act enraged Vishwamitra. He immediately began creating another
Universe (including another Brahma), specially designed for Trishanku,
calling it the Trishanku Swarga. He had only concluded the work on the
Universe, when Brihaspati ordered him to stop.
Trishanku,
however, could not fully transcend to his exclusive Swarga. He remained
fixed in an upside-down position in the sky. Finally, he was transformed
into a constellation, which is now known as Crux.
During the course of creating the Trishanku Swarga, Vishwamitra ended up
exhausting all his yogic powers and had to start his austerities again, in
order to achieve his dream of becoming a Brahmarishi.
Harishchandra's Sacrifice
Kaushika once helped a young boy named Shunashepa from being sacrificed at a
ritual. His parents had sold him to Harishchandra (Ambarisha), so that the
latter could sacrifice him at his yagna, in order to please Lord Varuna.
Originally, it had been decided that the king's son, Rohit, would be
sacrificed at the ritual. But the young boy refused to be sacrificed and
hence, Shunashepa was to take his place.
The young and terrified Shunashepa approached Kaushika and begged to be
saved. Taking pity on him, the sage taught him some secret mantras, which he
should chant at the ceremony. The boy did as he was told. He chanted the
mantras and was blessed by both Indra and
Varuna.
With their blessings, Ambarisha's ceremony was successfully completed,
without having to sacrifice anyone for it.
According to another version of the story, Shunashepa was actually the lost
son of Vishwamitra. Originally named Vishwartha, he was abducted by the
enemy king,
Asura
Shambar. Shambar's daughter, Ugra, fell in love with the young prince and
convinced him to marry her. Pleased with the boy's character and behavior,
King Shambar also agreed to the marriage.
Soon after the marriage, the Bharatas won the battle against Shambar. When
they discovered that their prince Vishwartha was alive, they were elated.
However, they could not accept Ugra as their future queen, as she was an
Asura. In order to convert Ugra into an Aryan, Vishwartha created the
Gayatri Mantra. But people still refused to accept her presence in his life.
Soon, she gave birth to a son. Fearing that the public may do some harm to
the child, Ugra secretly sent him to the great female sage Lopamudra,
requesting her to take good care of him. The son was safe, but the people
killed Ugra. This son was later asked to sacrifice himself at Ambarisha's
ceremony.
In the Ramayana
Vishwamitra enjoys a prominent place in the epic
Ramayana.
Here, he was the preceptor of Rama; the illustrious Prince of Ayodhya; and
his brother Lakshmana. The sage gave them the knowledge of the astras and
shastras (weaponry); also giving them advanced lessons in religion and
philosophy.
Vishvamitra Guides Rama and Lakshmana to
Kill Taraka
Painting
He also guided them to slay powerful demons such as Taraka, Maricha and
Subahu. Further, he was the one who lead
Rama
to the Swayamvara ceremony of Sita, who eventually went on to become the
wife of Rama.
Gotras
Brahmins who come from the Kaushika or Vishwamitra gotra are thought to be
aggressive and wrathful, as they are believed to be descendants of the
Kshatriya caste.
People belonging to the Vishwamitra gotra revere Brahmarishi Vishwamitra as
their ancestor. Both Brahmins and some Kshatriyas too belong to the Kaushika
gotra.
Worship
Brahmarishi Vishwamitra is worshipped in the Sri Aabathsahayeshwarar Temple
in Alangudi, which is located in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. This
ancient temple is believed to be nearly 2000 years old.
Rishi Durvasa
Rishi Durvasa, also known as Durvasas, is another powerful, yet headstrong,
sage in Hinduism. The son of Atri and Anasuya, he was infamous for his
extremely short temper. His sharp tongue and tendency to hurl curses on
people made everyone scared of him. Hence, he was received with great
respect and reverence everywhere he went; whether it was the Earth or the
Devaloka (the Heavens).
According to legend in modern Azamgarh, Durvasa's ashrama was situated at
the confluence of the Tons River and the Majhuee River, north of the Phulpur
Tehsil headquarters. His temple, called the Rishi Durvasa Temple, is
situated in Palwal district, Haryana.
Birth
The Brahmanda
Purana
relates a legend associated with the birth of Durvasa. According to this
Purana, Brahma and Shiva once got into a heated argument. What started in a
small way soon turned out to be a violent quarrel. Fearing the worst, the
Devas fled from the presence of the mighty Shiva. Even Shiva's consort,
Parvati, got fed up and complained that her husband was now becoming
impossible to live with.
Realizing how his anger was disturbing others, he decided to deposit it all
into Anasuya, the wife of Rishi Atri. From this aspect of Shiva, which was
deposited into Anasuya, was born a child. He was named Durvasa (the one who
is difficult to live with). Due to the fact that he was born of Shiva's
anger, he too displayed the Lord's fiery temper.
The Bhagata Purana gives a different account of the story of Durvasa's
birth. According to this version, Atri desired a son and so, performer
severe austerities to appease the Supreme Being. He wanted his son to be
just like the Divine One.
Pleased with his penance, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva blessed the sage that he
would beget sons, who would display aspects of all them within themselves.
Soon, Anasuya gave birth to Soma (Brahma's incarnation), Dattatreya
(Vishnu's incarnation) and Durvasa (Shiva's incarnation). That is how
Durvasa was born to the couple.
Role in the Samudra Manthana Episode
According to the Vishnu Purana and the Padma Purana, a curse that Durvasa
hurled upon Indra was the indirect cause of the
Samudra
Manthan episode (churning of the Mighty Ocean). The Agni Purana and
the Srimad Bhagavata also mention Durvasa's involvement in the episode.
The Vishnu Purana relates that Durvasa was once wandering the earth in a
state of ecstasy. He happened to meet a Vidyadhari (celestial nymph) and
demanded her to give him the heavenly wreath of flowers that she was wearing
at the time. The nymph readily agreed and gave the garland to him and he
immediately wore it on his brow.
Very pleased with himself, he resumed his wanderings and came across Indra,
riding his Elephant, Airavata. Still in a mad state of frenzy, Durvasa threw
the garland at Indra. Indra caught it and placed it on Airavata's head. The
elephant got irritated with the strong fragrance of the flowers; picked it
up with his trunk; and threw it to the ground.
Considering this as a gesture of disrespect, an enraged Durvasa cursed Indra
that he would be cast down from his power and position, just as the King of
the Devas had callously cast down his gift. Mortified and fearful of the
consequences of Durvasa's curse, Indra immediately begged for the sage's
forgiveness. However, the former refused to relent and just went on his way.
The curse took effect and soon, Indra and the Devas lost their youthfulness
and strength. Seizing this opportunity, the Asuras; led by Bali; waged war
against them. The Devas then rushed to Brahma for help. He directed them to
Vishnu, who
advised them to declare a truce with the Asuras and request their help to
churn the Ocean of Milk.
Vishnu stated that the process of churning the ocean would give rise to the
Devamrita (Nectar of Immortality). Drinking this would give them back their
lost strength and vigor; thus helping them defeat the Asuras. He advised the
Devas that they should tempt the Asuras by telling them that they would
share their Amrita with them; also assuring them that he would see to it
that the Asuras would not be able to get their hands on the Amrita.
Samudra Manthan
Patta Painting
The Devas did as they were told. They churned the Ocean along with the
Asuras. Once the Devamrita came out from the Ocean, Vishnu assumed the
manifestation of
Mohini
and gave back the Amrita to the Devas.
Durvasa Meets Ambarisha
In the Bhagavata Purana, King Ambarisha was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.
He was extremely pious and always uttered only the truth. Once, he performed
a yagna to appease his Ishtadevata (favorite Lord). So pleased was Vishnu
with his devotion and sincerity that he blessed him with his own Sudarshana
Chakra, saying that it would always protect him.
Ambarisha later performed a religious rite known as the Ekadashi and
Dwadashi Vrata for 1 whole year. During this vrata, the king would fast on
the 11th day of every lunar month, breaking it only the next day. At the
conclusion of one year, he undertook a final fast of 3 days, to mark the end
of the vrata.
As the time approached for him to break his fast, sage Durvasa approached
Ambarisha. The king received him with due respect. Durvasa was pleased and
requested the king to wait and not break his fast until he could go and
finish his holy dip in the river Yamuna. Ambarisha graciously agreed to do
so.
The auspicious moment arrived soon and the king had to break his fast, thus
fulfilling his vow. However, Durvasa was nowhere to be seen. Ambarisha did
not know what to do. On the one hand, it would be disrespectful to the sage
to eat before him. On the other hand, he had to break his fast. The king
then consulted his royal priests and, on their advice, broke his fast with
just a sip of water.
When Durvasa came to know about this, he flew into a rage, as he felt that
Ambarisha had violated the respect due to him. In great anger, he pulled out
a strand of his own hair, out of which rose a demon. He ordered the demon to
kill the king.
Immediately, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra intervened and destroyed the
demon. It then started chasing Durvasa. Frightened, the sage ran to Brahma
and Shiva, requesting their protection. Both of them refused, since they
could not interfere with the course of Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra.
Next, Durvasa went to Vishnu himself, begging to be forgiven for his
arrogance. Vishnu also refused, saying that he was helpless, as he was bound
by Ambarisha's pure devotion and adherence to the Dharma. He suggested that
the sage should seek the king's forgiveness. Durvasa then returned to
Ambarisha's palace and begged his pardon. The latter prayed to his Lord and
pleaded him to recall his Sudarshana Chakra. Answering his prayer, Vishnu
took back his chakra, thus saving Durvasa's life.
In the Ramayana
In the Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, Durvasa once came to Rama's
doorstep. Seeing Lakshmana guarding the door, he demanded an audience with
his elder brother. At that time, Lord Rama was busy having a private
conversation with Lord Yama, the God of Death, who was disguised as an
ascetic. Before going in for the meeting, Yama had requested Rama to keep
the meeting confidential and also asked that anyone who tried to enter the
room or hear their conversation was to be executed. Rama gave the former his
word that his will would be done. He called
Lakshmana
and told him about Yama's orders, asking him to guard the gate.
Following his brother's orders, Lakshmana stood at the gate, ensuring that
no one was able to enter the quarters. So when Durvasa demanded entry, he
politely refused, asking the sage to wait a while, until Rama finished his
meeting.
The enraged sage threatened Lakshmana that he would curse all of Ayodhya if
the latter did not immediately inform Rama of his arrival. Knowing Durvasa's
nature, the young prince decided that it would better to disobey Rama and be
executed by him, rather than risk the whole of Ayodhya falling into ruin.
He interrupted Rama and told him what was happening outside. Rama
immediately concluded his meeting and received the sage with due respect.
Durvasa told him that he was hungry and wished to be fed. Rama quickly
fulfilled his guest's request. Pleased, the sage went on his way.
Rama was overcome with sorrow that he now had to execute his beloved brother
Lakshmana, for no fault of his own. Still, he had given Yama his word, and
hence, he could not go back on it. he approached sage Vasishtha, who advised
him to order Lakshmana to leave him for good. He averred that this act of
abandonment itself would be equivalent to an execution for Lakshmana.
Lamenting at his fate, Lakshmana left and went to the banks of the river
Sarayu, intent on renouncing the world through Yoga.
In the Mahabharata
Durvasa was also known for granting boons to those who pleased him and gave
him the respect due to him. In the
Mahabharata,
he once blessed Kunti, the future wife of Pandu, when she was a young girl.
At that time, she lived with her adopted father, Kuntibhoja. Durvasa visited
Kuntibhoja, who entrusted his foster daughter with entertaining the sage and
fulfilling all his needs during his stay with them.
Kunti patiently put up with all of Durvasa's demands, even fulfilling
unreasonable requests such as serving him food at all odd hours of the
night. The sage was very pleased with her dedication and devotion and,
before leaving, he taught her the Atharvaveda mantras, which enabled her to
invoke any God of her choice to beget a child by them.
Skeptical and curious to know if it would actually work, Kunti decided to
test the mantra. She invoked Surya (the Sun God) and bore her first son,
Karna. Fearing her fate as an unwed mother, she abandoned the newborn in a
basket and set him afloat down a river. She then went on to marry King
Pandu, the ruler of Hastinapura. She had the three eldest of Pandu's five
sons, by invoking different Gods with the mantras taught to her by Durvasa.
In the meantime,
Karna
was found and raised by charioteer Adhiratha and his wife, Radha. Adhiratha
worked for the ruler of Hastinapura. He went on to become an accomplished
warrior and joined the Kauravas; thereby becoming a formidable adversary of
the Pandavas. He finally met his end at the hands of Arjuna, the Pandava
prince, who was unaware that Karna was, in fact, his elder brother.
Durvasa Visits the Pandavas
Once, Durvasa arrived at Hastinapura, along with his entourage of disciples.
There, Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni, managed to please the sage. Before
departing, Durvasa told the Kaurava prince to ask him for a boon. Secretly
wanting the sage to curse the Pandavas, the prince asked the sag to visit
his cousins, the Pandavas.
The
Pandavas
were in exile at the time. So they were living in the forest, along with
Kunti and their wife, Draupadi. Duryodhana knew that Durvasa would reach
there only after the Pandavas had finished their meal. They would have
nothing to feed him and would thus fall prey to his infamous temper.
The Pandavas would obtain their food from the Akshaya Patra, which was given
to them during their exile. This vessel would become exhausted once Draupadi
finished her meal, after the Pandavas had finished theirs. Things worked
just as Duryodhana had planned – Draupadi has eaten just before Durvasa
arrived with his disciples. So there was no food left to serve him.
This made the Pandavas nervous and anxious. They respectfully requested the
sage and his disciples to bathe in the nearby river and told them that they
would prepare a meal for them in the meantime. Not knowing what to do,
Draupadi prayed to Lord Krishna for help.
Krishna immediately appeared, told her that he was very hungry and asked for
food. Dismayed,
Draupadi
told him that she had prayed to him because she had no food to feed the sage
and his disciples. Krishna smilingly asked her to bring the Akshaya Patra to
him. He took out just one grain of rice sticking to the bottom of vessel and
ate it up. After that, he announced that he was satisfied with the "meal"
that Draupadi had served him and left.
Krishna's act of eating that little morsel of rice satiated the hunger of
Durvasa and all his disciples. Not wanting to eat any more; also fearing the
Pandavas' reaction at their impolite behavior if they refused food; they all
quietly left after their bath, without returning to the Pandavas' ashrama.
Durvasa Curses Shakuntala
Kalidasa's great work, the Abhijnanashakuntalam, relates how
Shankuntala's
life was impacted by Durvasa's temper. One day, she was deep in thought,
daydreaming about her lover, King Dushyanta. So lost was she in her fancy,
that she failed to notice Durvasa approaching her. Angry at having been
ignored, Durvasa cursed her that her lover would forget her.
Horrified, Shakuntala fell at the sage's feet and requested him to take back
his curse. Unable to do so, he softened his curse, saying that Dushyanta
would remember her when he saw the royal ring he had given to her as a token
of his love.
The curse eventually took effect – Dushyanta failed to recognize
Shakuntala when she walked into his court with their love child, Bharata. He
remembered only much later, after a fisherman discovered the ring in the
belly of a fish he had caught. Recognizing the royal seal, he took it to the
king. When he saw the ring, the curse lifted and he immediately recalled the
wonderful times he had spent with Shakuntala. The two lovers reconciled
after that and went on to lead a happy, peaceful life.
Shakuntala Writes to Dushyanta
Batik Painting
Durvasa and Swaminarayan
According to the
Swaminarayan
sect, Narayana (Lord Vishnu) incarnated as Saint Swaminarayan, due to a
curse by Durvasa. Their version of the story relates that, after Krishna's
passing, Uddhava, a close friend and counselor of Krishna, proceeded to
Badrinath, the abode of Nara-Narayana.
Once there, he, along with several divine sages and seers, sat absorbed in
Nara-Narayana's discourses. At that time, Durvasa arrived from Mount
Kailash. Everyone was so absorbed in the discourse, that no one saw the sage
enter. Durvasa waited for about half an hour for someone to notice him and
invite him in. When no one rose to receive him, he got furious and cursed
the entire assembly that they would all be reborn as humans and would suffer
insults and agony at the hands of the wicked.
Nara-Narayana's parents, Lord Dharma and Goddess Bhakti, rushed to pacify
Durvasa. He then softened his curse saying that Lord Narayana Himself would
be born to them as their son. He, being the Supreme One, would free them
from the clutches of evil. So saying, he left the place.
Dharma and Bhakti were then reborn as Hariprasad Pande and Premvati Pande
respectively. Narayana was born as their son and he was named Ghanshyam.
Later, he rose to great spiritual heights, eventually becoming known as
Swaminarayan.
It is important to note that the above legend is exclusive to the followers
of Swaminarayan. None of the traditional Hindu texts or scriptures mentions
this story.
Swaminarayana
Polyresin Statue
Why Vishwamitra and Durvasa were Ill-Tempered
It is commonly believed in
Hinduism
that the placing of planets in a person's horoscope can directly affect his
or her behavior patterns. However, the fact is that, powerful rishis such as
Vishwamitra and Durvasa were trikala-jnanis. They were cognizant about the
past, present and the future and constantly worked for the better of the
world and all its beings.
Whenever Durvasa gave a curse, it was only because he saw the person failing
to adhere to the Dharma. He himself was always righteous and unwavering on
the path of the Dharma. He proved by example that, if you are on the higher
path of spirituality, you have a right to be angry at others for not doing
so.
In that sense, both the rishis were justified, as they constantly encouraged
people to follow the right course. Besides, considering the bigger picture,
their curses helped people release their karma, by letting the cosmic drama
of Samsara unfold in their lives.