॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 3 March 2023 - IX.03 - The story of Bhargava Maharishi Chyavana.
***
The story of Sage Chyavana and his Tapas prowess has appeared also in Mahabharata.
Here the story is told in brief.
Sharyati, another son of Manu, was a king adept in Yajnas. He once went on an expedition into the forest with his daughter Princess Sukanya and their entourage in the region where there lived the famous son of Sage Bhrigu, Sage Chyavana. The Chyavana Prasha and other elixirs of youth in Ayurveda are attributed to him.
Roaming languidly in that lovely forest with her attendants, Sukanya saw an anthill with two bright sparkles in its holes. Unthinkingly, she wanted to tease those spots and used a thorn to pierce them. Blood rushed out!
At the same time, Sharyati discovered that none in his army was able anymore to pass urine and stools. A sure sign of some Rishi's curse! He anxiously enquired if anyone had transgressed on the Ashrama and done some mischief. Sage Chyavana, true to the nature of all Bhargavas, was quite short-tempered.
Sukanya realised she had pierced the sage's eyes! She confessed to her crime. When the king was able to release the sage from the anthill and begged his forgiveness, the Rishi Chyavana indicated that the only way to atone was for Sukanya to become his wife and serve him.
Sukanya agreed readily. She was a most dutiful wife.
Shortly thereafter, the Ashwini Kumaras, the twin gods born of the Sun with magical powers of healing, arrived there. Sage Chyavana welcomed them and said he would enable them to get a share of the Soma Rasa offered to gods in the Yajna if only they could use their healing powers to make him a handsome attractive youth with a ready appeal to beautiful women. They were happy to agree to do so!
The Ashwini twins asked the sage to immerse himself in the lake nearby for some moments and emerge therefrom. When Chyavana did so, as he emerged, Sukanya saw three extremely handsome young men with great appeal, all identical in appearance, come out of the water!
Sukanya was told by Ashwinis to find out her husband from the three. She was honest. She said, "look, gods, thank you, but I am unable to find out my husband, the great Rishi Chyavana. You only have to bless me to remain faithful to my husband and point out the real one."
Ashwainis blessed Sukanya and the Sage alone remained, the others disappeared. The Rishi was most delighted to return youthful and beautiful to his life of connubial bliss with Princess Sukanya, a prospect he was most anticipating since he had been a withered old man before.
Sometime later, when King Sharyati came to visit, he was enraged to find his daughter sporting with a young man. He shouted at her, accusing her of treachery and infidelity to her aged husband Sage Chyavana! But a laughing Sukanya told him the whole story of her great husband winning over his youth from the Ashwanis, which made the king most happy.
True to his promise, at the next Yajna, Sage Chyavana offered Soma Rasa to the Ashwanis. Indra was not one to allow this. He came rushing with his raised thunderbolt, but Sage Chyavana calmly froze him in that posture, unable to move. Indra had to beg forgiveness and allow the Ashwanis henceforth a part of the Soma oblation.
Sharyati's son Kakadumi had a princess daughter Revati. He went to heaven looking for a son-in-law. He was advised by Brahma that Revati should be given in marriage to Balarama, of the Yadus, as he was an Amsha Avatara of Maha Vishnu and a most suitable one to marry her. Thus, King Kakadumi gave his most beautiful daughter in marriage to the supremely powerful Baladeva and then retired from worldly life and went to Badarikashrama to do Tapas and win the grace of Bhagavan Nara-Narayana eternally established there.
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
