Uttanka
Uttanka (
In the earliest version, Uttanka is described as the disciple of the sage Veda. In the second version, his guru is
Uttanka asks the king Saudasa who was cursed by Vasistha to become a cannibal for earrings without any fear and manages to receive it from his wife Madayanti, who before giving it to him warns that the earrings are celestial, and that he should not by any means put it heedlessly. If he were to do so it would be stolen by higher beings who are always looking for a chance to have them. During his return, from hunger he tries to pluck fruits from a tree and drops those earrings and a
Uttanka is one of the few persons described to have seen the Vishvarupa (universal form) of the god Krishna. Krishna blessed Uttanka with a boon that would quench his thirst whenever he remembered him. From then on, the rare clouds that bring showers in the desert have been called "Uttanka's clouds".
Gurudakshina
Uttanka's legend is narrated in the
Adi Parva
According to the Adi Parva, Uttanka was one of three chief disciples of the sage Veda, who in turn was a student of
Once, Veda left his
After Uttanka completed his education, he asked his guru Veda about gurudakshina (fee to the teacher). Veda suggested that he should ask his wife and give him the gift that she desired. The guru's wife harboured a grudge against Uttanka, as he had refused to fulfil her desire in her fertility period. She asked Uttanka to get the earrings of King Pushya's queen in three days so that she could wear them during a religious fast on the fourth day. Uttanka set out to accomplish the task. On the way, he encountered a giant who was riding a huge bullock and sought his blessings. The giant asked Uttanka to eat the dung and drink the urine of the animal. Uttanka hesitated but ultimately complied after being informed that his guru, Veda, had acted likewise. Uttanka then went to King Pushya and conveyed to him the wish of his guru's wife for the earrings of his queen so that he could pay his gurudakshina. The king asked Uttanka to meet his wife in her chambers. However, he could not find the queen there. Pushya informed Uttanka that his queen does not appear before any impure person who has not performed the ritual ablutions. After performing the ablutions, Uttanka met the queen and asked her for the earrings, which she granted. She warned Uttanka that Takshaka, the king of Nagas (serpents), was after the divine earrings and he should therefore take guard against him.[1]
After Uttanka had met the queen, he was invited to dine with the king. The food was cold and had a hair in it. Enraged, the sage cursed the king that he would lose his sight. In turn, the king cursed Uttanka that he would not have any children. However, they reconciled and withdrew their curses.[1]
As Uttanka was returning to Veda's ashram, he decided to take a bath in a water tank. He left his things on the bank of the river and went to take a bath. At that time, Takshaka came there in the disguise of a naked mendicant and stole the earrings. Uttanka tried to pursue the mendicant, but Takshaka had reverted to his original form of a serpent and slithered away into a hole in the ground, reaching Naga-loka, the abode of the Nagas. Uttanka then tried to dig through the hole. Indra, the king of the gods, saw Uttanka in the process of digging and sent his weapon Vajra (thunder-bolt) to help him carve a tunnel to the realm of the Nagas. When Uttanka entered the snake world, he started praising the virtues of the snake king Takshaka and his clan, but to no avail as Takshaka was not moved to give up the earrings.[1][3] Uttanka then saw two beautiful women weaving with white and black threads on a wheel fixed on the wall. The wheel had twelve spokes and was being turned by six young people. A horse with a rider stood near the wheel. Uttanka praised the functioning of the weaving process, the rider and the horse, and equated the rider to Indra. Pleased with this praise, the rider asked Uttanka to state in what way he could help him. Uttanka requested that he be given the power to bring the snakes under his control. The rider then instructed Uttanka to blow at the back of the horse. Uttanka did as suggested. Then flames emerged from all parts of the horse's body and filled the realm of the serpents with fire and smoke. The terrified Takshaka came out of hiding and gave up the earrings to Uttanka.[4][1] Uttanka then wondered whether he could reach his guru Veda's ashram to hand over the earrings to the guru's wife before the prescribed time. The rider, noting Uttanka's concern, gave Uttanka his horse, which took Uttanka to the
After handing over the earrings and taking leave of his guru, Uttanka went to
Ashvamedhika Parva
In the Ashvamedhika Parva the tale is narrated with some variation. Uttanka is described as a brahmin who belonged to the Bhrigu race that lived in a hermitage in the Maru desert. Uttanka was the disciple of the sage Gautama, whom he served for a hundred years. Uttanka was very dear to Gautama, who did not let him go even after Uttanka had completed his education. Uttanka grew old over time. One day Uttanka collapsed while carrying a huge bundle of firewood. Gautama's daughter cried looking at the sight. When called by his guru, Uttanka accosted Gautama, and with tears in his eyes asked him why he alone had been retained in the hermitage when thousands of other disciples had been discharged after training. Gautama restored Uttanka's youth, gave his daughter in marriage to Uttanka and then permitted him to leave.[6][1]
Uttanka wanted to give the sage his gurudakshina. The guru told him to meet his wife Ahalya and inquire as to her wish. Ahalya suggested that he bring her the divine earrings of Madayanti, King Mitrasaha Saudasa's wife, as gurudakshina. The king had turned into a cannibalistic rakshasa by a curse and was known as Kalmashapada. Uttanka met Kalmashapada, who approached Uttanka to eat him, but Uttanka stopped him and explained that he was duty-bound to get Madayanti's earrings as gurudakshina and that he, Uttanka, would return to Kalmashapada after fulfilling his obligation. Kalmashapada agreed and directed him to his wife, who refused to part with her earrings until Uttanka brought some token from Kalmashapada as proof of his consent. Upon returning from Kalmashapada with a token, Madayanti gave him the earrings. The queen warned Uttanka that her earrings were coveted by Nagas, Yakshas, rakshasas and the gods, who would try to steal them. Uttanka was therefore advised not to allow the earrings to touch the ground to prevent the snakes from taking possession of them.[6][1]
On the way back to the ashram, Uttanka had tied the earrings in a deerskin. While travelling, he stopped and climbed a tree to pluck some fruit for his refreshment. He tied the deerskin to a branch, but the deerskin became untied and the earrings fell on the ground. A snake immediately got hold of the earrings and vanished into an
Meeting Krishna
The Ashvamedhika Parva narrates Uttanka's meeting with the god Krishna. As Krishna was returning to his kingdom Dwarka, he noticed the wandering ascetic Uttanka. Uttanka met Krishna and asked for news. Krishna told about the devastation in the Kurukshetra War. Uttanka was agitated and was about to curse Krishna for not bringing about a compromise between the warring cousins Pandavas and Kauravas.[8] Krishna explained the necessity of war for restoration of dharma and revealed his Vishvarupa form to Uttanka.[9] The sage bowed to Krishna. Krishna told Uttanka to ask for a boon. Uttanka asked Krishna to grant him the boon of finding water whenever he was thirsty. Krishna granted the boon to Uttanka.[1][10] Uttanka was one of the blessed people to have had an opportunity to see Sri Krishna's vishvarupa. The other people who also had this privilege were Akrura, Arjuna, Dhritarashtra, Sanjaya, Yashoda and Veda Vyasa.
Wandering in the desert, the sage became thirsty and, hoping to get water, thought of Krishna, who gave order Indra and asked him to give amrita to Uttanka but Indra was not willing to give it to mortals. In the end, Indra had told Krishna that he would offer Uttanka the amrita as a Chandala, provided the sage did not refuse it. Krishna had agreed to Indra's condition. Indra appeared as hunter called Chandala but Uttang refused to take water from him and he disappeared. Uttanka, realizing his mistake that ordinary men cannot appear in this desert, either he was a Deva or messenger of Krishana. So Uttanka started to finish[ambiguous] himself, Then when Krishna appeared on the scene and stopped him to burn his body by Tapa, Krishna explained that he had requested Indra to give him amrita, Krishna then informed Uttanka that his refusal to accept amrita from the Chandala was improper. Finally, Indra had relented and had told Krishna that he would offer Uttanka the amrita as a Chandala, provided the sage did not refuse it. Krishna had agreed to Indra's condition. Krishna promised to keep his boon of providing water to the sage. He then blessed Uttanka that
Other legends
The
The Naradiya Purana narrates that Uttanka lived in an ashram in Ujjalaka. In his old age, he left for a pilgrimage and travelled to various temples. Once, the sage saw a hunter named Gulika stealing the golden plates of the temple of Vishnu at Sauvira. Gulika tried to kill the sage. Then Uttanka informed Gulika that the sin of murder would be to live through many births to expiate his sin. Hearing this the hunter was penitent and fell dead. Uttanka then sprinkled water from the holy Ganges on the hunter's corpse, which restored Gulika who then attained Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu. As advised by Vishnu, Uttanka went to Badari, performed tapas and attained Vaikuntha himself.[1]
Notes
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
- ^ Vogel 1926, pp. 65–6.
- ^ a b Vogel 1926, p. 62.
- ^ Vogel 1926, pp. 62–3.
- ^ Vogel 1926, p. 63.
- ^ a b c Vogel 1926, p. 64.
- ^ Vogel 1926, pp. 64–5.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
- ^ a b Renuka Narayanan (April 23, 2011). "The epic tale of Utanka's error". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ^ Heinrich 2002, p. 21.
References
- Heinrich, Clark (1 September 2002). Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. ISBN 978-0-89281-997-3.
- Mehta, Jarava Lal (January 1992). J.L. Mehta on Heidegger, Hermeneutics, and Indian Tradition. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-09488-8.
- Vogel, Jean Philippe (1926). Indian Serpent-lore: Or, The Nāgas in Hindu Legend and Art. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-1071-2.