Episode 16

Mrutha Sanjīvanī – A quest for victory over Death[i][i]

King Janamejaya heard the story of Samrat Bharata from Vysampayana and he was delighted to know the origin of Bharata Khanda. Now he was inquisitive to know the story of Kuru Vamsa from Vysampayana, and he started narrating the story.

Daksha prajāpati (hereinafter wards mentioned as Daksha) was the mānasa putra (born out of the manas) of Brahmaa. He was the progenitor of the entire world, and to procreate the species, he married several wives. It is said that all the twenty-seven stars (nakshatras) who later married the Moon God, Chandra were his daughters. Parvati, the wife of Lord Siva was his daughter. His two daughters Adithi and Dithi were married to Kasyapa. Through Adithi and Dithi he got all the Gods and Asuras as his sons. Through Vinata and Kadru he got Garutmantha and all the serpents respectively.

Vivasvat or Surya (the Sun God) was the son of Kasyapa, and Surya’s sons were Manu and Yama. Manu was the first human being (man) upon the earth and hence the entire human race is called mānavās. Purūrava was the grandson of Manu. He was one of the greatest kings upon the earth and hence his Vamsa became to be known as Puru vamsa. Nahusha was the son of Purūrava, and Yayāti was the son of Nahusha. Yayāti became the samrat of the universe and he was a very popular emperor. He, though a kshatriya, married a brahmin lady, Devayāni and later a kshatriya lady, Sarmishta under different circumstances.

While hearing this anecdote, Janamejaya interrupted Vysampayana and asked, ‘Oh sage! What are those circumstances? Why did he marry a brahmin lady? Please elaborate’. Vysampayana started narrating the story of Devayani.

Devayāni & Yayāti

Once upon a time there broke out a terrible war between the Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Rākṣasās) over the world’s resources. Sukrācārya was the purohit of Asuras and Brihaspati was the purohit of Gods. Both Sukrācārya and Brihaspati were brahmins but were bitter rivals. Sukrācārya had a special knowledge of a mantra by name Mrutha sanjīvanī by which the dead Asuras were brought back to life. Brihaspati was not aware of Mrutha sanjīvanī, and hence, he could not breathe life into the dead bodies of the Gods.

When the strength of Gods was dwindling, they got afraid and approached Kacha, the son of Brihaspathi. They requested him to approach Sukrācārya as a disciple and learn the Mrutha sanjīvanī vidya from him. Kacha obliged the request of the Gods, and he approached Sukrācārya. Sukrācārya accepted Kacha as his disciple and initiated Brahmacharya vratam.

Kacha was young and handsome and equally dexterous in fine arts.  He used to entertain his Guru and his daughter Devayāni by singing, dancing and playing the violin. Years were rolling upon and Devayāni started developing love towards the young Kacha. Even Sukrācārya had a special place in his heart for him.

Asuras got jealous of Kacha and were apprehensive that he may steal the Mrutha sanjīvanī vidya from Sukrācārya by dubious means. One day in the thick of the forest they killed him and threw his body to wild animals. The Sun was set, and the cows returned home. Kacha who went as a cowherd was not to be seen. Devayāni got agitated.

‘Father! Kacha has not come back from the forest. He might have been killed by your other disciples. Without him I cannot live’.

Sukrācārya had a great attachment towards his daughter. He applied Mrutha sanjīvanī and invited Kacha. Kacha came out of the stomachs of wild animals. Asuras were unhappy with the turn of events. One day again they killed Kacha, burnt his body to ashes, mixed it in sura (an intoxicating drink) and gave it to Sukrācārya.

The Sun was set, and the cows returned home. Kacha who went as a cowherd was not to be seen. Again, Devayāni got agitated. She requested his father to bring back the life of Kacha. With his Divya Drishti (the power of seeing the unseen objects) Sukrācārya could realize that Kacha was very much inside his stomach.

‘Oh! Devayani! Kacha is inside my stomach. If I bring back his life, I am sure to die’.

‘Oh! I am now wrapped in a great dilemma. Without Kacha, there is no meaning for my life. Without you, my life ends’

Sukrācārya mustered courage and applied Mrutha sanjīvanī and brought back the life of Kacha. He taught Mrutha sanjīvanī to Kacha and said, ‘Now you are very much alive inside my stomach. Come out of my stomach and use the Mrutha sanjīvanī to bring back my life’.

Kacha tore open the stomach of his own Guru and found his Guru lying in a pool of blood. Immediately he pronounced Mrutha sanjīvanī. Sukrācārya is now alive, and he blessed his benevolent disciple.

Sukrācārya’s code of Law to Brahmins:

Sukrācārya introspected the cause for teaching Mrutha sanjīvanī vidya to the son of Brihaspati who was his rival. He could realize, ‘Yes! It is my addiction to sura- the alcoholic drink. In an inebriated state I have consumed more and more alcohol, and I have not realized when it is mixed with ashes.

He rose up in anger and set a code of law to Brahmins –

योब्राह्मणोsद्यप्रभृतीह कश्चित्

मोहात् सुरां पास्यति मंदबुद्धि: I

अपेतधर्मा ब्रह्महा चैव स स्याद्

अस्मिंल्लोके गर्हितः स्यात् परेच II[ii] – Adi Parva 76.67

(From now on, if any Brahmin consumes alcohol out of foolishness and delusion, he is astray from dharma, and he gets the sin of Brahmahatya. He shall be blamed in this world and other worlds also)

Kacha stayed with his Guru for some more years and sought the permission of Sukrācārya to relieve him from his Ashrama so that he could go back to his father’s place. Sukrācārya had no problem in relieving him since he had completed his विद्याभ्यास (vidyābhyāsa). But Devayani had her own reasons for otherwise. She asked Kacha to marry her.

Kacha was totally aghast. ‘You are my Guru Putri – daughter of my Guru. Guru is like my father, and you are like my sister. We cannot transgress dharma’

Devayani said, ‘Oh Kacha! You are not supposed to tell like this. You cannot claim my father as your father. The Asuras had killed you many times and my love towards you saved your life. Please recollect. I am seeking your hand out of dharma- as you know that kāma is one of the puruṣārthās[iii] of human life’.

Kacha said, ‘But, I had in the womb of your father. You are my sister as per dharma. I cannot transgress dharma’.

Devayani got offended and cursed, ‘Since you have rejected my dharmic request, the Mrutha sanjīvanī shall not work for you’.

Kacha heard Devayani but he did not curse her back. He had no anger against her. He said, ‘For a rishi like me, Guru is the father. Out of lust you have cursed me ignoring rishi dharma. No rishi shall marry you. Let Mrutha sanjīvanī not work for me. But it shall work for all those who get the knowledge from me’, saying thus he left for his father’s place. He preached the Mrutha sanjīvanī to all the Gods and they were very happy. Since the fear of death decimated, the Gods thought of waging a fresh war with Asuras.

Janamejaya heard the story and said, ‘Oh Vysampayana Rishi! Please narrate the story of Devayani. What happened to her later? Who married her? How Devayani’s story is relevant for understanding the origin of Kuru vamsa?’

Vysampayana smiled at the king and started narrating the story.

Points to ponder

1. This story talks of frequent battles and the victory of Asuras and the death of Gods. Perhaps the events of this story precede the Amritha mathanam (refer the story 10- Churning of the ocean in this same blog). Gods were not having the knowledge of reviving the life from the death, and the Guru of Asuras possessed the same knowledge thus creating the balance of power favorably inclined towards Asuras.
2. At the end of the story, we realize that both Gods and Asuras possessed the knowledge of Mrutha Sanjīvanī. Then why did both of them churn the great ocean for attaining Amrith, the nectar? The Mahabharata heralds the story of evolution of civilization wherein there has been a constant urge to attain victory over death. The quest for finding a remedy for poisonous deaths is prominently positioned in the beginning of Adi parva itself by way stories such as उत्तांकोपाख्यानं, क्षीर सागर मथनं, सर्पयाग घट्टं (uttāṃkopākhyānaṃ, kṣīra sāgara mathanaṃ, sarpayāga ghaṭṭaṃ)[iv] The knowledge of Mrutha Sanjīvanī by rishi Sukrācārya is one great milestone in the process. The revival of life to the tree that was scorched to ashes by Takshaka clearly demonstrates the knowledge of poisons and remedies.

Then why did Asuras and Gods strive to attain Amrit? Mrutha Sanjīvanī is essentially tāmasik (तामसिक) in nature in the sense that it helps in giving life to the dead body. But it cannot guarantee vigor & vitality associated with youth. Mrutha Sanjīvanī, when applied, will bring back an old dead man’s body into a living old man. Restricting a person to his body is the pravrutti of Asuras. Amrit, when consumed, will ensure a youthful and disease-free body with dharmic disposition.

3. Sukrācārya and Brihaspati were rivals since they were sitting opposite in the fence of Asuras and Gods. Still Sukrācārya had the magnanimity in accepting Brihaspati’s son as his sishya (disciple). They were rivals since they were heading two opposite camps, but they had mutual respect towards their scholarship. A brahmin guru is ordained by dharma to teach (adhyāpanaṃ – अध्यापनं) when an अधिकारि(adhikāri) approaches him for education. Sukrācārya did not want to transgress his basic dharma.
4. Law code for Brahmins – The bad effects of intoxicating drinks is highlighted in the story. Sukrācārya is a Brahmin, and he experienced its ill effects. He wanted to set a law code for Brahmins to ensure moral standards in the society. Brahmins used to be the teachers in those days and they should be ideal for others to follow.

 References

[i] This story is taken from Adiparva of Mahabharata written by sage Vedavyasa.

[ii] yobrāhmaṇosdyaprabhṛtīha kaścit

mohāt surāṃ pāsyati maṃdabuddhi: I

apetadharmā brahmahā caiva sa syād

asmiṃlloke garhitaḥ syāt pareca II – Adi Parva 76.67

[iii] puruṣārthās- They are four as per Sanatana Dharma – Dharma, Artha, Kama & Moksha.

[iv] उत्तांकोपाख्यानं, क्षीर सागर मथनं, सर्पयाग घट्टं (uttāṃkopākhyānaṃ, kṣīra sāgara mathanaṃ, sarpayāga ghaṭṭaṃ) – all these stories can be found in this same website as previous stories.

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