Story 6

(Vedavyasa Mahabharatam – the story, the ethics, morals & the traditions)

Characteristics of Satva and Rajas – Uttanka vis-à-vis King Paushya[i]

About the Story

This is a famous story from Maha bharata, the verses of which are quoted very often by scholastic community to distinguish a satvic and rajasic personalities. Anger management is the hallmark of satva personality. This story also talks of the importance of devotion that is given in certain nitya/ naimittika karmas by our scriptures.

Background of the story

(Saunaka, after hearing the story of Ruru & Pramadvara, asked Ugrasavasa, ‘Why did Janamejaya perform the Sarpayāga? Ugrasravasa started narrating the story to Saunaka and his disciples)

Uttanka’s guru, Veda relieved him from the Gurukal as he had completed his education at the Gurukul. Uttanka was pleased to present a gift to his guru before leaving for his place. He was insisting his guru to accept a gift though the guru was reluctant to accept anything from the disciple. As the sishya was insisting, he asked Uttanka to approach the guru patni (wife of Veda) and present her whatever gift she seeks for.

Uttanka approached the guru patni and requested her to ask something as a token of gift and relieve him from the debt of learning in the gurukul. At that time, she was contemplating a vratam (a ritual) involving the distribution of food to the learned and needy scholars. On that day she wanted to wear the ear-studs of the queen. She asked Uttanka to go to the court of the king Paushya and bring the ear-studs of the queen in just four days.

Uttanka hurried to meet Paushya. On the way he had no time to perform the Gayatri prayer (a regular nitya karma- a daily ritual ordained by sastras) and so he did it while walking and reached the court of king Paushya. Paushya, on hearing his request, asked him to approach the queen in the antaḥpuraṃ. Paushya entered the antaḥpuraṃ, but he did not find her. ‘Telling lies with me does not auger well with you. Your queen is not in the antaḥpuraṃ’, he told the king.

Paushya thought for a while and said, ‘You must have gone there with saliva in the mouth or approached with unchaste demeanor and, as the queen is a pativrata (a devoted dharmic wife), she is not seen by you’, Paushya told. Uttanka recollected his diabolic approach of performing the Gayatri ritual while walking. Immediately he repented his mistake, sat there, and performed the ritual. Then he again went and found the queen. She welcomed him inside with all humility, prayed to him and asked the reason for his visit.

Uttanka narrated his story and requested the queen to part with her ear-studs so that he could present them to guru patni. The queen was pleased with his devotion to his guru and his selfless imploration. She gave her studs and bid him farewell from the place. While giving the ear-studs, she cautioned, ‘Please be careful while carrying them as the serpent king Takshaka also in need of them and he may steal them.’

Before leaving the court, he wanted to thank the king Paushya. On that day Uttanka was the guest and the king wanted to offer him food by performing ‘śrāddha karma’ (a naimittika karma- a ritual done with devotion to propitiate the forefathers). But Uttanka was in a hurry to meet the guru patni. He asked the king to serve the clean and sanguine food that was readily available in the house. The King obliged his request and the food that was readily available in the kitchen was served to him.

Uttanka saw a piece of hair in the rice which had already become very cold. He got angry for the king had not served the rice with sraddha (devotion). Immediately he cursed the king, ‘since you have served dirty cold rice, you shall become blind’. Paushya was taken aback and cursed him back, ‘since you are admonishing the clean food as unclean, you shall not have a progeny’.

Uttanka did not see the logic in the argument of the king. He asked the king to test the rice. The king enquired thoroughly and learnt that the rice was already cold and was prepared by a lady with untwined hair. The king pleaded guilty and begged his pardon. He asked Uttanka to reverse the curse given to him as he (king) did not want to live the life of a blind person.

‘Oh king! My words remain truth since I never tell untruth. You shall become blind, but you will get back your eyesight very fast’. In this way I can reduce the curse. ‘Now I request you to reverse the curse that you have given to me’. Uttanka said.

Paushya replied, ‘I am unable to reverse or modify the curse given to you since my anger against you has not come down’.

नवनीतं हृदयं ब्राह्मणस्य, वाचि क्षुरो निशितः तीक्ष्णधारः|.

तद् उभयम् एतत् विपरीतं क्षत्रियस्य, वाङ् नवनीतं हृदयं तीक्ष्णधारम् । – Adi Parva 3.123

 ‘It is a known fact that a Bramhin’s talk is razor like knife, but the heart is like butter that mellows. In respect of a Kshatriya both are opposite – the heart is harsh, and the talk is sweet’[ii]

Paushya continued, ‘Since I am a Kshtriya, I possess a heart that is harsh, and I cannot reduce the rigor of the curse given by me. You may please leave the place’.

Uttanka was a dharmic person and he analyzed the issue on hand with equanimity. He did not want himself to be exonerated if he was wrong. But he did not want to undergo the punishment unreasonably. He said, ‘While cursing me to become childless, you had told the reason for it as my admonishing the clean food as unclean food. You yourself tested the rice and found it unclean later. Since the food is unclean, let your curse cannot stick to me’, saying thus Uttanka left the court of Paushya.

It was evening sandhyāvaṃdana time. Uttanka kept the ear-studs on the floor and performing sandhyāvaṃdana. Takshaka got an opportunity to snatch away the ear-studs. He took the ear-studs and entered a hole. Uttanka prayed for Indra, and with his help, sizzled through the hole and reached Nagloka (world of the serpants). He had a very tough time to take back ear-studs from Takshaka. With the blessings of Indra, he got back the ear-studs from Takshaka and reached the place of Guru-patni. The Guru, Veda was pleased by the deeds of Uttanka and said, ‘You have done exemplary service to us. I relieve you from this Gurukul. You can go back to your parents’.

Uttanka left the place, but he was nursing bitter vengeance against Takshaka. He wanted to destroy the entire community of serpents. But how? He met Janamejaya, the king of Hastinapur and said, ‘Hi! Maharaj! You are not aware of a fact which I wish to narrate to you. Your father, Parikhit was bitterly bitten by Takshaka. It is time for you to take revenge against the serpent world. I advise you to perform Sarpayāga and destroy the whole race of serpents. Janamejaya decided to perform Sarpayāga.

Points to Ponder

1. In Sanatana dharma, Shraddha’ (श्राद्धा) was given lot of importance specially in respect performing ceremonial rituals. Performing sandhyāvaṃdana by standing was considered unchaste. Sandhyāvaṃdana was supposed to be done thrice in a day with utmost Shraddha’ (श्राद्धा). The tradition is still being followed in Bharat, that is India.
2. In Gita Krishna says that the four-fold division of society was on the basis of gunas (qualities) and the karmas (nature of works) of the people. A Brahmin was predominantly sātvik while the Kshatriya was rājaśik. This is the reason why king Paushya could not reverse his curse given to Uttanka.

Footnotes

[i] This story is taken from Adi Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Veda Vyasa.

[ii] navanītaṃ hṛdayaṃ brāhmaṇasya,

vāci kṣuro niśitaḥ tīkṣṇadhāraḥ|.

tad ubhayam etat viparītaṃ kṣatriyasya,

vāṅ navanītaṃ hṛdayaṃ tīkṣṇadhāram । – Adi Parva 3.123

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