Uttanka was the third disciple of the Guru.
Once, the guru left his ashram , entrusting all of the administrative duties to Uttanka. Guru's wife was then in her menstrual period. The women of the ashram urged Uttanka to cohabit with her so that her fertility period would not be wasted, but Uttanka refused to oblige as he was duty bound to his guru and he considered the act immoral. When this episode was conveyed to Guru upon his return to the ashram, he was pleased with his disciple and blessed Uttanka.
After Uttanka completed his education, he asked his guru about gurudakshina . The guru 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 seven days so that she could wear them during a religious fast on the eighth day. Uttanka set out to accomplish the task.
On the way, he encountered a huge bullock and sought his blessings. The bullUttanka to eat it's dung and drink it's urine . Uttanka hesitated but ultimately complied after being informed that his guru, 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. This wish was granted and Uttanka left with earrings. Unknown to him, Takshaka also wanted the earrings, and slowly followed him.
As Uttanka was returning to Guru'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 looking for Takshaka to take the earrings back.
Uttanka came across a horse who instructed Uttanka to blow at the rear end 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.
Uttanka then wondered whether he could reach his guru's ashram to hand over the earrings to the guru's wife before the prescribed time. The horse, noting Uttanka's concern, gave Uttanka a ride to the ashram.
He reached the ashram just before sunset as the guru's wife was in the process of casting a curse on Uttanka for not arriving in time. When Uttanka narrated his experience in procuring the earrings, the guru and his wife blessed him.After handing over the earrings and taking leave of his guru, Uttanka went to Hastinapur, the kingdom of King Janamejaya. He resolved to teach a lesson to Takshaka who had caused him trouble. He informed Janamejaya that it was Takshaka who had killed his father Parikshit and advised Janamejaya to perform a snake sacrifice to exterminate the serpents.
Once, the guru left his ashram , entrusting all of the administrative duties to Uttanka. Guru's wife was then in her menstrual period. The women of the ashram urged Uttanka to cohabit with her so that her fertility period would not be wasted, but Uttanka refused to oblige as he was duty bound to his guru and he considered the act immoral. When this episode was conveyed to Guru upon his return to the ashram, he was pleased with his disciple and blessed Uttanka.
After Uttanka completed his education, he asked his guru about gurudakshina . The guru 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 seven days so that she could wear them during a religious fast on the eighth day. Uttanka set out to accomplish the task.
On the way, he encountered a huge bullock and sought his blessings. The bullUttanka to eat it's dung and drink it's urine . Uttanka hesitated but ultimately complied after being informed that his guru, 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. This wish was granted and Uttanka left with earrings. Unknown to him, Takshaka also wanted the earrings, and slowly followed him.
As Uttanka was returning to Guru'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 looking for Takshaka to take the earrings back.
Uttanka came across a horse who instructed Uttanka to blow at the rear end 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.
Uttanka then wondered whether he could reach his guru's ashram to hand over the earrings to the guru's wife before the prescribed time. The horse, noting Uttanka's concern, gave Uttanka a ride to the ashram.
He reached the ashram just before sunset as the guru's wife was in the process of casting a curse on Uttanka for not arriving in time. When Uttanka narrated his experience in procuring the earrings, the guru and his wife blessed him.After handing over the earrings and taking leave of his guru, Uttanka went to Hastinapur, the kingdom of King Janamejaya. He resolved to teach a lesson to Takshaka who had caused him trouble. He informed Janamejaya that it was Takshaka who had killed his father Parikshit and advised Janamejaya to perform a snake sacrifice to exterminate the serpents.
No comments:
Post a Comment