User:Nvvchar/sandbox/Janamejaya

Janamejaya The King Janamejaya of Pandava race was eldest son of the king Parikshit II who was the son of. He had three younger bothers Srutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhimasena. Once they were performing an Ashvamedha yagna when a puppy dog, son of a divinely blessed Sarama, out of curiosity came sniffing to the location of the sacred place, where the yagna was being performed. Janameyaya's brothers who saw the puppy started bearating it. The puppy got hurt, and scared and crying he scurried to her mother and complained to her about the unjust treatment meted out to him when he had not done any mischief nor did he go near the sacred fire place and licked the butter oil kept for offering to the fire. Distressed by this incident, Sarama went to meet Janamejaya at the venue. She accused Janamejaya and his brothers for unjustly hurting her son when he had not committed any kind of desecration to the sacrificial offerings. She then cursed him saying that for this unkind act meted to her son he (Janamejaya) would face evil effects. Alarmed by this curse, Janamejaya, after completing the fire sacrifice returned to Hastinapur, his capital and started looking for a priest who could effectively counter the curse. Then while during his hunting trip in a forest, he came across the sage Srutasrava where his young learned son Somasrava was also performing ascetic prayers. Janamejaya wanted to engage Somasrava as his priest to help him to overcome his curse. He then offered  Srutasrava deep reverential obeisance and pleaded for help to overcome the curse of Sarama. He requested him to spare his son to be his priest. Then Srutasrava agreed to pare the services of his highly learned son to be the priest of the king and told him that he was born to a snake which had swallowed his semen. He also mentioned that his son would any request of a Brahamin which should not be disregarded and that no disrespect should be be shown to Mahadeva his deity. Janamejeya agreed to these conditions took Somasrava and went back to Hastinapur where he also instructed his siblings to follow the advice of the priest with out any objections. He then waged war against Takshsila (now in Pakistan) and conquered that part of the country.

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During the same period Ayoda-Dhaumya another learned sage lived in the area and he had three disciples -Upamanyu, Aruni of Panchala, and Veda- staying with him and getting trained. After their training he started testing their loyalty to him by instructing each one of them to perform a task. He asked Aruni to close a breach in the canal. Aruni, when found it difficult to plug the breach by any of the known methods, he lay across the breech to control the flow.

Ayoda-Dhaumya, after some time realising that Aruni had not returned from the assignment, went to check on him. Aruni stood up on hearing his preceptor voice and stood up opening the breach allowing water to flow again. He then explained to his guru the deatils of his actions. Ayoda-Dhaumya was then pleased with his disciple, gave him the title "Uddalaka" and blessed him saying he would be a fortunate person and a well known purveyor of Vedas. Uddalaka then returned to Panchala.Dharamsastras.

Upamanyu was another disciple of Ayoda-Dhaumya who was told to tend to the cattle. He took care of the ken daily and heen reported to his master he was asked the reasons for his fatness. Upamanyu told his master that he resorted to by begging. Then the preceptor reminded him of the injuctnion that whatever recived by him by begging was to to be totally offered to him. Then Upamanyu followed his instrcutuions went to tend to the cattle and also beg for food. Whatever alms he received he gave it to his guru without keeping any for himself. The guru still found him in good shape and asked Upamanyu what he did for survival when he had taken away every part of his alms. Upamanyu then told that after giving everything the first time he went back to begging and thus supported himself. This action was disapproved by the guru and so Upamanyu went back to tending cattle. When he reported back in the evening guru found him still fat and when questioned Upamanyu told him that he drank milk of the cows. This was also objected to by Dhaumaya as his permission had not been taken for such action. Then Upamanyu tasted the froth of milk but this was also objected. He then started eating the saline leaves of Arka (Asclepias gigantea) tree which made him blind and fell into a well. When he did not turn up for a long time, the preceptor along with his disciples went in search of him in the forest and found him. When he narrated the events that left him in that status, the guru advised him to pray to the twins Asvins (Vedic gods, divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda), the joint physicians of gods to restore his eye sight. Upamanyu then prayed to the Aswins extolling them of their virtues in the Rig Vedic hymns.

The twin Asvins responded to Upanayu's fervent prayers and offered him a cake to eat. and also told him that they had given a similar cake to his pres ceptor and he had accepted it. But Upmamanyu vehemently denied to eat it till he offered it his guru inspite of the Asvins asking him to eat it. Pleased with the response of Upamanyu of dedcation and obedience to his guru, Asvins restored his eye sight and also told him that he would have golden teeth as against the iron teeth of his guru and also blessesed him with the knowledge of Vedic scriptures and of Dharma. Then Upamanyu related the sequence of events with Asvins to his guru who also blessed him with prosperity and immense knowledge of Vedas and shastras

Veda was another disciple of Ayoda-Dhaumya served his guru untiringly at all times and in all conditions without a grumble. Dhaumya pleased with his disciple blessed him with the best of Vedic knowledge and good luck. Veidc formally took leave of his guru and set up his own family life and he had three disciples and treated them with kindness and unlike his own guru Dhaumya who subjected his disciples to severe tests. He was then appointed by Janamejaya and Paushya as their Upadhyaya (spirtiual guide).

While Ayoda-Dhaumya was on an outstation visit to perform a sacrifice he entrusted his disciple Utanka to take up all duties in his house. During his performance of duties with diligence he was asked by the women of the household to cohabit with his guru's wife as she was in state of sexual arousal. But he refused it flatly saying that he was not authorized by his preceptor to perform any such act. When his guru returned, Utanka narrated the incident to Veda who then was pleased with his disciple and became very friendly with him. After the completion of his training with Veda Utanka asked permission to leave. He offered to do an act of gratitude, render an honorarium to his guru. Veda then told him to meet his wife and to ask her what she wished to have as a gift and bring that gift to her.

He reverentially addressed Veda's wife and told her about his master's wish to meet her and wnated to know what gift he should bring her before he left their house. He was then directed by her to get the pair of earrings worn by King Paushya's queen and that it should be brought to her so that she could wear it on the sacred day which would be the fourth day from then when she was schedule to give a dinner party to the Brahmins at her home. With this command, Utanaka then left Veda's house. On the way he met a person of unusual appearance riding a large bull who ordered him to eat bull's shit and drinks its urine as his master had done earliier. After this he cleanaed himslef appeared before King Paushya who seated on a throne. He then told the king of his mission and requested him for the pair of earrings worn by his queen which he has to give as gift to his preceptor. The king asked him to go to the queen's chambers and request the queen for the earrings. But she she was not present when he went there. he reported to the king who told that the queen is very chaste womand appears before those who present themselves in an impure state. The king told to reacall what act of impurity he had performed and rectify it before appearing before the queen. Utanka realized his mistake in performing his ablutions in the morning in a standing posture and then went to redo the ablutions thoroughly in a sitting position facing east. He then went to the queen's chamber where the queen appeared before him and asked as what was his wish. Utanka greeted her with great respect and requested her to give her earrings in charity so that he could present to his preceptor;s wife as an honorarium (gurudaksina). Queen pleased with Utanka's etiquette took out her ear rings and gave it to him and also warned him to keep it safe as Takshaka, the king of snakes was also looking for it.

Following this, Paushya requested Utanka to perform the shradhha ceremony as he fully qualified to do it. However when the food for the ceremony was presented to Utanka he found a hair in it and it was also stale and cold became angry and cursed him to lose his sight but utanaka retorted saying that he had no right to do it having served polluted food and asked him to taste it himself. Paushya then tested the food and found it really polluted as it had been prepared by a woman with unbraided hair and then sought Utanka's pardon but refused to take back his curse. Utanka then retorted saying that since he had proved that food was polluted, his (Paushya;s) would not be effective at all. Utanka went out with the earrings. On the way he met a beggar in naked state who was appearing and reappearing lime an apparition. He then kpet the erarings and went to fetch water. During this time the beggar took away the rings. Whe utanka retruned to take the rings he found it missiing and started looking for the thief who had stolen it and caught him. The thief immediately changed his form in to snake disappeared in to the ground to his kingdom; the snake was Takshaka. Thhe utanaka started digging a hole to get hold of the snake and as his effort was not adequate Indra sent him his thunder-bolt (Vajra) to help him. With the help of the thunderbolt Utanka went to the netherworld where the snakes lived which was place of grandeur with lovely palaces and the snakes decked up in glittering jewellery. He then praised the snakes and their king Takshaka. he then narrated their antecedents. Airavata was their elder brother who lived on the banks of Gnages. His brother Dhritarashtra was always escorted by 28,008 snakes. Takshaka was also his younger brother who resided in the Khandava forests along with his brother and later moved to live in Kurukshetra on the banks of the river Ikshumati. Srutasena, younger brother of Takshaka, lived in the religious center of Mahadyumna with wish to be the chief of serpents. In spite of extolling the virtues of the serpent race, the ear rings were not forthcoming. He then saw two women who were engaged in weaving cloth in black and white threads with shuttles and a wheel mechanism with twelve spokes turned by six boys. Praising their virtues he also a saw man there mounted on horse. He then prayed to Purandara the supreme Lord of the three worlds. The man sitting on the horse was pleased with the exhalation showered on them and asked Utanka to state his wish. Utanaka wanted the snakes to be brought under his control which was granted. Utanak was asked to "blow in to the horse" which he did resulting in flames emerging from every pore of the horse and the abode of the snakes came under the threat of getting burned down. Scared by this happening, Takshaka came out and offered the ear-rings to Utanaka. As he was anxious to deliver the earrings to the preceptress, the man mounted on the horsee volunteered to take Utanka with him. He thus reached preceptress's house just at the right time when she was getting dressed and anxiously thinking of Utanka and delivered the ear rings. Utanaka then narrated the sequence of events that unfolded from the time of getting the earrings of the queen to the time of its retrieval from Takshaka and his taking a ride with a man mounted on a huge horse. Utanka wanted to know the details of all the people whom he encountered. His guru Veda then explained that; the two women whom he saw weaving were Dhata and Vidhata; the wheel drawn by six boys represented six seasons; the man mounted on the horse was Parjanya, the deity of rain and the horse was Agni; the bull he saw was on Airavata, the king of elephants and the man riding the elephant was Indra; the cowdung he ate was potion or the nectar (amrit) which protected him from the snakes; Indra is my friend who showed the way to the nether world of the snakes. With this explanation Veda then gave Utanaka permission to leave with blessings of good fortune in the world.

Revenge
Utanka then in state of anger to avenge against Takhsaka left for Hastinapur to join King Janamejaya. He found the king, who had just returned after his victory over Takshashila, surrounded by his ministers. He blessed the king on his victory and at the same time admonished him for ignoring a more pressing matter of taking revenge against the death of his father Parikshit by a snake bite. He told him that Takshaka, the king of serpent race, who was drunk with power, had bitten Parikshit and killed him. He urgeed Janamejaya to take immediate action to avenge this act of by burning Takshaka and his race in a fire sacrifice. The same Takshaka had also obstructed me in performing my duties to my preceptor. He had even prevented sage Kasyapa the physician from rushing to Parikshit to give him help.

The king was furious and grief stricken to know the details of his father's death at the hands of Takshaka and cross checked the news given by Utanka with his ministers.