Mahabharata – 109

by 

Sankar Mukherjee

&

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                                   Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Devyani was the daughter of Sukracharya the preceptor of king Vrishaparva. Sarmishta was the daughter of king Vrishaparva. There  was a quarrel between them. Sarmishta the daughter of the demon king was stronger than Devyani & she threw Devyani into a well & left the place.It was amidst a forest. King Yayati came to the forest & discovered Devyani fallen into the well.Yayati rescued her & went back to his residence. It seems the forest neither belonged to Vrishaparva nor belonged to Yayati.

When Yayati had gone away, depressed with sorrow Devyani spoke to her maid, Ghurnika by name who showed up there. And Devyani said,'Oh! Ghurnika, go quickly & tell my father without loss of time of everything as it happened here. I shall not now enter the palace of Vrishaparva.

Ghurnika then returned to the palace of the king of the Asuras quickly. She saw Sukracharya and spoke to him angrily.  She said,'I tell you, Oh Sir! Devayani has been ill-treated in the forest by Sarmishtha, the daughter of king Vrishaparva.

And Sukracharya,hearing that his daughter had been ill-treated by Sarmishtha quickly went out anxiously, searching her in the forest. And when he found her in the forest,he embraced her with affection and spoke to her with grief.The  good or bad that people suffer  is always due to their own faults.You must have had some fault,I think, this misfortune of yours has redressed that fault.

Hearing this Devayani replied,be it as   may expiation of sin or not, listen to me with attention. Sarmishtha,the daughter of Vrishaparva,Has said to me,that you are only the hired chanter of the praises of the Asuras! Is it true ?She  told  me these piercing and cruel words,with reddish eyes.You are the daughter of one  who chants praises of others for alms.You are the daughter of one who always asks for charities & one who accepts alms.Whereas I am the daughter of one that receives praises,of one that always gives & one that never accept anything as gift.These has been the words repeatedly spoken to me by the proud Sarmishtha, the daughter of Vrishaparva.Thus  Sarmishtha insulted me in this lonely place & there upon threw me  into a well and went home Oh Father!Am I really the daughter of a hired chanter of praises?Am I really the daughter of  one that accepts gifts? Must I please her in the hope of obtaining her grace?

Sukrachrya replied-- You are, Oh Devayani! You are not the  daughter of a hired praiser,of one that asks for alms & accepts gifts.You are the daughter of one  who worships none.But you are the daughter of one who is worshipped by all! Vrishaparva himself knows it, and Indra the king of heaven & the king Yayati on earth  too know it. Brahman whom neither the gods nor the mortals can ever imagine,the Brahaman who has no second is the strength of mine.   Specially I know the great Sanjivani science -- the science of reviving dead.

The wise  never praise themselves.Therefore I am unable to speak about myself.But you are aware of my strength. Oh Devyani! Let us go to our own home & forgive them.