The story of Raibhya

Bharadvaja and Raibhya were two friends. They dwelt ever taking the greatest pleasure in each other's company. Now, Raibhya had two sons, named Arvavasu and Paravasu. Bharadvaja had an only son, named Yavakri. Raibhya and his two sons were versed in the Vedas, while Bharadvaja practised asceticism. But, from their boyhood, the friendship subsisting between those two was unequalled. The high-spirited Yavakri finding that his father, who practised asceticism, was slighted by the Brahmanas, while Raibhya with his sons was greatly respected by them, was overwhelmed with sorrow, and became sore aggrieved. Thereupon, he entered upon severe austerities, for obtaining a knowledge of the Vedas. He exposed his body to a flaming fire. By thus practising the most rigid austerities, he caused anxiety in the mind of Indra. Then Indra went to him and addressed him saying, “Wherefore, O sage! have you become engaged in practising such rigid austerities?”

 

Yavakri said, “I am practising severe penances, because I wish that such a knowledge of the Vedas as has never been acquired by any Brahmana whatever, may be manifest unto me. These endeavours of mine have been for Vedic lore. By the force of my asceticism, I purpose to obtain all sorts of knowledge. O lord! A knowledge of the Vedas as learnt through teachers, is acquired in a long time. Therefore,(with the view of attaining in short time a proficiency in the Vedas, I have put forth these high endeavours.”

 

Indra said, “O Brahmana sage! The way that you have adopted is not the proper way. What for will you destroy yourself? Go and learn from the lips of a preceptor.”

 

Having said this, Indra went away, and Yavakri once more directed his attention to asceticism. We have heard that carrying on severe austerities he again greatly agitated Indra. The god Indra, again came unto that great sage, who was engaged in austere penances; and forbade him, saying, “You are striving with the object that Vedic lore may be manifest unto you as well as unto your father; but your exertions can never be successful, nor is this act of yours well-advised.”

 

Yavakri said, “O lord of the celestials! If you will not do for me what I want, I shall, observing stricter vows, practise still severer penances. Know that if you do not fulfil all my desires, I shall then cut off my limbs and offer them as a sacrifice into a blazing fire.”

 

Knowing the determination of that high-souled sage, the sagacious Indra reflected and hit upon some expedient to dissuade him. Then Indra assumed the guise of an ascetic Brahmana, hundreds of years old, infirm, and suffering from consumption. He fell to throwing up a dam with sands, at that spot of the Bhagirathi to which Yavakri used to descend for performing ablutions. Because Yavakri, paid no heed to Indra's words, the latter began to fill the Ganga with sands. Without cessation, he threw handfuls of sand into the Bhagirathi, and began to construct the dam attracting the notice of the sage. When that bull among the sages, Yavakri, saw Indra thus earnestly engaged in constructing the dam, he broke into laughter, and said the following words, “What are you engaged in, O Brahmana! and what is your object? Why do you, for nothing, make this mighty endeavour?”

 

Indra said, “I am trying, O my son! to dam the Ganga so that there may be a commodious passage. People experience considerable difficulty in crossing and recrossing the river by boat.”

 

Yavakri said, “You can not dam up this mighty current. O Brahmana! Desist from, what is impracticable, and take up something that is practicable.”

 

Indra said, “O sage! I have imposed on myself this heavy task, even as, for obtaining a knowledge of the Vedas, you have begun these penances, which can never be fruitful.”

 

Yavakri said, “If those efforts of mine be fruitless, even as those of your own, then, be you pleased to do for me what is practicable. Vouchsafe unto me boons whereby I may excel other men.”

 

Then Indra granted boons, as was prayed for by the mighty ascetic, Indra said, “As you desire, the Vedas will be manifest unto you, even unto your father. All your other desires will also be fulfilled. Return home, O Yavakri!”

 

Having thus obtained the object of his desire, Yavakri came unto his father and said, “The Vedas, O father! will be manifest unto you as well as unto myself and I have obtained boons whereby we shall excel all men.”

 

Thereat Bharadvaja said, “O my son! As you have obtained the objects of your desire, you will be proud. When you are puffed up with pride and have also become uncharitable, destruction will soon overtake you. There is a current anecdote narrated by the gods. In ancient times, there lived a sage named Baladhi, possessed of great energy. In grief for the death of a child, he practised the severest penances to have a child that should be immortal. He obtained a son as he desired. But the gods, though very favourably disposed, did not yet make his son immortal like unto the gods. They said, ‘One condition can a mortal being be made immortal. Your son's life, however, shall depend on some instrumental cause.’ Thereupon, Baladhi said, ‘These mountains have been existing eternally, and indestructible, let them be the instrumental cause of my son's life.’ Afterwards a son was born to the sage, named Medhavi. He was of a very irritable temper. Hearing of the incident of his birth, he grew haughty, and began to insult the sages. He ranged over the earth, doing mischief to the Munis. One day, meeting with the learned sage Dhannushaksha endued with energy, Medhavi maltreated him. Thereupon, the former cursed him, saying, 'Be you reduced to ashes.’ Medhavi, however, was not reduced to ashes. Then Dhannushaksha caused the mountain which was the instrumental cause of Medhavi's life, to be shattered by buffaloes. The boy perished, with the destruction of the instrumental cause of his life. Embracing his dead son, Medhavi's father began to bewail his fate. Now hear from me what was chanted by the sages conversant with the Vedas, when they found the sage mourning. ‘A mortal on no condition whatever can overcome what has been ordained by Fate, Dhannushaksha succeeded in shattering even the mountain by buffaloes.’ Thus young ascetics, puffed up with pride for having obtained boons, perish in a short time. Be you not one of them. This Raibhya is possessed of great energy, and his two sons are like him. Therefore, be you vigilant, so as never to approach him. Raibhya is a great ascetic of an irritable temper. When angry, he can do you harm.

 

Yavakri said, “I shall do as you bid me. Of father! Do you not by any means entertain anxiety for that. Raibhya deserves my regard even as you, my father.” Having replied unto his father in these sweet words, Yavakri, fearing nothing and nobody, began to delight in wantonly offending other Munis.

 

One day in the month of Chaitra, while fearlessly wandering at large, Yavakri approached the hermitage of Raibhya. In that beautiful hermitage, adorned with trees bearing blossoms, he happened to behold the daughter-in-law of Raibhya, sauntering about like a Kinnara woman. Having lost his senses through passion, Yavakri shamelessly spoke unto the bashful maiden, saying, “Be you attached unto me.”

 

Thereupon, knowing his nature, and afraid of a curse, as well as thinking of Raibhya's power, she went unto him saying, “I agree.” Then, taking him in private, she kept him chained. Returning to his hermitage, Raibhya found his daughter-in-law, Paravasu's wife, in tears. Thereat consoling her with soft words, he enquired of her as to the cause of her grief. Thereupon, the beautiful damsel told him all that Yavakri had said unto her, and what she also had cleverly said unto him. Hearing of this gross misbehaviour of Yavakri, the mind of the sage flamed up, and he waxed exceedingly wroth. Being thus seized with passion, the great sage of a highly irascible temper, tore off a matted lock of his hair, and with holy mantras, offered it as a sacrifice on the sacred fire. At this, there sprang out of it a female exactly resembling his daughter-in-law. Then he plucked another matted lock of his hair, and again offered it as a sacrifice into the fire. Thereupon sprang out of it a demon, terrible to behold, and having fierce eyes. Then those two spoke unto Raibhya, saying, “What shall we do?” Thereat, the angry sage said unto them, “Go and kill Yavakri.” Then saying, “We shall do as you bid”, they two went away with the intention of slaying Yavakri.

 

With her charms, the female whom the large-hearted sage had created, robbed Yavakri of his sacred water-pot. Then with his uplifted spear the demon flew at Yavakri, when he had been deprived of his water-pot and rendered unclean. Seeing the demon approach with uplifted spear for the purpose of slaying him, Yavakri rose up all on a sudden and fled towards a tank. But finding it devoid of water, he hurried towards all the rivers. But they too were all dried up. Being obstructed again and again by the fierce demon, holding the spear, Yavakri in fright attempted to enter into the Agnihotra room of his father. But there, he was repulsed by a blind Shudra warder, and he remained at the door, grasped by the man. Finding Yavakri thus grasped by the Shudra, the demon hurled his spear at him, and thereupon he fell down dead, pierced in the heart. After slaying Yavakri, the demon went back to Raibhya, and with the permission of that sage, began to live with the female.

 

Bharadvaja returned to his hermitage after performing the ritual duties of the day, and having collected the sacrificial fuel. Because his son had been slain, the sacrificial fires which used to welcome him everyday, did not on that day come forward to welcome him. Marking this change in the Agnihotra, the great sage asked the blind Shudra warder seated there, saying, “Why is it that the fires rejoice not at sight of me? You too do not rejoice as is your wont. Is it all well with my hermitage? I hope that my son of little sense had not gone to the sage Raibhya. Answer speedily all these questions of mine. My mind misgives me.”

 

The Shudra said, “Your son of little sense had gone to the sage Raibhya, and therefore it is that lie lies prostrate on the ground, having been slain by a powerful demon. Being attacked by the Rakshasa, holding a spear, he attempted to force his way into this room, and I therefore barred his way with my arms. Then desirous of having water in an unclean state, as he stood hopeless, he was slain by the vehement Rakshasa, carrying a spear in his hand.”

 

On hearing from the Shudra of this great calamity, Bharadvaja, sorely afflicted with grief, began to lament, embracing his dead son. He said, “O my son! It is for the good of the Brahmanas that you did practise penances, with the intention that the Vedas unstudied by any Brahmana whatever might be manifest unto you. Your behaviour towards the Brahmanas had always been for their good, and you had also been innocent in regard to all creatures. But, Alas! you did lapse into rudeness. I had prohibited you from visiting the residence of Raibhya; but to that very hermitage, as the god of death himself, Yama, did you repair. Evil-minded is that man, who, knowing that I am an old man, and also that Yavakri was my only son, had given way to wrath. It is through the agency of Raibhya that I have sustained the loss of my child. Without you, I shall give up my life, the most precious thing in the world. In grief for the death of my son, I renounce my life; but this I say that Raibhya's eldest son shall in a short time kill him although he be innocent. Blessed are those to whom children have never been born, for they lead a happy life, without having to experience the grief. Who in this world can be more wicked than those who from affliction, and deprived of their sense by sorrow consequent upon the death of a child, curse even their dearest friend! I found my son dead, and, therefore, have cursed my dearest friend. What second man can there be in this world, destined to suffer so grievous a misfortune!”

 

Having lamented long Bharadvaja cremated his son and then himself entered into a full-blazing fire.

 

At that very time, the mighty king, Brihadyumna, of high fortune, who was the Yajamana of Raibhya, commenced a sacrifice. The two sons of Raibhya, Arvavasu and Paravasu, were engaged by that intelligent monarch, to assist him in the performance of the ceremony. Taking the permission of their father, they two went to the sacrifice, while Raibhya with Paravasu's wife remained in the hermitage. It came to pass that one day, desirous of seeing his wife. Paravasu returned home alone. He met his father in the wood, wrapped in the skin of a black antelope. The night was far advanced and dark; and Paravasu, blinded by drowsiness in that deep wood, mistook his father for a straggling deer. Mistaking him for a deer, Paravasu, for the sake of personal safety, unintentionally killed his father. Then, after performing the funeral rites of his father, he returned to the sacrifice and there addressed his brother saying, “You will never be able to perform this task unassisted. I again, have killed our father, mistaking him for a deer. O brother! For me do you observe a vow, prescribed in the case of killing a Brahmana. I shall be able to perform this work without any assistant.”

 

Arvavasu said, “Do you then yourself officiate at this sacrifice of the gifted Brihadyumna; and for you will I, bringing my senses under perfect control, observe the vow prescribed in the case of slaying a Brahmana.”

 

Having observed the vow relative to the killing of a Brahmana, the sage Arvavasu came back to the sacrifice. Seeing his brother arrive, Paravasu, in accents choked with malice, addressed Brihadyumna, saying, “O king! See that this slayer of a Brahmana enter not into your sacrifice, nor look at it. Even by a glance, the killer of a Brahmana can, without doubt, do you harm.”

 

Immediately on hearing this, the king ordered his attendants to turn out Arvavasu. On being driven out by the king's attendants, and repeatedly addressed by them, “O slayer of  a Brahmana!”. Arvavasu more than once cried, “It is not I that have killed a Brahmana. Not did he own that he had observed the vow for his own sake. He said that his brother had committed the sin, and that he had freed him therefrom.” Having said this in anger, and being reprimanded by the attendants, the Brahmana sage of austere penances, retired in silence into the woods. There betaking himself to the severest penances, the great Brahmana sought the protection of the Sun. Thereupon, the revelation teaching the mantra relative to the worship of the Sun, became manifest unto him and that eternal deity who obtains his share of the sacrificial butter first, appeared before him in an embodied form.

 

The celestials were well pleased with Arvavasu for his acts. They made him engaged as the chief priest in the sacrifice of Brihadyumna, and Paravasu to be dismissed from it. Then Agni and the other celestials of their own accord bestowed boons on Arvavasu. They also prayed that his father might be restored to life. He further prayed that his brother might be absolved from his sin; that his father might have no recollection of his having been slain; that Bharadvaja and Yavakri might both be restored to life; and that the solar revelation might attain celebrity on earth. Then the god said, “So be it,” and conferred on him other boons also. Thereat, all of these persons regained their life.

 

Yavakri now addressed Agni and the other deities, saying, “I had obtained a knowledge of all the Vedas, and also practised penances. How came it then that Raibhya succeeded in killing me in that way?”

 

Thereupon the gods said, “O Yavakri! Never act again as those have done. What you ask about is quite possible, for you have learnt the Vedas without exertion, and without the help of a preceptor. But Raibhya bearing various troubles, had satisfied his preceptor by his conduct, and obtained from the latter the excellent Vedas through great exertions and in a long time.”

 

Having said this to Yavakri, and restored all those to life, the celestials with Indra at their head, ascended to heaven.