मण्डूकमन्दविषसर्प कथा -- The Frog And The Snake Named Mandavisa

MKP June 26, 2022

अपमानं पुरस्कृत्य मानं कृत्वा तु पृष्ठतः ।

स्वार्थमभ्युद्धरेत्प्राज्ञः स्वार्थभ्रंशो हि मूर्खता ॥

स्कन्धेनापि वहेच्छत्रुं कालमासाद्य बुद्धिमान् ।

वहता कृष्णसर्पेण मण्डूका विनिपातिताः ॥

अस्ति वरुणाद्रिसमीपे एकस्मिन् प्रदेशे परणितवया मन्दविषो नाम कृष्णसर्पः । स एवं चित्ते सञ्जिन्तितवान् -- "कथं नाम मया सुखोपायवृत्त्या वर्तितवयम्" इति । ततो बहुमण्डूकं हृदमुपगम्याधृतिपरीतमिवात्मानं दर्शितवान । अथ तथास्थिते तस्मिन्नुदकप्रान्तगतेनैकेन मण्डूकेन पृष्टः -- "माम ! किमद्य यथापूर्वमाहारार्थं न विहरसि ?"

सोऽब्रवीत् -- "भद्र ! कुतो मे मन्दभाग्यस्याहाराभिलाषः ! यत्कारणम् -- अद्य रात्रौ प्रदोषे एव मयाहारार्थं विहरमाणेन दृष्ट एको मण्डूकः । तद् ग्रहणार्थं मया क्रमः सञ्चितः । सोऽपि मां दृष्ट्वा मृत्युभयेन स्वाध्यायप्रसक्तानां ब्राह्मणानामन्तरपक्रान्तो न विभावितो मया क्वापि गतः । तत्सदृशमोहितचित्तेन मया कस्यचिद् ब्राह्मणसूनोर्हृदतटजलान्तःस्थोऽङ्गुष्ठो दष्टः । ततोऽसौ सपदि पञ्चत्वमुपागतः ।

अथ तस्य पित्रा दुःखितेनाहं शप्तो यथा -- "दुरात्मन् ! त्वया निरपराधो मत्सुतो दष्टः । तदनेन दोषेण त्वं मण्डूकानां वाहनं भविष्यसि । तत्प्रसादलब्धजीविकया च वर्त्तिष्यसे" इति । ततोऽहं युष्माकं वाहनार्थमागतोऽस्मि ।

तेन स सर्वमण्डूक नामिदमावेदितम् । ततस्तैः प्रहृष्टमनोभिः सर्वैरेव गत्वा जलपादनाम्नो दर्दुरराजस्य विज्ञप्तम् । अथासावपि मन्त्रिपरिवृतोऽत्यद्भुतमिदमिति मन्यमानः ससम्भ्रमं हृदादुत्तीर्य मन्दविषस्य फणिनः फणप्रदेशमधिरूढः । शेषा अपि यथा ज्येष्ठं ततेपृष्ठोपरि समारूरूहुः । किं बहुना, तदुपरि स्थानमप्राप्तवन्तस्तस्यानुपदं धावन्ति ।

मन्दविषोऽपि तेषां तुष्टयर्थमनेकप्रकारानं गतिविशेषानदर्शयत् । अथ जलपादो लब्धतदसङ्गसंस्पर्शंसुखस्तमाह --

"न तथा करिणा यानं तुरगेण रथेन वा ।

नरयानेन नावा वा यथा मन्दविषेण मे ॥"

अथाऽन्येद्यर्मन्दविषश्छद्मना मन्दं-मन्दं विसर्पति । तञ्च दृष्ट्वा, जलपादोब्रवीत् -- "भद्र मन्दविष ! यथापूर्व किमद्य साधु नोह्यते ?" । मन्दविषोऽब्रवीत् -- "देव ! अद्याहारवैकयान्न मे वोढुं शक्तिरस्ति ।" अथासाब्रवीत् -- " भद्र ! भक्ष्य क्षुद्रमषडुकान् । तच्छ्रुत्वा प्रहर्षितलर्वगात्रो मन्दविषः ससम्भ्रमभ्रवीत् -- " ममायमेव विप्रशापोऽस्ति । तत्तवानेनानुज्ञावचनेन प्रीतोऽस्मि ।"

ततोऽसौ नैरन्तर्येण मण्डूकान् भक्षयन् कतिपयैरहोभिर्बलवान् संवृत्तः । प्रहृष्टश्चानतर्लीनमवहस्येदमब्रवीत् --

"मण्डूका विविधास्वादाश्छलपूर्वोपसाधिताः ।

क्यन्तं कालभक्षीणा भवेयुः खादतो मम् ॥"

By compromising self respect and boldly facing dishonour

one can fulfil many a mission. Man's stupidity lies in

protecting self-respect and fearing dishonour to an extreme

and thereby damaging himself. If the situation demands,

then one can even carry one's enemy on the back. By

carrying his enemies on his back at the right time, the

snake killed all the frogs.

In the region of the Varunaadri mountain lived an old snake by the name of Mandvish. One day he was wondering if there could be a way so that he can live life without making much effort. He reached upon an idea and then went to a lake full of frogs and moved about hither and thither restlessly. Watching him thus, a frog sitting near the lake asked-- "Uncle! You are not busy looking for food as you have been in the past?"

The snake replied,"Dear, unfortunate that I am, where is the will to eat? During the thirteenth of the fortnight, I started out in search of food. Looking for food I finally found a frog. I was planning to catch him but he saw me. He was scared for his life and ran away into a group of brahmins who were busy in their study. I did not see the frog again. He went away elsewhere. I did not realize that he had gone and in the confusion I bit into the thumb of the son of a brahmin. The boy had entered the water at the shore for a bath. Due to my bite, he did instantaneously.

Hence, the grieving father of the boy cursed me, "Wicked ! you killed my son without any reason. For this act of yours I curse you that you will carry frogs on your body and that will be your livelihood from now." Accordingly, I have come to be a vehicle for you people.

The frog heard the narration of the snake and told other frogs about it. The frogs then conveyed it to their king Jalpaad. Jalpaad heard the amazing information and was very happy in his heart. He immediately climbed the hood of the snake and all the other frogs also climbed the snake. In fact, the frogs who could not climb the snake started running with him.

The snake, Mandvish, with the intention of pleasing the frogs, started moving in different styles. On feeling the slippery skin of the snake, the king frog, Jalpaad, was exclaimed happily,

"Neither elephant, horse, chariot, humans,

nor boat, could give me so much pleasure

as the snake."

The next day the clever snake started moving slowly. Watching him move slowly, Jalpaad asked, "Dear Mandvish, why are you are not moving fast as before?". Mandvish replied, "My Lord, I have not eaten today and I don't have the strength to move ahead." On hearing this, Jalpaad said, "Friend, then you may eat some small frogs." Mandvish was happy to hear this and expressing his gratitude he said, "Lord, the brahmin had given the same curse. Your command has made me very grateful and happy."

By eating the frogs daily, in a few days time the snake became very strong. With great joy in his heart, he said,

"These tasty frogs, are available to me with just

a little deception. If I keep on eating them,

still they will last long. Thus, my food is now

ensured for a long time."