Mahabharata Part 1: Adi Parva - King Parikshit had a son named Janamejaya.
Janamejaya became the king of Hastinapur. He had three brothers: Shrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhimasena.
The curse of Sarama on Janamejaya
One day, all three brothers were performing a sacrifice (yajna). At that very moment, a puppy belonging to Sarama, the celestial dog of the gods, came near the sacrificial area. Janamejaya’s brothers beat the puppy and chased it away.
The puppy ran to its mother Sarama, crying, and told her everything that had happened. Sarama asked her child, “Did you trouble them in any way? Why did they hit you for no reason?”
The puppy replied, “Mother, I did nothing wrong.”
Hearing this, Sarama became both upset and angry. In her anger, she took her puppy and came to the sacrificial area where Janamejaya was present.
Sarama then questioned Janamejaya, “O King, my puppy came here only out of curiosity. It did not do anything wrong. Why did you beat it without any reason?”
Janamejaya and his brothers did not give any answer to Sarama’s question and instead displayed arrogance and indifference.
Angered by this, Sarama cursed Janamejaya and his brothers, saying, “Since you harmed my innocent child, may a great calamity befall you!”
This incident greatly distressed Janamejaya. He completed the sacrifice and returned to Hastinapur.
King Janamejaya met Sage Shrutashrava
One day, Janamejaya went hunting in the forest.
There, he came to know of a sage named Shrutashrava, who was living in an ashram with his son Somashrava, a highly ascetic and wise individual.
Janamejaya told the sage about the curse given by Sarama and requested that Somashrava be sent with him to Hastinapur to help avert the misfortune caused by the curse.
Shrutashrava told Janamejaya: “O King, Somashrava was born from a celestial serpent and me. He is a great ascetic and full of knowledge. He has the power to resolve all your troubles - except those arising from Lord Shiva. He will also give away anything that a Brahmin asks, without hesitation or thought. You must not stop him from doing so. If you agree to these conditions, you may take him with you.”
Janamejaya agreed to all the conditions and brought Somashrava to Hastinapur.
Sage Daumya and his three disciples
In Janamejaya’s kingdom lived a sage named Daumya, who had three disciples: Aruni, Upamanyu, and Veda.
One day, Daumya told Aruni to go and repair a broken embankment in a field.
When Aruni went to the field, he saw that water was leaking from the broken embankment. Despite many efforts, he could not stop the flow of water. In the end, he lay down across the breach, using his own body to block the water.
When he did not return for a long time, Daumya and his other disciples went to look for him. When they reached the field, they saw Aruni lying across the breach and stopping the water flow with his body. Pleased with his dedication, Daumya told him:
“Because you stopped the flow of water by lying across it, you will be known as Uddalaka, and all the Vedas and scriptures will become clear to you.” He blessed him.
Daumya then gave his other disciple Upamanyu the task of tending to the cows. Upamanyu grew strong while performing this duty.
One day, Daumya asked him, “Upamanyu, what are you eating?”
Upamanyu replied, “I tend cows during the day and beg for alms in the evening, which I eat.”
Daumya told him, “A student must offer the alms first to his teacher. That is your duty.”
The next day, Upamanyu gave the alms to his guru, and Daumya ate all of it without leaving any for Upamanyu. This happened for several days.
Despite not eating, Upamanyu remained strong and healthy. Daumya, puzzled, asked, “Even though you give me all your food, how are you still healthy?”
Upamanyu replied, “I beg for alms a second time and eat that food.”
Daumya said, “That is like taking food meant for another student. It is wrong.”
Upamanyu agreed and stopped doing that.
Still, he remained strong. When asked again, he said, “I drink the milk from the cows while tending them.”
Daumya said, “That is wrong too - you are stealing milk meant for calves.”
Later, when asked again, Upamanyu said, “I live by eating the foam that comes out when calves drink milk.”
Daumya replied, “That too is wrong - the calves give that foam as an offering, and taking it is a serious sin.”
With no other way to satisfy his hunger, Upamanyu started eating the leaves of the ekka tree (Calotropis). This made him blind, and he accidentally fell into a well.
When he didn’t return for a long time, Daumya went looking for him and called out loudly.
From the bottom of the well, Upamanyu answered, “Guruji, I’m here in the well. I lost my vision after eating ekka leaves and fell in.”
Daumya, filled with compassion, told him, “Child, pray to the Ashwini gods and ask for your sight to be restored.”
Upamanyu did so. The Ashwini gods appeared and gave him a medicinal sweet, saying that it would restore his eyesight.
But Upamanyu replied, “O Gods, I cannot eat what you offer without first offering it to my guru.”
The Ashwini gods said, “Even your guru once ate our offering without giving it to his guru. You can do the same.”
But Upamanyu was not influenced by their words and refused to eat the offering without his guru’s permission.
Impressed by his devotion and discipline, the Ashwini gods blessed him and restored his sight.
Upamanyu climbed out of the well and saluted his guru. Daumya blessed him, saying, “May all the Vedas and scriptures be revealed to you.”
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