Skip to main content

SAUTI IN SOUNAK’S ASHRAM

                                                                                                                                                                                  
 Maharshi Sounak had an ashrama in the forest of Naimisha.The learned sage there conducted a yagna which went on  for twelve long years.Quite a few great and learned men of those times accompanied him in that sacred ritual.
  One fine morning, as the day’ s schedule was over , there arrived Sauti, the son of Lomharshan. Sauti had travelled far and wide and had the gift of the gab. He had heard the story of the Mahabharata from Vaishampayan at the Snake-sacrifice ceremony.He even visited Samantapanchak –the place where the fierce battle between the Pandavas and the kauravas was fought. When he came to know about the elite gathering at the asrama he decided to pay a visit.
On his arrival he saw the rishis there.They gathered around him and asked him his whereabouts.
He proposed to offer his art in front of them---that of storytelling—and the saints readily expressed their desire to hear the tales of the Mahabharata composed by Vyasdeva,.  Vaisampayan had recited  those stories in  the Snake-sacrifice ceremony of king Janmejaya where this particular young man,Sauti was present.
Sauti thus began the tale.  
He said----when the world was submerged in total darkness there came into being an egg which contained the seed of life. Lord Brahma emerged from this egg and soon the others followed.Water, the heavens, the earth and the sky,the years and seasons,day and night---everything was created from that egg.In short the entire universe came into being then.
Human kind found its place on earth.
It was the moral duty of saints to teach humankind the art of living and rishi Vyasa performed exactly this duty.He composed the Mahabharata. After having compiled all the verses he began to worry his head out--- who would help him to spread this light of knowledge among his disciples? At that  moment Lord Brahma came to his rescue.He appointed Lord Ganesha as the writer of his book. So Vyasa started his narration and Ganesha took up pen and paper to record the verses.
The word spread soon that an epic has been composed. People became curious. Now Vyasdeva could not be easily persuaded to reveal his creation.
After repeated requests from raja Janmejaya and other brahmanas   Vyasdeva gave permission to his disciple Vaisampayan to recite the Mahabharata in their presence.
       Sauti was present at that snake sacrifice ceremony where the story was narrated.He now passed on this divine knowledge to these group of ascetics.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

STORIES OF ARUNI,UPAMANYU AND VEDA

Ayoda-Dhaumya was a contemporary sage who had three disciples named Upamanyu,Aruni, and Veda.The disciples resided in his hermitage and performed the various tasks that were assigned to them. One fine day,the rishi came to know about a paddy field where a sudden breach of a water course was causing havoc.He  asked Aruni of Panchala to go and stop the flow. Aruni left immediately for the field and on reaching there he saw that he couldn’t stop it by any ordinary means.He was distressed as he didn't want to let down his master. So he went down  and lied down prostrate on the ground,and thus the water was confined. After quite  some time Ayoda-Dhaumya became aware of Aruni’s absence.When he enquired about Aruni,his other disciples reminded him of the errand that the boy had been send for.The guru instantly reached the field along with his disciples to see what the matter was.He cried out for Aruni.On hearing his master’s voice Aruni came out running from  the water...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE STORY OF JANMEJAYA

Janmejaya, along with his three brothers was attending a yajna on the plains of Kurushkhetra.There arrived the offspring of the celestial bitch, Sarama. Belaboured by the brothers of Janmejaya, it went crying to its mother. The mother was infuriated. She went to the brothers and asked them,”Why did u hurt my son without any fault of his?’’ ‘’He neither  looked at your sacrifical butter nor did he touch it with his tongue.’’The brothers had no answer. Possessed by pain and anger she said,’’As you have beaten my son who hadn’t committed any fault so evil will come upon you when you least expect it.’’ Janmejaya was shocked.After the yajna was over,he returned to Hastinapura. There he began to search for a saint who could do away with the effect of the curse. One day,while he was in a hunting expedition,he came across the hermitage of rishi Srutasrava. He had a son named Somasrava who was ascetically devoted,accomplished in the study of the Vedas,and was born of a she snake who h...
Post a Comment
Read more

UTANKA AND THE TAKSHAKA-2

Utanka decided to avenge the vile act of the Takshaka. He reached Hastinapur and met King Janmejaya .The king had just returned victorious from Takshasila . Celebration was in the air. Utanka seized the opportunity. He said,’’You are the mightiest of all the monarchs  that have ever lived. How come you are spending your time in mere merry and mirth when such a grave issue is looming large on your head?’’. He acknowledged,’’Yes, I was carried away,please tell me revered Brahmana, what is the call of the day?’’Utanka replied,’’ Go and avenge the death of your benevolent father, King Parikshita who was bitten without any reason by the vile serpent –Takshaka. The wicked fellow also drove away the physician,Kasyapa,who was coming to help your father.’’ Utanka went on,’’Conduct the snake –sacrifice yajna and let the wretch burn in blazing fire. Your father’s death would be avenged this way and I would be pleased too as the Takshaka had given be enough trouble.’’ The king was overcome...
Post a Comment
Read more