34. YAVAKRIDA'S END :

YAVAKRIDA studied the Vedas and
became learned. He grew vain with the
thought that he had acquired the
knowledge of the Vedas through the boon
of Indra and not through human tutelage.



Bharadwaja did not like this and feared
that his son might ruin himself by
slighting Raibhya. He thought it necessary
to warm him. "The gods," he said, "grant
boons to foolish people who persistently
practise penances, as intoxicants are sold
to fools for money. They lead to loss of
self-control, and this leads to the warping
of the mind and utter destruction." He
illustrated his advice by the ancient tale,
which is given below.



In olden times there was a celebrated sage
named Baladhi. He had a son whose
untimely death plunged him into grief. So,
be practised rigorous penance to get a son
who would never meet with death.



The gods told the sage that this could
never be, for the human race was
necessarily mortal, and there need must be
a limit to human life. They asked him to
name his own limit.



The sage replied: "In that case grant that
the life of my son may persist as long as
that mountain lasts." The boon was
granted to him and he was duly blessed
with a son named Medhavi.



Medhavi grew conceited at the thought
that he was safe from death forever, since
he would live as long as the mountain
existed, and he behaved with arrogance
towards all.



One day, this vain man showed disrespect
to a great sage named Dhanushaksha. At
once that sage cursed that he might be
turned to ashes, but the curse took no
effect on Medhavi who remained in
perfect health.



Seeing this, the high-souled sage was
puzzled and then remembered the gift
Medhavi had been endowed with at birth.
Dhanushaksha took the form of a wild
buffalo and by the power of his penances
butted at the mountain and broke it to
pieces and Medhavi fell down dead.



Bharadwaja concluded the story with this
solemn warning to his son: "Learn
wisdom from this old story. Be not ruined
by vanity. Cultivate self-restraint. Do not
transgress the limits of good conduct and
do not be disrespectful to the great
Raibhya."



It was springtime. The trees and creepers
were beautiful with flowers and the whole
forest was gorgeous with color and sweet
with the song of birds.



The very earth seemed to be under the
spell of the god of love. Paravasu's wife
was strolling alone in the garden near the
hermitage of Raibhya. She appeared more
than human, in the sweet union in her of
beauty, courage and purity.



At that time Yavakrida came there and
was so overwhelmed by her loveliness
that he completely lost his sense and selfcontrol
and became as a ravening beast
with lust.



He accosted her and taking brutal
advantage of her fear and shame and
bewilderment, he dragged her to a lonely
pot and violated her person.



Raibhya returned to his hermitage. He saw
his daughter in-law weeping, brokenhearted
and inconsolable and learning of
the shameful outrage perpetrated on her,
he was seized with implacable anger. He
plucked a hair from his bead and offered it
to the fire reciting a mantra.
At once, a maiden, as beautiful as his
daughter-in-law, emerged from the
sacrificial fire.



The sage plucked another hair from his
knotted lock and offered it as oblation. A
terrible ghost rose from the fire. The sage
commanded them to kill Yavakrida. Both
of them bowed to the order.



While Yavakrida was performing the
morning rites, the female spirit went near
him and with smiles and allurements put
him off his guard and as she ran away
with his water-jug, the male ghost rushed
on him with uplifted spear.



Yavakrida stood up in fear. Knowing that
his mantras would be of no avail until he
cleansed himself with water, he looked for
his water-jug. When he found it missing,
he rushed to a pond for water but the pond
was dry. He went to nearby stream, which
also dried up at his approach.
There was no water for him anywhere.



The terrible fiend pursued him
everywhere and Yavakrida fled for his
life, with the demon hot on his heels. His
sin had consumed the power of his vigils
and fasts. At last, he sought refuge in the
sacrificial hall of his father.



The half-blind man who was guarding the
hermitage stopped him as be could not
recognise Yavakrida as, distorted with
mortal fear, he sought to force his way in.
Meanwhile, the fiend overtook him and
killed him with his spear.



When Bharadvaja returned to his
hermitage, he came upon his son's corpse
and concluded that disrespect to Raibhya
must have led to this cruel fate.



"Alas! My child, you died of your pride
and vanity. Was it not a great mistake that
you tried to learn the Vedas in a way not
resorted to by any brahmana? Why did
you behave so as to be cursed thus? May
Raibhya, who caused the death of my only
son, be himself killed by one of his sons!"
Thus, carried away by rage and grief the
sage cursed Raibhya.



Regaining control soon, he exclaimed in
anguish: "Alas! They alone are blessed
who have no sons. I have not only lost my
only son, but in the madness of my grief I
have also cursed my friend and
companion. What is the use of continuing
my life?" He cremated his son's body and
died by throwing himself on the funeral
pyre.