Story of Vipula

A hermit who was born in the dynasty of Bhṛgu. There is a story showing how this hermit protected the wife of his teacher from Indra while he was the disciple of the hermit Devaśarmā, in Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 40. The story is given below: Ruci, the wife of the hermit Devaśarmā, was extremely beautiful. Devaśarmā was aware of the fact that Indra had often looked at his wife with covetous eyes. He had to perform a sacrifice. But he feared that if he went away from the hermitage his wife would be carried away by Indra. At last he called his beloved disciple Vipula and revealed the secret to him. The teacher told his disciple that Indra was a libertine as well as a magician and that he would appear in various forms to entice Ruci, and asked him to protect Ruci even at the cost of his life. Then Devaśarmā left the hermitage for the sacrifice.

Vipula followed the wife of his teacher, wherever she went. He feared that Indra might come even unseen by anybody. So he decided to get inside Ruci by supernatural powers of Yoga. He made Ruci to sit in front of him and stare into his eyes and through the rays of her eyes he entered inside her.

Knowing that Devaśarmā had left the hermitage, Indra came in front of Ruci. By the power of Stambhana (suppressing the use of faculties by mantra) Vipula made Ruci stand motionless staring into the face of Indra. She did not give any reply to the questions of Indra. At last Indra looked into Ruci with inward eyes and saw as in a mirror Vipula sitting inside her. With shame Indra left the place instantly.

When the teacher returned on completion of the sacrifice Vipula told him all that had taken place. The teacher was pleased and told his disciple that he might ask for any boon.

He got the boon to be a righteous man throughout his life and left the hermitage.

It was during this period that the marriage of Prabhāvatī, the sister of Ruci, took place. The marriage of Prabhāvatī with Citraratha, the king of Aṅga, was settled. A messenger from Aṅga informed Ruci about it. Then some flowers fell from the sky near Ruci. She wore them and went to the marriage. Prabhāvatī wanted to have the same flowers. Vipula was sent to bring flowers of the same kind. As Vipula was returning with the flowers, he saw two men turning a wheel. Each of them claimed that he had turned more than the other, and quarrelled with each other. One of them pointing at Vipula, said that he who told lies would get what Vipula would undergo in hell. Vipula was worried at hearing this. He proceeded on his journey. He saw six men gambling. One of them pointed at Vipula and said "A false gamester would get what Vipula would get in hell." Being flurried by these two talks, Vipula ran to his teacher to understand its meaning. He went to Campāpurī and saw the teacher and asked him the meaning of what he had heard. The teacher told him, that the two who turned the wheel were day and night and the six who were engaged in gambling were the six Ṛtus (seasons) and that Ṛtus and day and night are witnesses of every sinful act committed any time. Vipula became aware of his sin. While he was staying inside the wife of his teacher, his genital touched her genital and face touched face. He had not told the teacher this. But the teacher said that it need not be considered a sin because the deed was done with no bad intention.