Chapter 85 - The Story of Cyavana, Kuñjala and Divyādevī

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vena said:

1-2. O venerable lord of gods, through your grace towards me, you have told me about the sacred place (in the form of) a wife, so also about the excellent holy place (in the form of) the father and (in the form) of the mother, giving great religious merit. Being gracious to me (now) tell me about the holy place (in the form) of the preceptor.

The Lord said:

3-10. O king, I shall tell you about the matchless holy place (in the form) of the preceptor, which is declared as the remover of all sins and the giver of happiness to the disciples, which being of the nature of ancient Dharma (i.e. religious merit) gives great virtue to the disciples, which is the highest sacred place, highest knowledge giving a visible fruit, (and) O lord of kings, by whose favour (the disciple) gets the fruit here (i.e. in this world) only; and O lord of kings, by the favour of the glorious preceptor he enjoys happiness and would obtain glory and fame in the next world. O prince, (by the preceptor’s favour) the disciples actually see the three worlds along with the mobile and the immobile, so also the dealings and practices of the people. A disciple obtains wisdom and goes to salvation. As the sun illumines all the worlds, so the teacher enlightens his disciples and is the best refuge of them. O best king, the king Soma (i.e. the Moon) would shine at night only, and would keep a watch over the mobile and the immobile. O best king, a lamp would illumine a multitude (of objects) in the house, and would dispel the entire dense and impure darkness.

11-15a. O you very intelligent one, the preceptor, the light of the disciples, illumines a pupil, covered with the darkness of ignorance by means of the light of instruction. The sun shines by day, the moon at night, a lamp shines in the house, always dispelling darkness. The lamp shines at night in the house (and illumines it, but) the preceptor always enlightens the disciples. The preceptor would destroy all his darkness called ignorance. Therefore, O lord of the earth, the preceptor is the highest holy place for the disciples. Realising this, a disciple should always worship the preceptor, full of merit, by means of three kinds of acts (i.e. bodily acts, mental acts and words).

15b-29. O brāhmaṇa, for this purpose (i.e. to illustrate this), an old account, removing all sins, is reported; it is told about the glorious Cyavana. The best sage Cyavana was born in the family of Bhārgava. O best king, once a thought arose in his (mind): ‘When shall I be endowed with knowledge on the earth?’ The best sage, longing for knowledge, would always think day and night. When he was thus reflecting, he had a thought: ‘I shall go on a pilgrimage, giving the desired fruit.’ Leaving his house and field and his wife, son and wealth, he roamed over the earth in course of a pilgrimage. O king, he went on a pilgrimage in the direction of the flow of the Ganges. Under the pretext of a pilgrimage (i.e. as a pilgrim), that lord of sages visited the holy places (on the banks) of Narmadā, Sarasvatī, and all (other) rivers like Godāvarī, and (on the shore) of the ocean and all other sacred places, so also places of deities and places having auspicious characteristics, O best king. The body of who was wandering over (i.e. visiting) best holy places, became pure (and lustrous) like the sun’s lustre. Cyavana, with his mind purified by this act, shone with lustre. While wandering he (once) came to the best holy place on the right bank of Narmadā, called Amarakaṇṭaka. (There) he saw a great Phallus (of Śiva), giving happiness to all. Then he saluted, eulogised, and worshipped the great lord Siddhanātha, then he saw (i.e. visited) Jvāleśvara, then Amareśvara, Brahmeśa, Kapileśa and the best Mārkaṇḍeśa. Having thus finished his pilgrimage he then came to Oṃkāra. Having resorted to the cool shade of a bunyan tree, removing fatigue, the brāhmaṇa Cyavana, the son of Bhṛgu, remained there comfortably. There he then heard a note given out by a bird, which was full of divine speech and spiritual and worldly knowledge.

30-38. There was a parrot (on the tree) who lived there for a long time. His name was Kuñjala; he was religious-minded and had four sons and a wife. He had four sons who delighted their father (i.e. him). O lord of kings, I shall tell you their names: The eldest one was Ujjvala; the second was Samujjvala; the third was Vijjvala, and the fourth was Kapiñjala. Thus, O very intelligent one, that meritorious parrot Kuñjala had four sons, who were very much devoted to their father and mother. Being disturbed and oppressed by hunger, they together roamed in the arbours of mountains and islands. O best king, they satiated the hunger in their bellies with agreeable fruits like nectar and with water sweet like nectar. The good sons gave a ripe juicy fruit to the couple (i.e. their parents), and carefully put (aside some) fruits (for them). Being contented, the glorious ones, full of devotion, procured food for their mother, (then) ate and recited. All of them engaged in sports, played and amused themselves there. Knowing (when it was) evening time they well (i.e. without fail) came to their father, after carefully having brought food for him (and their mother).

39-46a. When that noble brāhmaṇa Cyavana was watching all the (four) birds came to the very beautiful nest of their father. O you very intelligent one, they saluted both their father and mother. Having obtained food for the two (i.e. their parents), they stood by them. O king, all the best sons esteemed by their father and mother tenderly talked words full of love (to them). They also (fanned) with the cool wind from their wings their father and mother. O king, the two birds, having applauded with blessings, their good sons, nourished them. They too gave them very rich food resembling nectar. O best brāhmaṇa, the two just loved them (i.e. the sons) very much. The two, resorting to their own abode, with their minds pleased through happiness, drank pure water produced (i.e. procured) from crores of holy places, told a divine, very meritorious tale, destroying sins.

Viṣṇu said:

46b. The (eldest) son Ujjvala was (once) asked by his father Kuñjala:

47. “O my son, where had you gone today? What wonderful agreeable (event) did you see or hear there? Tell me that, my son.”

48. Having heard the words of Kuñjala, his father, that Ujjvala, with his neck (i.e. head) bent down with devotion, replied:

49a. He saluted him with his head (bent down) and told him a pleasing story.

Ujjvala said:

49b-61. O you glorious one, O you very intelligent one, everyday I go to the Plakṣa island even with strenuous effort, for food. O great king, in the Plakṣa island there are many countries, mountains, rivers, parks, forests and lakes, so also villages and cities enjoyed by people. Those people are always contented, are endowed with charity, piety and muttering (of sacred hymns) and possess faith, and live happily. O great king, in the Plakṣa island lived Divodāsa, who was of a pious mind and was righteous. He had a matchless daughter, endowed with virtues and beauty, of a good character, charming and auspicious, known by the name Divyādevī and was incomparable in beauty on the earth. The father saw (i.e. noticed) her to be faring well with beauty and youth. She, the charming and auspicious one, was in the prime of youth. That Divodāsa, seeing his daughter Divyādevī, thought: ‘To which noble, good groom should she be given?’ (Then) the best king, having considered, thought of the king of Rūpadeśa, and the king invited him and the noble one gave his daughter to the intelligent Citrasena. O king, on the occasion of his marriage, when the right moment of the marriage came, Citrasena died due to fated time. The religious-minded king Divodāsa thought (to himself). The son of a king invited good brāhmaṇas and asked them: “At the time of her marriage Citrasena expired. Tell me what her fate will be.”

The brāhmaṇas said:

62-66a. O king, the marriage of an unmarried daughter is seen to be performed according to the sacred injunctions. Her husband may die; if not, he will have union with her; (but) being stricken with great malady or physical disease he may abandon her and go; or he may become a recluse. This is what is seen in the religious works. Wise men get married their unmarried daughter(s). As long as she does not menstruate (i.e. does not attain puberty), another groom is enjoined for her. The father should certainly get her married according to the sacred injunctions. Thus, O king, the wise men have stated the sacred rules. Get her married.

Thus told the best brāhmaṇas.

Ujjvala said:

66b-70. Virtuous Divodāsa, the great king, prompted by the words of the brāhmaṇas, made preparations for the (his daughter’s) marriage, O king. O best brāhmaṇa, he gave away Divyādevī (in marriage) to that virtuous and glorious king, Rūpasena. At the (time of) the marriage the lord of the earth (i.e. Rūpasena) died. Whenever Divyādavī (was married) her husband, a king, invariably died when the proper time for marriage had arrived. O father, twenty-one husbands died (like this) time after time. Then the king (Divodāsa) of a well-known valour became very unhappy.

71-76. Having thought (this) over, the lord of the earth, called his ministers, and having held consultations with them, decided (to arrange) a self-choice marriage (for her). The glorious one invited the kings of Plakṣadvīpa. Those kings, who were greatly devoted to religion, who were invited to the self-choice marriage, being deluded by her beauty and prompted by death, foolishly fought (among themselves) and died on the battlefield. Thus O father, there was the destruction of the noble kṣatriyas. Divyādevī, being very much afflicted with grief, went to a cave in the forest. That virtuous young maiden Divyādevi wept piteously. O father, thus I witnessed (this) wonderful sight there. Then, O father, tell me its cause in detail.