There lived a Rishi called Ayoda
Dhaumya. He had three disciples. Their stories are narrated in the
Mahabharata’s Adi Parva’s third chapter—Paushya Parva—to show the importance of
devotion to the Guru. The three disciples were Upamanyu, Aruni and Ved
Aruni’s
Test:
One day
Aruni was asked by the Guru to water his field so that the cereal crop would
grow well. The water had to be brought into the field through a canal from a
tank which was a little far away. The tank was shallow. Aruni dug the canal,
and water started flowing into the field. Then unfortunately, a breach
developed in one of the bunds of the canal and the water started draining out
and escaping away through the breach, thus stopping the flow of water into the
field. Aruni tried his best to fill up the breach by piling up stones and
filling it with sand, but he could not succeed. The water was going waste and
he was worried as to how to get the field filled with water. Then, he had an
idea. He laid down at the side of the breach, thus blocking it. The water
thereby, started flowing into the field. He remained there in the same position
so that the field would get water fully.
It was
quite late in the night and as the boy did not return home, the Guru was
worried as to what would have happened to him, and he went to the field
searching for him. He was surprised and felt glad to find the field full of
water, which had never happened before, but at the same time, he was worried as
Aruni was nowhere in sight. He called out loudly, “Aruni! Aruni!”. From the
waters of the canal Aruni replied in a feeble voice, “Gurudeo! I am here.” The
Guru reached to him and pulled him out.Aruni fell prostrate at the Guru’s feet
and offered his obeisance to him. The Guru was touched by the boy’s unselfish
devotion to him and placing his hand on the boy’s head, blessed him saying,
“May you become proficient and gain mastery in all Vedas and the Shastra.” No
sooner than the Guru said this, Aruni became fully enlightened and all
knowledge dawned on him in a flash.
Upamanyu’s
Test:
Here’s
the account of Upamanyu’s Guru Seva & Bhakti. Upamanyu was also a very
devoted disciple, but he had an habit of over eating. The Guru wanted to curb
this habit of his of over indulgence with food. The Guru gave Upamanyu the task
of looking after his herd of cattle.
The
grazing grounds were far away. Upamanyu used to leave home early in the morning
along with the herd and used to come back late evening. During this time, he
was supposed to eat a very little food that the Guru used to give him. However,
being unable to control his hunger, he used to beg alms from the nearby houses.
The Guru finding the boy still fat, asked him what he was eating in the
afternoons. Upamanyu told him that he was begging alms and eat it. The Guru
said he should not eat it, but bring it to him and eat only whatever he (the
Guru) gave him. Upamanyu started doing what the Guru said. But, as he was
feeling very hungry in the afternoon, he started drinking the remnants of the
milk from the cows’ udders. The Guru prohibited that too.
Upamanyu
became very much emaciated for the lack of food. Unable to bear the hunger, one
day, seeing some milk-like sap exude from the plant, he drank it. It was
poisonous and it affected his eye nerves and made him blind. While driving the
cattle home in the evening, he couldn’t find the way due to his lost eyesight
and he fell into a well. As he did not reach home, Dhaumya rishi went searching
for him calling out his name. When Upamanyu answered the Guru saw his disciple
fallen into the well. He pulled him out. After hearing the entire story, the
Guru moved by his truthful and implicit obedience. He asked him to chant the
invocation-mantra to the Ashwini Devatas. After chanting the mantra, Upamanyu
instantly regained his sight. He also received scriptural knowledge and wisdom
with Guru’s blessings. Later, he became a most renowned Rishi. He became guru
to great shishya like Udanka who presided over the Great Serpent Sacrifice of
King Janamejaya, which brought even Indra down from the Heaven, along with his throne
towards the sacrificial fire. It is also said that Udanka, soon after
completing his discipleship, obtained from Adisesha in Patala, the latter’s ear
kundalas, and brought and offered them as the Guru Dakshina to his Guru
Upamanyu.
Veda’s
Test:
Guru
asked Ved to till the land, sow the seeds, raise the crop and take all care
till harvesting was complete and the grains were safely brought home. Ved
worked hard on the field, day in and day out, without wasting a single moment,
and sparing no pains. Due to his relentless efforts, the crop came out very
well and yielded a very rich harvest. Ved loaded the grains on the cart and
started to drive the cart to the Guru’s house. The load was too heavy and the
bullock was unable to draw the cart. Ved was also trying to pull the cart along
with the bullock. Unfortunately, the bullock got stuck up in the mire and the
cart’s wheels also sank deep down in the mud. Ved let the bullock free and
started with all his strength to push the cartwheels and make the cart move. In
the process, he almost lost his breath and was about to collapse. Dhaumya Rishi
was coming to see how Ved was faring with the collection of the harvest. On the
way, he saw the heavily loaded cart and Ved. But alas he found Ved tottering on
his feet and collapsing almost on the verge of death. The Guru was very much
moved with his selfless and steadfast devotion. He pulled Ved out of the mire
and placed his right hand on his head, which immediately revived him. Not only
that, Ved also received total enlightenment and knowledge with the blessed
touch of the Guru.
Moral
of the Story:
The story
of Dhaumya Rishi and his three disciples teaches several important lessons:
1.
Obedience and
Faithfulness: The disciples
unwavering obedience to their guru, despite the challenges they faced,
highlights the importance of faithfully following a teacher's guidance. Their
devotion and respect for the guru were key to their spiritual growth.
2.
Sacrifice and
Dedication: The willingness of Aruni
to sacrifice his comfort and safety, and Upamanyu’s endurance of hunger and
blindness, demonstrate the level of dedication required for spiritual progress.
True learning often involves sacrifice and enduring hardships.
3.
Perseverance
and Patience: Veda’s perseverance in
the face of difficulties shows that patience and persistence are essential
virtues in the spiritual path. Enduring challenges with a positive attitude
leads to eventual success and blessings.
4.
Guru’s
Blessings: The story underscores the
significance of the guru's blessings in a disciple’s life. The disciples'
sincere efforts and obedience earned them their guru’s blessings, which in turn
granted them wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual power.
5. Humility: Despite their challenges and sufferings, the disciples remained humble and did not question their guru’s decisions. This humility was integral to their spiritual elevation
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