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UTTAṄKA (UTAṄKA) An ideal disciple of Veda who was the disciple of Āpodadhaumya.
1) Uttaṅka and the Guru's wife.
After entrusting management of the āśrama to Uttaṅka, Veda once went out on a tour of the country, and Uttaṅka stayed in the Āśrama carrying out the instructions of the Guru. Then came the menstrual period of Veda's wife, and his other wives requested Uttaṅka to do the needful, so that the fertile period of their co-wife was not wasted. Uttaṅka's reply to them was as follows:- “Asked by women, I shall not do this improper act; and the preceptor has not asked me to do such a thing though it might be improper.” His Guru, Āpodadhaumya returned to the Āśrama some time after this, and was very pleased to hear about the above incident. He blessed Uttaṅka. [M.B. Ādī Parva, Chapter 3] .
2) His tuition fee.
His education being over, it was now time for Uttaṅka to give due offerings--tuition fee to his guru, and Uttaṅka enquired of the guru as to what he would have by way of dakṣiṇā. The guru asked Uttaṅka to get his wife's instruction in the matter and act accordingly. Because of the aforesaid incident (Uttaṅka not acting on the guru's wife during her menstrual period) she had a grouse against him, and therefore, asked him to bring as his tuition fee the earrings worn by the Kṣatriya wife of King Pauṣa. Uttaṅka set out to procure the ear-rings. On the way he saw an ox, and on its back a big man, who called out to Uttaṅka to eat the excretion of the ox. When Uttaṅka hesitated to do so, the man on the ox asked him again to eat it, pointing out that his guru, Veda, had done it. Then did Uttaṅka consume both the excretion and urine of the ox, and did his oblations, in his perplexed mood, standing. Uttaṅka arrived at the palace of King Pauṣa and told him about the object of his visit. The King agreed to it. But, when Uttaṅka entered the Zenana Pauṣa's Kṣatriya wife could not be seen. When Uttaṅka told the King about this, he remained thoughtful for some time and told the former that he might surely have become impure due to performance of oblations in the wrong manner, and that his wife would not be visible, due to her chastity, to the eyes of such impure folk. Uttaṅka admitted to having, on his way, performed oblations not in the proper manner, and then he sat down facing the east after washing his hands, feet etc. and performed oblation in the correct manner. Then did the wife of King Pauṣa become visible to him, and she, pleased at his humility, handed over her ear-rings to him. She also advised him to be very careful about the earrings as they had once been coveted by Takṣaka, King of the serpents. Bidding adieu to the queen, Uttaṅka saw the King and they sat together to take food. Not only was the rice cold; but a hair was also found in it. Uttaṅka cursed the King and rendered him blind, and the King, in turn, cursed Uttaṅka not to have children. But, both of them became calm quite soon and withdrew their curses. On his way back to the Āśrama with the ear-rings, he had only just stepped into a pool for a wash, when a naked Buddha sannyāsin, who was following him, snatched and ran off with the ear-rings. It was really Takṣaka disguised as the sannyāsin who thus snatched the ear-rings. Uttaṅka chased him and caught him when he assumed his original form of the serpent King and disappeared into a cave. Uttaṅka waited at the mouth of the cave stupefied, when Indra deputed his Vajrāyudha to help Uttaṅka. The Vajrāyudha cut a tunnel-like route to Pātāla from the earth and through the cave Uttaṅka reached Pātāla by this route and found out the palace of Takṣaka. Though Uttaṅka praised and cajoled the Nāgas (serpents) their King Takṣaka did not make his appearance. Uttaṅka saw there two women, who had been weaving clothes, and on one machine there were black and white threads. The machine had one wheel with twelve spokes and was turned by six boys. Also was there a horse, and a man. When Uttaṅka praised them, the horse and the man approached him. The man advised Uttaṅka to blow through the anus of the horse so that the snakes could be brought round. Uttaṅka did so, when lo! from all the pores on the body of the horse, flames of fire began sprouting out. When the Nāgaloka (country of serpents) got thus filled with fire and flames, Takṣaka lost his nerves and came out with the stolen ear-rings, which Uttaṅka received back. But, that was the last day on which the rings had been promised to be given to his guru's wife by Uttaṅka, who remained there gloomy and sorrow-stricken at the thought that he would not be able to travel all the distance before sunset and give the ear-rings to the guru's wife. Then the horseman gave the horse to Uttaṅka, who reached the Āśrama just in time when the guru's wife was about to curse Uttaṅka for not returning with the rings though it was nearly dusk time. Now the guru and his wife blessed Uttaṅka, who detailed to them his experiences since leaving the Āśrama in quest of the ear-rings. Then the guru spoke thus to Uttaṅka--“The two women whom you found engaged in weaving were Dhātā and Vidhātā, the white and black strings, day and night, and the six boys who turned the wheel with twelve spokes were the six seasons. The ox seen by you on the way was Airāvata (Indra's elephant), the horse seen in Pātāla was Agnideva, and the horseman, Indra. The excretion you ate on your way was nectar and that was the reason why you did not die in the Nāgaloka. Indra who is my friend blessed you because of mercy towards you, my disciple. You could bring back the ear-rings also because of Indra's blessings.” Then the guru blessed Uttaṅka and the latter took leave of thim. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 3] .
3) Uttaṅka and Janamejaya's serpent yajña.
Uttaṅka, determined on taking vengeance on Takṣaka, went away directly from the āśrama to Hastināpura, where he met Janamejaya and told him the fact that it was Takṣaka, who had bitten to death Parīkṣit, his (Janamejaya) father. It was thus prompted by Uttaṅka to take revenge upon Takṣaka that Janamejaya performed the serpent yajña. [M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 3] .
4) Uttaṅka and Dhundhumāra.
See under Dhundhumāra.
5) Uttaṅka attained salvation.
Uttaṅka was put up at a place called Ujjālaka. When he became old, he went about visiting many temples. During this tour one day Uttaṅka saw a hunter in the forest called Gulika attempting to steal the golden plates on the dome of the Viṣṇu temple in Sauvīra. Gulika raised his sword to kill Uttaṅka, when he told the former that he would have to suffer the results of sin during many births if he committed a sin. This admonition of Uttaṅka so touched the heart of the hunter that he fell dead on the spot with a repentant heart. Uttaṅka sprinkled Gaṅgā water on the corpse of the hunter, who attained Vaikuṇṭha (abode of Viṣṇu). On the advice of Viṣṇu, Uttaṅka went to Badarī where he did tapas and also attained Vaikuṇṭha. [Nāradīya Purāṇa] . In [Chapters 53-58 of Aśvamedha Parva] of Mahābhārata is related the story of one Uttaṅka muni, under the caption ‘Utaṅkopākhyāna.’ In Mahābhārata (original) he is referred to as Uttaṅka; but in its Malayālam rendering he is called Utaṅka. There are no substantial differences between the story of Uttaṅka and that of Utaṅka, Veda's disciple. But, since, there are differences, in certain aspects some information about the Uttaṅka of the ‘Utaṅkopākhyāna’ is given below-
- 1) General.
Uttaṅka was a disciple of Gautama, the husband of Ahalyā. The guru had more love for Uttaṅka than for his other disciples, and therefore did not permit the latter to leave the Āśrama even after the other disciples were sent away. Uttaṅka became old; wrinkles attacked his body and greyness his head.
2) Tuition fee (Gurudakṣiṇā).
Uttaṅka once returned from the woods with firewood, in a very tired condition. The daughter of the guru shed tears at the sight. Gautama called Uttaṅka to him and asked him about the cause of his grief and sorrow. Uttaṅka replied that the hairs on his head turned grey on account of sorrow that he was not permitted to leave the Āśrama although it was hundred years since he had gone there first as disciple. Then Gautama permitted Uttaṅka to quit the Āśrama. Uttaṅka asked Gautama what he should offer as tuition fee. Gautama consulted his wife on the topic and she suggested as tuition fee the two ear-rings of gems worn by the wife of King Saudāsa, who used to eat the flesh of man. Immediately Uttaṅka set out to fetch the ear-rings and on his way met Saudāsa in the forest, and told the latter about his mission. Saudāsa tried to eat Uttaṅka, who told him that he was in duty bound to obtain the ear-rings for his guru's wife and that, after fulfilling the mission, he would return to Saudāsa to be eaten up by him. Saudāsa agreed to the proposition. He directed Uttaṅka to his wife Madayantī, who spoke to him thus--“Devas and Maharṣis covet these ear-rings. If I place them on the ground, serpents will steal them; if handed over to Ucchiṣṭa, Yakṣas will steal them, and if the watchman sleeps, Devas will snatch them off. Therefore, you should bring some token for me to believe that you are deputed by my husband.” Accordingly Uttaṅka went back to Saudāsa and returned to his wife with a token from him, and Madayantī handed over her ear-rings to Uttaṅka. Being told by Saudāsa that Uttaṅka need not return again to him, Uttaṅka started for Gautama's āśrama with the ear-rings. Feeling hungry on the way, Uttaṅka tied to the branch of a vilva tree the ear-rings bundled in deer skin and ate vilva fruits. Just then the bundle of deer skin got untied and the ear-rings kept in it fell on the ground. A serpent carried off the rings between its teeth and concealed itself in a mole-hill. Highly grieved and upset by the sight, Uttaṅka fell down from the tree. For 35 days Uttaṅka dug the molehill. Then Indra felt great sympathy for him, appeared on the spot, and passed his Vajrāyudha through the mole-hill. Then the earth burst open and Uttaṅka entered Pātāla through the opening, and a horse, its tail white and the rest of the body black in colour presented itself to him. It asked Uttaṅka to blow through its anus. Uttaṅka did so and the Nāgaloka was filled with flames of fire. (The horse was Agnideva). Then did the serpents return the ear-rings to Uttaṅka, who returned with it to Gautama and presented it to him (Gautama) as tuition fee.
3) Uttaṅka about to curse Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Uttaṅka once went to Dvārakā, and during their talk was about to curse Kṛṣṇa for not attempting to bring about a compromise between the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. At once Kṛṣṇa exhibited his Viśvarūpa (himself as containing the whole universe). Thereupon Uttaṅka saluted Kṛṣṇa, who asked him to request for any boon. He prayed for the boon that water might be made available in any desert he visited. Kṛṣṇa told him that whenever he required water he might successfully think of him.
4) Indra tested Uttaṅka.
Some time afterwards, while roaming about quite thirsty and tired in a desert, Uttaṅka thought about Kṛṣṇa, and at once there appeared before him a naked Caṇḍāla, his body covered with mud. Dogs encircled him. Uttaṅka hesitated to drink the water given to him by this Caṇḍāla, who had some water with him. The Caṇḍāla again insisted on Uttaṅka drinking the water, but he again refused the offer. The caṇḍāla then disappeared with the dogs. Within a few minutes a person with disc, conch, club etc. about him appeared, and Uttaṅka recognised him as Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Uttaṅka told Kṛṣṇa that it was not proper to give water to a brahmin through a caṇḍāla. Kṛṣṇa's reply to this was as follows:--“I asked Indra to give you nectar instead of water, and he argued that it was not proper that men should be given nectar. I pleaded for you again. Indra replied to this that he himself would, in the guise of a caṇḍāla give nectar to you, and he should not be found fault with, if you refused the nectar. I accepted that proposition of his. But, you did not accept nectar thus offered to you. So, you cannot be given nectar now. But, there will appear water-laden clouds in deserts which you traverse, which would be known as ‘Uttaṅka clouds’ and they would give you sweet water. Uttaṅka was pleased, and it is the Uttaṅka clouds, which form as per the above orders of Kṛṣṇa that cause rain to fall, though rarely, in deserts even today.
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