|
 Whatever we may have
achieved should be safeguarded from the beast called pride. For this is a
sure poison which kills every proud man and strips him of his happiness and
sometimes, as in this story, even of his life.
Lomasa continued his
narration to the Pandavas: Yavakrida, in course of time with Indra's
blessings, became learned in the Vedas. He grew conceited with the thought
that Indra's boon had made him learned. Sage Bharadwaja, probably foreseeing
his son's doom, warned him of the consequences of slighting Raibhya and his
sons, Paravasu and Arvavasu. But all this fell on ears that had gone deaf
blocked with pride.
One lovely spring day
Paravasu's wife, a very beautiful woman, was strolling close to the
hermitage of Raibhya. Yavakrida was passing by when he saw her. Just as his
father had anticipated, his pride had turned to disrespect for the sage
Raibhya and his sons. A beastly passion overcame him and he was unable to
restrain his senses. He forced her to a lonely spot and violated her person
as a ravenous beast would.
When Raibhya returned to
his hermitage, he found his daughter-in-law inconsolably weeping and broken
hearted. When Raibhya learnt of the shameful and beastly act that had been
perpetrated against her, he was outraged. He plucked a hair from his locks
and, reciting a mantra, flung it into the fire. Out emerged a maiden as
beautiful as his daughter-in-law. He flung in another hair and created a
beast. He commanded them both to kill Yavakrida.
As Yavakrida was performing
his morning rites, the female spirit allured him to distraction and carried
off his water-jug. The monster then rushed upon him with a spear. Yavakrida
could dispel of with the beast with certain mantras but he needed to cleanse
himself with water in order that his mantras be fruitful. Finding his jug
gone, he ran to a pond, but found it dry. He ran to a stream nearby, but
that too dried up at his approach. Fleeing for his life, he sought refuge in
his father's sacrificial hall. The half-blind guard could not recognise
Yavakrida's face, distorted with fear as it was. Even as Yavakrida was
trying to force his way in, the beast struck him with the spear.
Yavakrida met with a
gruesome end! |
