2023-02-26 04:07:30 by ambuda-bot
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SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
15
in person, took her to (an agrahāra on) the banks of the river
Godāvarī where her son Vararuci was born. When Vararuci
was five years old, two Brahmans, Vyāḍi and Indradatta, hap-
pened to halt at his house. The boy Vararuci who had gone to
witness a dance returned home late in the night. The mother
got angry and asked him to show her all that he had seen.
The boy enacted the entire performance exactly as he had
seen it. The two Brahmans were astonished and found in
Vararuci the precocious boy they had been seeking. Then
Vyādi related his story to the boy's mother:
(Av. Sāra IV. 21-27; Av. pp. 179-80)
Story of Vyadi
'Good Lady, I am a Brahman named Vyādi, son of
Bhānu. I was the only son of my parents and pet of my
mother; my father did not put me to education and
married me to a beautiful girl (named Brahmadā).
Once when I was painting her foot with unguent, a hermit
came to my house begging for alms. He looked at my wife
and smiled, and she in her turn smiled at him and gave him
alms. When I pressed her to tell me what made them smile at
each other, she said: 'I was a rat in my former birth and was
brought up by this holy man. One day, he started on a pilgrim-
age to the river Ganga and I entered into his bag stealthily.
When he began to bathe, a hawk took me by the beak but
dropped me into the river. In consequence of my death in
the holy waters (and devotion to the ascetic) I am now born
in a Brahman family. The hermit remembered my past; and
seeing your affection towards me smiled.' As she said this,
she fainted and died. I fell into a sea of sorrow. The
hermit (entered into the body of my wife), gave me instruc-
tions in yoga, (created in me an aversion for wordly attach-
ment) and initiated me in the order of ascetics. As I could
not speak correctly in an assembly of learned ascetics, I was
ridiculed as an ignorant yogin. I hastened to the shrine of
Subrahmanya and practised austerities. The God asked me
to find out a Srutadhara (one who retains what is heard once)
and along with him receive instruction under Upavarşa. We
have long been searching for a Śrutadhara and fortunately
found one in your son today.' When Vyādi finished his
story, Indradatta began his own.
(Av. Sāra IV. 27-36; Av. pp. 180-81)
15
in person, took her to (an agrahāra on) the banks of the river
Godāvarī where her son Vararuci was born. When Vararuci
was five years old, two Brahmans, Vyāḍi and Indradatta, hap-
pened to halt at his house. The boy Vararuci who had gone to
witness a dance returned home late in the night. The mother
got angry and asked him to show her all that he had seen.
The boy enacted the entire performance exactly as he had
seen it. The two Brahmans were astonished and found in
Vararuci the precocious boy they had been seeking. Then
Vyādi related his story to the boy's mother:
(Av. Sāra IV. 21-27; Av. pp. 179-80)
Story of Vyadi
'Good Lady, I am a Brahman named Vyādi, son of
Bhānu. I was the only son of my parents and pet of my
mother; my father did not put me to education and
married me to a beautiful girl (named Brahmadā).
Once when I was painting her foot with unguent, a hermit
came to my house begging for alms. He looked at my wife
and smiled, and she in her turn smiled at him and gave him
alms. When I pressed her to tell me what made them smile at
each other, she said: 'I was a rat in my former birth and was
brought up by this holy man. One day, he started on a pilgrim-
age to the river Ganga and I entered into his bag stealthily.
When he began to bathe, a hawk took me by the beak but
dropped me into the river. In consequence of my death in
the holy waters (and devotion to the ascetic) I am now born
in a Brahman family. The hermit remembered my past; and
seeing your affection towards me smiled.' As she said this,
she fainted and died. I fell into a sea of sorrow. The
hermit (entered into the body of my wife), gave me instruc-
tions in yoga, (created in me an aversion for wordly attach-
ment) and initiated me in the order of ascetics. As I could
not speak correctly in an assembly of learned ascetics, I was
ridiculed as an ignorant yogin. I hastened to the shrine of
Subrahmanya and practised austerities. The God asked me
to find out a Srutadhara (one who retains what is heard once)
and along with him receive instruction under Upavarşa. We
have long been searching for a Śrutadhara and fortunately
found one in your son today.' When Vyādi finished his
story, Indradatta began his own.
(Av. Sāra IV. 27-36; Av. pp. 180-81)