Story of Aaruni and Upamanyu! # Last blog- We saw a brief information about Kurukshetra. This blog gives us more information about the same and events which took place on kurukshetra earlier to the great war. Paushya Parva - Trutiya adhyayam (Third chapter). There was a great sage named Ayoddhoumya who had three students namely Upamanyu , Aaruni panchal and Veda. Story 1 # One day the guru called his student Aaruni who was from panchal desha (land) and said to him " Son , go and repair the bunds of the paddy field." After giving instructions to his student ,the guru went in his hut for meditation. Aaruni went to repair the bund of the paddy field , he tried but could not repair it. After some thinking he had an idea to stop the flow of water , he himself lied down in place of bund and the flowing water stopped! After sometime that day his guru Ayoddhoumya asked his students " Where is Aaruni? " , his students replied " teacher , you had instructed him to go and repair the bunds of paddy field." Ayoddhoumya said " Then let's go and check on Aaruni " , so Ayoddhoumya along with his 2 students went to the place and called out " Panchal Aaruni , son where are you? Please come here." After hearing his teacher's voice he got up from the field and stood in front of his guru. He said " Bhagwan ( a form of respect given to a highly learned person ) , I am here , the essential water flowing out the field had to be stopped , so I myself lied down in place of the bund to stop it. After hearing your voice I got up and came in front of you . I offer my prayers to you! Please give me further instructions." Ayoddhoumya said " You have followed my instructions despite the difficulties and obstacles which no one would have tried to overcome. I bless you with everlasting knowledge , you will be blessed with Vedas and Dharma Shastra (Science of Dharma)" After saying this the student Aaruni went to his homeland - Panchal. Story 2 # Ayoddhoumya had another student named Upamanyu. The teacher instructed him " Upamanyu go and protect our cows." So as instructed he went to look after the cows in the morning and at night came back to his guru's abode and offered his respect by bowing down to him. After a few days his guru observed that Upamanyu is getting healthier and lofty. He asked "Son , you are looking much healthier, what do you eat the whole day while out there protecting the cows?" He said " Gurudev, I ask for Bhiksha ( Bhiksha signifies a Hindu tradition of begging for alms with the purpose of self - effacement or ego conquering.) Guru Ayoddhoumya said " Son , without offering your teacher you should not bring the food to your personal use." Thus Upamanyu said " yes teacher" and started following his advice by offering Bhiksha to his guru. Guru Ayoddhoumya used to take all of his food and Upamanyu then again resumed his duty of protecting the cows. After a few days again the guru saw that Upamanyu is much healthier and asked him " Son , even in this condition and after taking all your food , how do you survive?" Upamanyu said " After offering you all my Bhiksha , I again ask for Bhiksha and in this manner I survive." Guru said " This is not a right and just way of behavior. By asking for Bhiksha the second time you are creating difficulties for other monks who survive on Bhiksha. Thus you shouldn't ask for Bhiksha the second time." Thus Upamanyu said "yes teacher" and returned to protecting and feeding fodder to cows. After a few days again when Upamanyu came to his guru's abode in the evening , Ayoddhoumya asked " Son , I take all your food as offering and you do not ask for Bhiksha again. Still you look fat! What do you eat to survive?" He said " Bhagwan I drink the milk of cows." On hearing this the guru said " Son , I did not give you the permission to drink milk. Thus using milk for food is not right!" Upamanyu said "yes teacher" and become busy in GAW-PALAN ( taking care of cows). Again after a fews days , one evening when Upamanyu returned from the fields , Ayoddhoumya asked " Son , you do not eat food obtained from asking Bhiksha and offer everything to me , nor do you ask for bhiksha again , and neither do you drink cow's milk , but still are looking fat! what do you eat for food? " Upamanyu answered " Bhagwan , when calves drink their mother's milk , the remaining drops which fall from their mouth is collected by me and later I drink it." On this guru Ayoddhoumya said " These calves surely are innocent and drink less milk in order to provide you more , they surely give more drops of milk to be collected and swallow less amount of milk themselves! Hence from today you will not drink the drops of milk which spill from their mouths!" Upamanyu said "yes teacher" and returned to the fields. # Next blog- Will Upamanyu pass the test of his teacher ? What next will he do to survive? And story of third student of guru Ayoddhoumya.
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