History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c73.t1.211

v5.c73.t1.211

994a The सप्तव्याध verses from the हरिवंश (I. 24. 20-21) and गरुडपुराण are. सप्तव्याधा दशार्णेषु मृगाः कालञ्जरे गिरौ । चक्रवाकाः शरद्वीपे हंसाः सरसि मानसे ॥ तेऽभिजाताः कुरुक्षेत्रे ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः । प्रस्थिता दूरमध्वानं यूयं किमवसीदथ ॥. On these the आद्धतत्त (p. 231) says 'अपहृतगुरुगवीमांसकृतश्राद्धमहत्त्वप्रकाशकपितृगाथात्वेन सप्तव्याधा इति च पठ्यते।'. These very verses occur in the अग्निपुराण chap. 117. 56-57. The story is very clearly set out in हरिवंश I, chapters 21-24 and the Matsyapurāṇa chap 20-21. Seven pupils of Garga guarding their guru's cow thought of eating that cow as they were famished. But the youngest said 'let us make use of the cow's flesh in śrāddha, so that we may be saved from sin'. Two of the brothers became daiva brāhmaṇas, three became pitṛ-brāhmaṇas, one became the giver and the 7th became a guest. They told the guru that the cow was eaten by a tiger They passed through several births first as seven hunters, then deer in Kālañjara hill and so on Śrāddha ultimately saved them. The same story is narrated in Padma V. 10.49-125, and V. 47.282-304 (in which last the disciples are said to have been those of वसिष्ठ) After becoming hamsas three of them became kings (a king and two ministers, acc. to मत्स्य) and cared not for the other world. The four others knew the path to mokṣa, sent word to the three with these verses saying that they four had started on the long road to the other world (प्रस्थिता ..ध्वानं) and asking the other three not to be immersed in the mire of worldliness (यूयं...दथ). The story also occurs in the शिवपुराण (उमासंहिता chap. 41.24 ff). It is interesting to note that in the Jaina Uttarādhyayana-sūtra (S. B. E vol. 45 p 56) the echoes of this story of the brothers are heard for illustrating the influence of *karman*.