Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1245

c4.1245

Upamanyu, from that day onwards strictly followed his guru’s instruction, and continued returning at dusk to the guru and doing obeisance to him. Even then finding Upamanyu to be quite plump and healthy the guru told him: “Well, now you hand over to me all the alms you get, and you do not take alms a second time the same day. Yet you are quite fit and fat. How is it so?” To this Upamanyu’s reply was that he was feeding himself on the milk of the cows he tended. The guru told him that this too was not just and proper on his part. The guru had not permitted him to drink milk thus. Upamanyu agreed to obey his orders. And, as usual he continued tending the cows and returning at dusk. Even then he maintained the same plump and healthy physique. And the Guru told him as follows: “You do not eat the food you get at the first alms-taking, you do not go in for alms a second time the same day, nor do you drink milk. Yet, how is it that you maintain the same fat and healthy physique as in former days?” Upamanyu’s reply was that he was feeding now-a-days on the foam of milk bristling at the mouth of the calves when they had fed on their mother’s milk. And, the guru said: “if that is so the calves will be, out of kindness and sympathy for you, releasing much foam of milk out of their mouths. That will affect them. So, do not repeat the process. Since the guru forbade him to have food in any manner as detailed above, Upamanyu, while tending the herd of cows in the forest, ate the bitter and poisonous leaves of a tree one day to satisfy his burning hunger. The leaf was bitter in taste and injurious in its properties. Therefore, this new way of satisfying hunger affected the health of the eyes of Upamanyu and he became blind. Moving about in this condition he fell into a neglected well in the woods. When, even after the sun had set, Upamanyu did not, as usual, return, the guru enquired about him from other disciples. Naturally, they told the guru that Upamanyu was out in the forest with the cows. As the guru felt that Upamanyu was staying away late in the forest since he had been prevented from doing everything he (guru) went to the forest accompanied by other disciples and called out for Upamanyu, and Upamanyu responded from deep down the well. He also told the guru how he happened to fall into the well. After telling him that if only he would pray to the Aśvinīdevas they will cure his blindness the guru returned to the Āśrama with other disciples. Upamanyu, accordingly offered praises and prayed to the Aśvinīdevas, who were so pleased with him that they appeared before him and gave him a bread. Upamanyu refused to eat the bread without giving it to the guru. Then the Aśvinīdevas told him thus: "In the past when we gave your guru a bread like this he ate the same without giving it to his guru. You may just imitate him and eat the bread yourself". Even then Upamanyu did not eat the bread. The Aśvinīdevas were so much pleased at this that they blessed Upamanyu thus: "The teeth of your guru will turn into hard iron and yours into pure gold. Your blindness will be cured and all happiness and prosperity will be yours."