Story 6

Story of Dharmavyadha & Kausika[i]

Here is a story of a two persons- one a born soodra and another a born Bramhin with opposite virtues that define the varna. Does the birth decides the varna of a person or the character, qualities and activities decide the varna of a person?

What is swadharma?

Can one attain realization by abandoning one’s duties and sticking to penance? Please read and reflect.

Kausika was a renowned scholar and a sage. His ambition for higher knowledge and his desire to attain more powers goaded him to leave the house much against the will of his old parents. He left them and went to a forest, did more tapas and attained super natural powers. One day it so happened that a crow had cast its excreta over him when he was sitting beneath a tree. Kausika got very angry and stared ferociously at the crow. The crow was scorched and turned in to ashes. Kausika was very much amazed since he could physically witness his prowess.

On the next day he went to the nearby village for biksha (alms). He was standing in front of a house and calling for alms. The lady of the house asked Kausika to wait for a few minutes and went inside the house to fetch alms. By that time, her husband came to house. He was very hungry and quite tired. The lady was the follower of traditional dharma and the dharma dictates that she should give priority to her husband. She served food to her husband and then came out to give alms to Kausika. Kausika was quite upset for making him wait for too long and stared at the lady quite ferociously. The lady looked cool and replied that she was not a crow to be scorched by his anger. Kausika was amazed as to how she knew about the crow episode on the previous day. He could know that her intuitive power was due to her steadfast belief in following her dharma (giving priority to her husband). He begged pardon and asked her to teach him dharma.

The lady asked him to drop down the krodha (anger) which was the root cause for the fall of a man. One’s anger is one’s enemy. A real Bramhin is one who has conquered anger. Any person of any Varna can be called a real Bramhin if only he drops off his anger[ii] and arishadvargas[iii] She then advised him to meet a satvic person by name Dharmavyadha for an elaborate lesson on dharma. “Dharmavyadha is a man of pious character who speaks only truth and always takes care of his old parents”, she added. Kausika said, “Oh, great lady! Your advice is a boon for me. I am a happy man now”. Kausika took leave from the lady and proceeded towards Mithila where Dharmavyadha was residing.

Kausika was enquiring about the whereabouts of Dharmavyadha. People led him to a place where the animal meat was being sold. There in a corner, he found Dharmavyadha selling the animal meat. On seeing Kausika, he came to greet him. ‘I am happy that you have come here on being sent by the lady. Please tell me how I can help you’.  Kausika was again surprised as to how she could know about him. Still he asked Dharmavyadha, “It appears that you are a learned man. It is not good on your part in indulging in this meat business”.

Dharmavyadha replied, “Oh sage, this has been the business done from time immemorial by my forefathers. This is our family dharma and I have been performing it. Please do not blame me”[iv].

“I do not kill any animal. I do business by what is being killed by others. I do not even consume the meat. Always I speak truth and do service to my parents”.

Dharmavyadha continued, ‘Believe me, if a born soodra develops good habits, he can become a Vysya, a Khatriya or a Brahmana[v].

He continued, “Oh! Sage, you have come out of your house by neglecting and insulting your parents. Your parents have become old and they are now blind. The penance that you are doing is useless if you forget your basic dharma of taking care of your parents at their old age”.

Kausika repented a lot for his act of ingratitude towards his parents. He went back to his home and started doing service to his old parents.

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[i] This story is taken from Vana Parva of Maha Bharata written by sage Ved Vyasa.

[ii] क्रोध: शत्रु: शरीरस्थो मनुष्याणां द्विजोत्तम

य: क्रोध मोहौ त्यजति तं देवा ब्राह्मणं विदुः (Vana Parva 206.33)

krodha: śatru: śarīrastho manuṣyāṇāṃ dvijottama

ya: krodha mohau tyajati taṃ devā brāhmaṇaṃ viduḥ

[iii] Arishadvargas are six enemies to a person. They are kama(lust), krodha(anger), lobha(greed), moha(delusion), mada(pride), matsarya(jealousy).

[iv] कुलोचितमिदं कर्म पितृपैतामहं परम्।

वर्तमानस्य मे धर्मे स्वे मन्युं मा कृथा द्विज ।। (Vana Parva 207.20)

kulocitamidaṃ karma pitṛpaitāmahaṃ param।

vartamānasya me dharme sve manyuṃ mā kṛthā dvija ।।

[v] शूद्र योनौ हि जातस्य सद्गुणानुपतिष्ठत:

वैस्यत्वं लभते ब्रह्मन् क्षत्रियत्वं तथैवच

आर्जवे वर्तमानस्य ब्राह्मण्यमभिजायते (Vana Parva 212.11,12)

śūdra yonau hi jātasya sadguṇānupatiṣṭhata:

vaisyatvaṃ labhate brahman kṣatriyatvaṃ tathaivaca

ārjave vartamānasya brāhmaṇyamabhijāyate

Points to ponder

1. Dharma is to abide by the dictum of ‘dignity of labour’. How do you corroborate by the story of Dharmavyadha?
2. Varna system of society is originally conceived by the qualities of a person. Birth in a particular varna will not bestow dignity to a person. Discuss.
3. Scholarship is a useless fad if one fails in one’s basic responsibility. Discuss it with the character of Kausika.
4. Anger and ego do not augur well to claim a flawless character. Discuss from the characters from the story.
5. Who is a real Brahmana? Do you feel anybody and everybody can become a brahmana by developing virtuous characters? Obverse, Can all persons born as Bramhins claim the title of a Brahmanas?

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