Narayaneeyam Dasakam: 33 -- The King Ambarisha and Sage Durvasa

King Ambarish And Sage Durvasa

Once Naabhaag's son Ambareesh.  was doing an Ekaadashee Vrat. For twelve months they had fasted on every ekadashi, not even drinking water. Their fast would end on Kartik sud 12. On the morning of the twelfth, Sage Durvasa and one hundred of his disciples arrived at King Ambarish's palace. Ambarish was overjoyed. He fell at their feet and welcomed them. He said, ''Today my ekadashi fast ends, and on this day you have also graced my palace. Indeed, I am very fortunate! Please dine here today.'' Durvasa replied, ''We'll first go to the river for a bath and then return.''

There was only a little time left to do Paaran of the Vrat and Muni was still not there, And so Durvasa and his disciples bathed for a long time. But the sacred time for ending the fast was near. The king's Brahmins advised him, ''The muhurt is passing. It is best you eat and so end the fast.'' Ambarish said, ''I shall eat when Durvasa returns.'' The Brahmins replied, ''But it is getting late. Only a few moments are left now. If you eat afterwards you will not receive the fruits of your fast.'' Ambarish was troubled. But Brahmins are very clever.

They found an easy answer. They said, ''Eat a sanctified tulsi leaf. In this way it can be said you have ended your fast, and yet it can also be said that you haven't eaten a meal!'' On the Brahmins' advice Ambarish placed a tulsi leaf in his mouth and drank some water at the advice of learned Braahman. Just then Durvasa and his disciples arrived. They discovered that Ambarish had completed his fast in their absence. Durvasa never needs to search for anger so the King drank some water at the advice of learned Braahman.

It's always with him as his constant companion. He shouted. ''Ambarish, you are known as a great devotee, yet you have no idea of how to treat your guests! Why did you eat alone without us!'' Ambarish touched Durvasa's feet in apology. He said, ''Only to safeguard the muhurt have I placed a leaf of tulsi in my mouth. The banquet is ready. Come, let us dine together.''

But would Durvasa listen? No! He was the very incarnation of anger. Cursing Ambarish he cried, ''You shall have to suffer the fruits of insulting me.'' Saying this he plucked a hair from his head and transformed it into a demonness. He commanded her to beat Ambarish. Now, Ambarish was truly a great devotee of the Lord. He stood with hands joined in humility. The Lord placed his special weapon the Sudarshan Chakra - in Ambarish's protection. The Sudarshan Chakra began to spin. Its bright light burnt the demonness to ashes. It then moved towards Durvasa to burn him as well. Durvasa saw this. He became frightened and shouting ''traahi tobaa'', clenched his fists and began to run for his dear life. The Chakra chased him everywhere.

Screaming ''Paahi maam! Paahi maam!'' Durvasa went totri loga .But no one helprd..Then he went to Lord Shiva and asked that he be saved from the Sudarshan Chakra. Shiva replied, ''I cannot turn the Chakra back. It belongs to Lord Vishnu. Go to him.'' For a whole year Durvasa ran. He finally went to Lord Vishnu crying. ''Paahi maam! Paahi maam! Save me! Save me!'' He begged, ''Lord, I cannot suffer the light from your Sudarshan Chakra anymore. I'm burning. Please call the Chakra off.'' God said, ''Durvasa, once my Chakra has been thrown at a person it never returns without killing him. I have no solution.'' Durvasa began to weep.

God said to him, ''No good will be done by weeping. But yes, there is one way of saving yourself.'' ''Lord! Quick tell me.'' ''But will you be able to do it?'' ''Lord, if my life can be saved anything and everything will be done!'' said Durvasa, in a humble voice. God explained to Durvasa, ''You have insulted my devotee, Ambarish. Humbly go to him and fall at his feet. If he forgives you then the Chakra will return to Me.'' In a time of great need we may even address a donkey as 'father!' To live, Durvasa had no other option. And so after a year of battering, Durvasa went to Ambarish. From the moment Durvasa had run away, with the Chakra chasing him King Ambarish had remained standing at the place he had been insulted. He had not eaten or drunk anything. ''Paahi maam! Paahi maam!'' cried Durvasa.

He fell at King Ambarish's feet. Ambarish pulled his feet away and raised Durvasa. He said, ''King of Sages, your falling at my feet is not right.'' Durvasa replied, ''Ambarish, you are a true devotee of the Lord. I have insulted you. Please forgive me. Save me from the Sudarshan Chakra.'' King Ambarish prayed to the Sudarshan Chakra and said, ''If the love and respect I have for Durvasa at this moment are the same as they were when he first came to my palace, then, Oh Sudarshan Chakra! Please return to the Lord.'' The Sudarshan Chakra returned to Lord Vishnu at once.

Durvasa was tremendously relieved. Then both he and Ambarish together went to the banquet hall. The Lord cannot tolerate an insult thrown upon a great devotee of His. So never take fault with any devotee. Being humble before such a devotee pleases the Lord.

Dasakam:33-Shlokam: 01

वैवस्वताख्यमनुपुत्रनभागजात-
नाभागनामकनरेन्द्रसुतोऽम्बरीष: ।
सप्तार्णवावृतमहीदयितोऽपि रेमे
त्वत्सङ्गिषु त्वयि च मग्नमनास्सदैव ॥१॥

vaivasvataakhya manuputra nabhaaga jaatanaabhaaganaamaka

narendra sutO(a)mbariiShaH |

saptaarNavaavR^ita mahiidayitO(a)pi reme

tvatsangiShu tvayi cha magnamanaassadaiva || 1

Nabhaag was the son of Vaivasvata Manu, to whom Naabhaaga was born. To him king Ambareesh was born who ruled the earth surrounded by the seven seas. Yet, Ambareesh always delighted in serving Thy devotees and in worshipping Thee whole heartedly.

Dasakam:33-Shlokam: 02

त्वत्प्रीतये सकलमेव वितन्वतोऽस्य
भक्त्यैव देव नचिरादभृथा: प्रसादम् ।
येनास्य याचनमृतेऽप्यभिरक्षणार्थं
चक्रं भवान् प्रविततार सहस्रधारम् ॥२॥

tvatpriitaye sakalameva vitanvatO(a)sya

bhaktyaiva deva nachiraadabhR^itaaH prasaadam |

yenaasya yaachanamR^ite(a)pyabhirakshaNaarthaM

chakraM bhavaan pravitataara sahasradhaaram || 2

Oh Lord ! Since he was such a staunch devotee of Thine, who had dedicated everything to please Thee, Thou wished to bless him in a fitting manner. So Thou gifted  him Thy disc with a thousand sharp edges, for his protection, although he did not ask for it.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 03

स द्वादशीव्रतमथो भवदर्चनार्थं
वर्षं दधौ मधुवने यमुनोपकण्ठे ।
पत्न्या समं सुमनसा महतीं वितन्वन्
पूजां द्विजेषु विसृजन् पशुषष्टिकोटिम् ॥३॥

sa dvaadashiivratamathO bhavadarchanaarthaM

varShaM dadhau madhuvane yamunOpakaNThe |

patnyaa samaM sumanasaa mahatiiM vitanvan

puujaaM dvijeShu visR^ijan pashuShaShTikOTim || 3

In order to worship Thee, along with his pious wife, he observed the Dwaadashi fasting rites for one year on the banks of the Yamuna river, in Maduvana. He conducted a great poojaa, honouring holy men and by giving away to them sixty crores of cows.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 04

तत्राथ पारणदिने भवदर्चनान्ते
दुर्वाससाऽस्य मुनिना भवनं प्रपेदे ।
भोक्तुं वृतश्चस नृपेण परार्तिशीलो
मन्दं जगाम यमुनां नियमान्विधास्यन् ॥४

tatraatha paaraNadine bhavadarchanaante

durvaasasaa(a)sya muninaa bhavanaM prapede |

bhOktuM vR^itashcha sa nR^ipeNa paraarti shiilO

mandaM jagaama yamunaaM niyamaanvidhaasyan ||4

Then, there, after Thy worship was performed, on the day of the breaking of the fast and taking food, the sage Durvaasaa arrived at the king's palace, and was invited to take food. The sage who was by nature inconsiderate and a trouble giver, leisurely went to the river Yamunaa to perform his obligatory rites.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 05राज्ञाऽथ पारणमुहूर्तसमाप्तिखेदा-
द्वारैव पारणमकारि भवत्परेण ।
प्राप्तो मुनिस्तदथ दिव्यदृशा विजानन्
क्षिप्यन् क्रुधोद्धृतजटो विततान कृत्याम् ॥५॥

raaj~naa(a)tha paaraNamuhuurta samaapti khedaadvaaraiva

paaraNamakaari bhavatpareNa |

praaptO munistadatha divya dR^ishaa vijaanan

kshipyan krudhOddhR^itajaTO vitataana kR^ityaam || 5

The king was anxious as the time was expiring for taking food. So, the king Ambareesha who was devoted to Thee broke the fast by taking a sip of water. When the sage arrived and came to know by his divine insight of what had happened, he rebuked the king and angrily plucked his matted hair and created Krityaa an evil spirit.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 06

कृत्यां च तामसिधरां भुवनं दहन्ती-
मग्रेऽभिवीक्ष्यनृपतिर्न पदाच्चकम्पे ।
त्वद्भक्तबाधमभिवीक्ष्य सुदर्शनं ते
कृत्यानलं शलभयन् मुनिमन्वधावीत् ॥६॥

kR^ityaaM cha taamasidharaaM bhuvanaM dahantiimagre(

a)bhiviikshya nR^ipatirna padaachchakampe |

tvadbhaktabaadhamabhiviikshya sudarshanaM te

kR^ityaanalaM shalabhayan munimanvadhaaviit || 6

Even when that evil spirit, with sword in hand, advanced toward him, scorching everything in its way, the king stood rooted to his post. Seeing the king's agony, Thy divine disc, Sudarsana, instantly burnt that terrible deity by its own fire like a moth is destroyed and started chasing the sage.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 07

धावन्नशेषभुवनेषु भिया स पश्यन्
विश्वत्र चक्रमपि ते गतवान् विरिञ्चम् ।
क: कालचक्रमतिलङ्घयतीत्यपास्त:
शर्वं ययौ स च भवन्तमवन्दतैव ॥७॥

dhaavannasheSha bhuvaneShu bhiyaa sa pashyan

vishvatra chakramapi te gatavaan viri~ncham |

kaH kaalachakramatilanghayatiityapaastaH

sharvaM yayau sa cha bhavantamavandataiva || 7

Running around the limitless worlds fearfully, Durvaasaa saw Thy discus alone everywhere. He went to Brahmaa for respite, who dismissed him saying that who could overcome the wheel of time. He then went to Shiva, he who also made obeisance to Thee alone.

 Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 08

भूयो भवन्निलयमेत्य मुनिं नमन्तं
प्रोचे भवानहमृषे ननु भक्तदास: ।
ज्ञानं तपश्च विनयान्वितमेव मान्यं
याह्यम्बरीषपदमेव भजेति भूमन् ॥८॥

bhuuyO bhavannilayametya muniM namantaM

prOche bhavaanahamR^iShe nanu bhaktadaasaH |

j~naanaM tapashcha vinayaanvitameva maanyaM

yaahyambariiSha padameva bhajeti bhuuman ||8

Then Oh Lord ! The sage came to Thy abode Vaikunta, and prostrated before Thee. Thou claiming to be the servant of Thy devotees, advised him that knowledge and penance deserved respect only when combined with humility and therefore, he should take refuge in the feet of Thy devotee, Ambareesha himself.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam: 09 तावत्समेत्य मुनिना स गृहीतपादो
राजाऽपसृत्य भवदस्त्रमसावनौषीत् ।
चक्रे गते मुनिरदादखिलाशिषोऽस्मै
त्वद्भक्तिमागसि कृतेऽपि कृपां च शंसन् ॥९॥

taavatsametya muninaa sa gR^ihiitapaadO

raajaa(a)pasR^itya bhavadastramasaavanauShiit |

chakre gate muniradaadakhilaashiShO(a)smai

tvadbhaktimaagasi kR^ite(a)pi kR^ipaaM cha shamsan || 9

At once the sage fell at the king's feet; the king, stepping back, prayed to Thy divineweapon and the disc, pacified by that, vanished. The sage praised his devotion to TheeComing back to Ambareesh, the sage clasped his feet for pardon. The king moved back and withdrew his feet out of humility and praised Thy weapon the discus Sudarshana.On the discus retiring, the sage was all praises for Ambareesh for his devotion and the kindness shown inspite of being wronged. He gave the king all the blessings.

Dasakam: 033 -- Shlokam:1 0

राजा प्रतीक्ष्य मुनिमेकसमामनाश्वान्
सम्भोज्य साधु तमृषिं विसृजन् प्रसन्नम् ।
भुक्त्वा स्वयं त्वयि ततोऽपि दृढं रतोऽभू-
त्सायुज्यमाप च स मां पवनेश पाया: ॥१०

raajaa pratiikshya munimekasamaa-manaashvaan

sambhOjya saadhu tamR^iShiM visR^ijan prasannam |

bhuktvaa svayaM tvayi tatO(a)pi dR^iDhaM ratO(a)bhuutsaayujyamaapa

cha sa maaM pavanesha paayaaH॥10

The king who was waiting for the sage for a whole year, without partaking any food, fedhim a sumptuous feast and bade him farewell; the sage left with full satisfaction. Theking took food only after that. His devotion to Thee increased more than ever beforeand in due time he was granted salvation and was fully merged in Thee. OhGuruvayurappa ! May Thou of such a divine nature, save me.