SAGEDURVASA-Part 3 Dearfriends,
This posting about sage Durvasa is compiled from Googlesearch asking many questions curious to me and posted in my style which isdesired by a few members than as QA posting. This posting is least intended to all knowing andcriticizing and fault finding members. Hope the posting is interesting and informative to many of myfriends. Since the information is lengthy posted in parts. This is 3RD part of the posting Gopalakrishnan 16-02-2026 Lord Siva marryingParvati Durvasa Curses Shiva: In a surprising twist mentioned inthe Shiv Mahapuran, Durvasa is said to have cursed Shiva. When visiting Shiva,the Lord's Ganas (attendants) behaved rudely. Enraged, Durvasa cursed Shiva that he would have to abandonhis "Aghori" form (clothed in ashes, with snakes) to have hismarriage with Parvati accepted by her parents. This incident forced Shiva to take a more civilized, handsomeform for his wedding. Lord of Wrath & Yoga: Durvasa is known as a Rudra-roop(form of Shiva's anger) who uses his immense powers to maintain discipline inthe universe. Worship of Shiva: Despite being an incarnation ofShiva, Durvasa is also described as a devotee who worshiped Shiva (e.g., at theMaharishi Durvasa Ashram in Prayagraj). In summary, Durvasa is not just a devotee but a livingrepresentation of Lord Shiva's destructive, fiery, and volatile nature, sent toensure discipline, often through harsh lessons and curses. Incidents duringThreta Yuga There are significant incidents involving Sage Durvasa duringthe Treta Yuga, most notably in the Uttara Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, relating to the departure of Lakshmana and the end of Rama's avatar. Here are the key incidents related to Durvasa in the TretaYuga: Boons to QueenKaikeyi (Before Ramayana):It is mentioned in local traditions and specific interpretations of theRamayana that early in her life, Queen Kaikeyi served Sage Durvasa with great devotion. Pleasedwith her, the sage granted her a boon that made one of her hands a vajra (thunderbolt) and promised that she would be akey instrument in the divine plan of the Lord, often interpreted asfacilitating the 14-year exile to ensure the destruction of Ravana. Durvasa meeting SriRama, Lakshmana and Sita during forest life Durvasa is also mentioned as having met with Rama, Sita, andLakshmana earlier during their exile in the Dandakaranya forest, where he wasreceived with respect by the royal family. The Threat toAyodhya and Lakshmana's Exile (Ramayana): Towards the end of Rama's rule, Sage Durvasa arrived at thepalace to meet Rama,who was in a secret, confidential meeting with Yama (the god ofdeath). Lakshmana was guarding the door and was strictly ordered not to allowanyone in, on pain of death. Durvasa's Curse: When Lakshmana politely refused himentry, an enraged Durvasa threatened to curse the entire city of Ayodhya. Tosave the city, Lakshmana interrupted the meeting, knowing he would have to facedeath as a result. Consequently, to uphold his promise toYama, Rama had to exile Lakshmana, who then went to the Sarayu river and gaveup his life. River Yamuna andsage Durvasa The river Yamuna is connected with the sage Durvasa inseveral Hindu mythological narratives, primarily portraying him as a powerfulascetic who used his spiritual energy to command the river's flow or as a holy site where heperformed rituals. Key connections include: Subduing the Flooded Yamuna for Radha/Gopis: In one popularnarrative, Radha and the Gopis (cowherd girls) wanted to cross theYamuna to meet Krishna, but the river was in high flood,personified by the goddess Yamuna who was opposing their meeting with Krishna. They met Sage Durvasa, who was meditating on the other bank.The Gopis sought his help. Durvasainstructed them to tell the Yamuna that "Nitya Upavasi" (the one whonever eats) has asked her to give way. Despite the Gopis knowing that Durvasa had just eaten a fullmeal, the river obeyed the truth of his ascetic nature, and thewaters parted. The Bath of KingAmbarisha: A famous incident in the Bhagavata Purana involves KingAmbarisha and Sage Durvasa. Durvasa went to bathe in the Yamuna anddeliberately delayed his return to prevent the King from breaking his VaikunthaEkadashi fast, aiming to catch the King in a breach of etiquette. Durvasaditya Temple: The Skanda Purana mentions a holy site called Durvasadityasituated on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is believed that Sage Durvasa, with his yogic powers,made the Sun god (Surya) halt at that spot. Ashram in Prayagraj: Sage Durvasa’s ashram is located at the confluence of theGanga and Yamuna in Prayagraj, where he is believed to have performed intensepenance. These stories highlight Durvasa's control over naturalelements, including the river goddess herself, due to his intense spiritualdiscipline. Dark colour ofYamuna river Based on Hindu mythological accounts, the dark colour of theRiver Yamuna is generally not directly connected to a curse or action by SageDurvasa. While Durvasa is involved in many, often chaotic, stories in thePuranas, the specific reasons for the dark colour (Kalindi) of theYamuna are attributed to different legends or its association with LordKrishna. Here are the primary mythological reasons for the dark colourof the Yamuna: The Poison of KaliyaSerpent: The most popular,particularly in Vaishnavism, is that the serpent Kaliya lived in the Yamuna andhis venom turned the waters dark. After Krishna defeated Kaliya andordered him to leave, the river retained its dark, "Shyam"(dark-blue/black) hue in honor of Krishna's presence. Symbol of Divine Love forKrishna: The dark colouris seen as a reflection of Lord Krishna’s own complexion (Shyam-varn),symbolizing the river's devotion to him. Lord Shiva's Sorrow: The Vamana Purana narrates thatwhen Lord Shiva was deeply distraught by the death of Sati, he jumped into the Yamuna. Hisintense sorrow and, in some versions, the fire of his grief, turned the watersblack. Association withYama: As the twin sisterof Yama (the god of death and darkness/Kala), she is known as Kalindi, which issometimes associated with her dark appearance. Yamuna is worshipped as aprominent goddess in Hinduism, holding a sacred status equivalent to Ganga andSaraswathi. Reveredas the daughter of the sun god, Surya, and his wife Saranyu, she is also knownas Yami and considered the twin sister of Yama, the god of death. She isintrinsically linked to Lord Krishna and is often depicted alongside Ganga intemple art, riding her mount, the tortoise. Key details regardingGoddess Yamuna: Significance: She is considered a purifying goddess, with herwaters believed to free devotees from the torments of death. Relationship to Deities: As the daughter of Surya, she isfrequently called Kalindi, and in some traditions, she is associated withKrishna as one of his principal consorts. Triveni Sangam: Along withGanga and the Saraswati, she forms the holy confluence at Prayagraj. Iconography: In templearchitecture, she is often depicted on the doorjambs, representing purity anddevotion, alongside Ganga. Yamuna is honored in Hindu texts as a life-giving, sacredriver and a major goddess, playing a crucial role in the mythology and devotionsurrounding Krishna in Vrindavan. My note- In my native Kaipuzha, Pandalam(Kerala State) , LordKrishna temple after flag post there is The first large Balipeetam. In the front pillars hold idols ofGanga and Yamuna holding Lamps. Incidents in Dwaparayuga Comparing Sathya and Thretha Yugas incidents involving sageDurvasa are more in Dwapara yuga. Incidents known to most are notdetailed by me. 1. Curse on Rukmini, wife of Krishna Rukmini, whom he cursed to be separated from her husband,Krishna, because she drank water without seeking Durvasa's permission. The incident where Goddess Rukmini drank water without SageDurvasa's permission is a famous legend in Hindu mythology that explains why the temple of Rukmini is locatedapart from the main Dwarkadhish temple in Dwarka. According to the legend, the key details of this incidentare: The Context: Lord Krishna and his wife, Rukmini,were acting as hosts to the notoriously short-tempered Sage Durvasa. To show their respect, they agreedto his condition to act as the "horses" pulling his chariot on theirway to dinner in Dwarka. The Thirst: While pulling the chariot, afatigued and thirsty Rukmini asked for water. Lord Krishna, seeing her distress, struck the ground withhis toe, bringing forth a spring of the holy Ganga to allow her to quench herthirst. The Offense: Rukmini drank the water to satisfy herthirst but, in her exhaustion, failed to first offer water to the sage. The Curse: Enraged by this perceived lack ofcourtesy and disrespect, Durvasa cursed Rukmini to be separatedfrom her husband, Lord Krishna. The Outcome: As a result of this curse, it is believed thatRukmini had to live away from Krishna for a period, which is why her temple islocated about 2 kilometers away from the main Dwarkadhish temple. Some versions of the story also say that due to this, the land around her temple became barren and the water in that area became salty. This incident highlights the rigid, often unreasonable,nature of Sage Durvasa’s vows, which were known to test even the gods. 1. Blessing Kuntiand the Birth of the Pandavas While Kunti was a young girl living with her adopted father, King Kuntibhoja, she was tasked withserving Sage Durvasa. She patiently endured his volatile temper andserved him with absolute dedication. Pleased with her service, Durvasa taught her the Atharvaveda mantras, which enabled her to invoke anydeity to beget children. Significance: Kunti tested this, resulting in thebirth of Karna from Surya. Later, she used it to bear three Pandavas(Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna), and passed it to Madri to bear Nakula andSahadeva. 2. Testing thePandavas (Akshaya Patra Incident) During the Pandavas' 12-year exile, Duryodhana and Shakunienticed Durvasa to visit the Pandavas in the forest, hoping he would curse them. Durvasa arrived with 10,000 disciples just after Draupadi hadeaten, meaning the Akshaya Patra (the magical vessel providing food) would notproduce more food until the next day. The Miracle: Draupadiprayed to Krishna,who appeared and ate the last remaining grain of rice in the vessel. Krishna'ssatisfaction satiated the hunger of Durvasa and all his disciples, saving thePandavas from the sage's wrath. 3. Cursing Krishnaand his Descendants (Musala Incident) According to the Bhagavata Purana and other traditions, Samba(Krishna's son) and other young Yadavas played a prank on Sage Durvasa, dressing Samba as apregnant woman and asking him to predict the gender of the child. Enraged, Durvasa cursed them that the "child"would be a Musala (iron rod) that would destroy the entire Yadava clan. The Result: The curse was fulfilled, leading to theself-destruction of the Yadavas at Prabhasa, directly resulting in the end ofthe Dwapara Yuga and the start of Kaliyuga. 5 Boon to Lord Krishna When Durvasa visited Krishna in Dwarka, he asked Krishna to apply remaining payasam (sweet dish) all over hisbody. Krishna complied, but due to being in aseated position, did not apply it to his feet. Durvasa remarked thatsince the feet were not covered, that part of his body would be mortal. The Death: This led to the death of Krishna,when a hunter named Jara (who was a reincarnation of Vali from Treta Yuga) shot a poisonous arrow intoKrishna’s foot, mistaking it for a deer. 6. Cursing Bhanumati(Krishna's Granddaughter) Young Bhanumati, daughter of Bhanu (Krishna's son), onceaccidentally knocked into a meditating Sage Durvasa. Enraged, he cursed her to be kidnapped by an enemy. The Result: She was kidnapped by the asura Nikumbhabut was later rescued by Arjuna and Pradyumna, and subsequently marriedSahadeva. Shakuntala's Curse: While not occurring in the core Mahabharata war, the cursethat caused Dushyanta to forget Shakuntala (mother of Bharata) is attributed toan angry Durvasa when she failed to attend to him. Shakuntala, who was soengrossed in thoughts of her husband Dushyanta that she did not offer Durvasahospitality while at the ashrama (hermitage) of sage Kanva, which enragedDurvasa rishi, who cursed her that Dushyanta would forget her. Durvasa later relented thatDushyanta would remember her when she presented his ring (that he had previously given to her) tohim. The Gandharva marriage of Shakuntala and King Dushyanta, along with thesubsequent curse by Sage Durvasa, occurred in the Dwapara Yuga. Context in Epic: This story is narrated in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata,which takes place toward the end of the Dwapara Yuga. The Marriage: While hunting, King Dushyanta of the Puru dynasty meetsShakuntala in Sage Kanva's ashram. They fall in love and marry through aGandharva marriage (marriage by mutual consent). The Curse: After Dushyanta returns to his kingdom, a pregnant Shakuntala is lost inthoughts of her husband. She fails to greet the notoriouslyshort-tempered sage Durvasa when he arrives at the ashram. Enraged by thisneglect, Durvasa curses her, saying that the person she is thinking of(Dushyanta) will forget her. Significance: This curse is a central plot point in Kalidasa’s Abhijnanashakuntalamand the Mahabharata, resulting in Dushyanta not recognizingShakuntala when she later arrives at his court, leading to the birth of theirson, Bharata. Bharat originates from theSanskrit word "Bharata" which stands for 'Agni' meaning fire The name Bharat comes fromthe name of Chakravarti Raja Bharat, an ancient brave king who was ancestor of kauravas andpandavas,son of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. I will continue innext part -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/265831581.457617.1771209522352%40mail.yahoo.com.
