MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

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W E L C O M E

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA

UTHTHANKA

(The U in this name is pronounced like U in 'put'.The TH and TH are pronounced like 'th' in 'seventh'. The KA is pronounced like 'cu' in 'cup'.

Also see the links udanka, poushya and thakshaka.

In Asvamedha parva, a sage named Uththanka accosted Krishna during the latter's journey to Dvaaraka. He tainted Krishna for not bringing peace between Panndavas and Kouravas leading to Krishna's heralding his universal manifestation. Many similarities exist between his story and Udanka's story in Aadi parva. But the names of the teacher and his wife(Gouthama and Ahalya here), the king's name and queen's name (Soudaasa and Madayanthi here) differ from those in Aadi parva. But, all the northern recensions spell our Aadi parva Udanka as Uththanka.The famous Thelugu translation names Udanka at both the places. May be it is a misspelling for the same name at both the places. Or, these two sages may have been different.

Read about Udanka too.

Udanka was a sage. He was a disciple of sage Pyla.

Once Pyla's wife sent Udanka to a King named Poushya to bring the queen's ear-rings for her. In his way, Udanka saw a horse-mounted man who offered him cow-dung and ordered him to eat it. Udanka did so and went to the king Poushya. He took the ear-rings and accepted the king's offer of food but seeing a hair in the food, he became angry and cursed the king to become blind as a punishment for his not observing the offerings thoroughly. The king gave him a counter curse that the sage shall have no children. while sending Udanka off, the king warned him to be aware of the serpent lord Thakshaka who would be all ready to grab any hance to steal those ear-rings.

In his return journey,Udanka kept the ear-rings on the ground to take a bath in a pond as it was the time for peforming daily rituals. In an instant, Thakshaka stole them and ran away. Udanka chased him to the underworld but could not found him. Then he invoked to all the naaga lords. A divine person appeared before him and helped him in getting the ear-rings back from Thakshaka.

Udanka delivered the ear-rings to his teacher's wife and obtained relief from his teacher. Then he went to Janamejaya and informed him about Thakshaka's killing Janamejaya's father Pareekshith. That made Janamejaya angry and he undertook the serpent sacrifice which, of course, was dropped in the middle at the request of a braahmana Aastheeka, who was nephew of Naaga Lord Vaasuki. It was during this sacrifice that the occasion of relating of Mahaabhaaratham occured.

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA