VISWAMITRA'S DISTRESS

Life is very sweet! Nobody wants to die though life span is limited! “Jivam bhadrani pasyati” one should safeguard his life says the Sanskrit adage. This body is given to achieve Dharma! “Sareeramadyam khalu Dharma sadhanam” Without the body no karma is possible! In the Santi Parva of the Mahabharata Bhishmapitamaha tells Yudhistira that one can eat forbidden food when life is in danger! The Pandava warrior asks the grand old man what a brahmin should do when Dharma becomes adharma, Kings and robber's torment people, when lust and passion envelope society, when people kill one another and when severe draught spells danger! Bhisma recollects how sage Viswamitra once had to steal dog’s meat, from the hut of a low caste chandala, to satisfy his hunger and save himself from death!

During the interval between Treta and Dwapara yugas there was severe famine for twelve years at a stretch. Indra and other Devas were angry and did not rain! All streams and rivers dried up! Cities and towns were deserted! All temples were destroyed and brahmins were being killed! Food became scarce and people began killing each other and eat their flesh! Sages had to abandon their tapas and leave the forest! Sage Viswamitra was no exception! He left his wife and children and moved out! The agony of hunger killed him almost! He wanted to eat something and stay alive! He saw at a distance the hut of a low caste chandala full of pots, dog’s meat, broken bones of donkeys, swine and corpses and shrouds! Hunger Killed him but he couldn't find fruits or roots that he could eat! He fell down due to exhaustion. When he woke up he saw a piece of dog’s flesh pierced through a stick in the hut. To save himself, he wanted to steal that piece. He satisfied himself by recollecting the Dharma sastras which sanction that one can steal ln dire straits and when life is in danger! He fell asleep and woke up when the whole area was in slumber! He entered the hut of the low caste chandala to steal the coveted dog’s meat! The chandala was wide awake and questioned sage Viswamitra!

The chandala was aghast at what the sage was about to do.He said a brahmin is forbidden from stealing and eating dog’s meat.The sage replied that he had to save himself from death! A brahmin is like fire and so can eat anything! The dog is the lowest of animals and it's thigh is the worst part of its body! Eating it will destroy all the tapas of the sage. Viswamitra replied that one about to die need not have doubts. Somehow or other he should save his breath!The sage said that he was erring knowingly and that he can overcome sin by penance and knowledge! The low caste chandala pleaded and dissuaded Viswamitra from committing the sin. Such a great Maharshi should not stoop to such a low conduct as stealing. He asserted that the sage should not steal and eat dog’s meat!

The chandala asked the sage to choose some other food. Viswamitra replied that long back sage Agastya had eaten human flesh! He ate the demon Vatapi and digested him! Chandala said that it was allowed since it was done to save the brahmins! The sage replied that the body is very dear to him! To feed the body, he has to eat dog’s meat! Eating it cannot affect the pure soul!The chandala raised several pertinent questions and doubts to prevent Viswamitra from doing the forbidden act! But all his arguments fell on his deaf ears and the sage was hell bent on eating it! So the chandala gave up further efforts to plead against committing the sin of eating the forbidden object! He told the sage that he can proceed according to his wish since he is well versed in all the Dharma sastras! The conversation between sage Viswamitra and the chandala ended there and the sage was ready for his act!

Sage Viswamitra took the piece of dog’s meat and prepared to eat it with his wife! Before eating he wanted to please the Devas and kindled fire according to the Vedic rituals! He cooked the dog’s meat in that fire reciting the holy Vedic mantras! He invited individual Devas and offered them the 'havis’. Pleased with Viswamitra, Indra rained heavily on earth and all the medicinal herbs came alive! Later Sage Viswamitra ate the dog’s meat made holy by it's offering to the Gods! Not stopping at this, sage Viswamitra performed severe penance and destroyed all his sins! Bhishmapitamaha thus counsels Yudhistira that in critical periods of life, when one has to survive at any cost, he has to exercise his intellect properly and come out of the tight corner in one way or other!