Adi Parva of Sri Mahabharatha speaks very highly of the guru bhakthi of one Upamanyu, one of the disciple's of a sage by name Dhaumya. He was asked to rear cattle and Upamanyu implicitly obeyed the order of his Guru. From morning till evening he allowed them to graze and at dusk he brought them home and stood before his preceptor. Upamanyu was robust in health and constitution. Sage Dhoumya observing his personality, questioned how he maintained his health and figure. Upamanyu replied that he lived by the alms he got from the people. His guru disapproved of his act saying that he should not eat anything without offering it to the Guru! Upamanyu offered everything he got to his guru. The next day, seeing that Upamanyu had not lost weight, the guru wondered how he maintained himself. He replied that after surrendering everything he obtained in the first round, he went for begging for the second time! The Master explained that it does not go well with gurukula vasam! Upamanyu did as he was bid.
The third time, as usual, Upamanyu stood before the sage after bringing back the cattle home. Upamanyu remained the same robust person! The guru wondered how in spite of taking away his food Upamanyu could maintain his personality. When questioned, Upamanyu replied that he was living by the milk of the cows! The sage grew angry and said that he had not allowed Upamanyu to drink milk.The disciple obeyed his teacher implicitly! There was no change in Upamanyu’s constitution! This astonished the guru as he gave away all the food to the guru, didn't beg for alms for a second time, nor did he drink cow's milk! Upamanyu told his teacher that he lived by the foamy milk left by the calves after their feed! Heartless teacher as he was, sage Dhaumya forbade him from drinking that also! Upamanyu, being the most faithful disciple, literally followed the orders of his master and refrained from drinking the leftover milk also! To sustain himself and tortured by hunger, Upamanyu ate “Jilledu” leaves which were bitter and hot! The leaves were unfit for consumption and Upamanyu became blind on account of its ill effect!
Groping and moving about blindly, Upamanyu fell into a well in the area! It was very late in the evening but there was no sign of Upamanyu! Sage Dhaumya was alarmed and thinking that Upamanyu would be angry for the strict orders from him, went to the forest in search of him. Nearing the well,the sage called him loudly and wanted to know where he was. Hearing the call of his teacher, Upamanyu replied that he had become blind and fallen into the well nearby! Sage Dhaumya was sorry for the cruelty on his part and wanted to help him as quickly as possible! He directed Upamanyu to invoke the Divine doctors, the Aswini Devas who would surely restore his lost vision! Upamanyu obeyed the words of his teacher and invoked the Aswini Devas through Vedic mantras! He praised them as responsible for curing the Sun God of his leprosy! Maya or illusion depends on the Aswini Devas! “ O Aswini Devas! You wear garlands of lotus flowers. You have no death! You support yajnas! You are famous and appear first during the Somayaga! You were born with youth from the womb! There is no stay for you for nine months in the mother’s womb! I beseech you and request you to grant me my lost vision so that I can live happily! It is impossible for me to praise your great and noble qualities! I am blind and groping in darkness by falling in this well!” prayed Upamayu
Immensely pleased with the praise bestowed on them, and sympathizing with Upamanyu’s pathetic situation, the Aswini Devas presented themselves before him. They said they were happy and offered him a sweet “apoopam” and asked him to eat it! But Upamanyu said that he would not eat it before offering it to his guru!The Devas were stunned at the words of Upamanyu. They replied that sage Dhaumya too was offered “apoopam” earlier and he ate it without offering it to his guru! So Upamanyu can follow his master and eat the sweet offered by the Devas! But the faithful disciple, Upamanyu refused to eat without offering it to his teacher sage Dhaumya! The Aswini Devas were touched by the devotion of Upamanyu for his preceptor. They blessed him with vision and vanished!
Upamanyu was besides himself with joy. He didn't believe in what had happened. He went straight to his Guru, sage Dhaumya and reported what had happened. He prostrated before his teacher and waited for his word! Sage Dhaumya was immensely pleased at the turn of events! He blessed Upamanyu and wished him well! He said that all the Vedas, and the Dharma sastras would reach him on account of his blessings! Sometimes, the severe discipline and testing times during gurukulavasa would end in great happiness and benefit for the sishya!
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