[Once], in the forest, tormented by hunger, [Upamanyu] ate the leaves of the arka (calotropis) plant. From those arka leaves — acrid, bitter, and burning in digestion — his eyes were damaged, and he went blind. Blind now, wandering about, he fell into a well. When he did not return, the teacher said to his pupils: ‘I have restricted Upamanyu in every way; surely he is offended, and that is why he does not come, though he has long been gone.’ Having said this, he went into the forest and called out to Upamanyu: ‘O Upamanyu, where are you? Child, come here!’ Hearing that call of the teacher, [Upamanyu] answered loudly: ‘Here I am, O teacher — I have fallen into a well.’ The teacher asked him: ‘How did you come to fall into a well?’ He replied: ‘Having eaten arka leaves, I went blind, and so I fell into the well.’ The teacher said to him: ‘Praise the Ashvins — the two divine physicians; they will restore your sight.’ Thus instructed by his teacher, [Upamanyu] began to praise the divine Ashvins with words, with hymns of the Rig[veda].