Mahabharata 3.137.9-14

Devanāgarī

स तदा मन्युनाविष्टस् तपस्वी भृशकोपनः ॥
अवलुप्य जटाम् एकां जुहावाग्नौ सुसंस्कृते ॥
ततः समभवन् नारी तस्या रूपेण संमिता ॥
अवलुप्यापरां चाथ जुहावाग्नौ जटां पुनः ॥
ततः समभवद् रक्षो घोराक्षं भीमदर्शनम् ॥
अब्रूतां तौ तदा रैभ्यं किं कार्यं करवामहे ॥
ताव् अब्रवीद् ऋषिः क्रुद्धो यवक्रीर् वध्यताम् इति ॥
जग्मतुस् तौ तथेत्य् उक्त्वा यवक्रीतजिघांसया ॥
ततस् तं समुपास्थाय कृत्या सृष्टा महात्मना ॥
कमण्डलुं जहारास्य मोहयित्वा तु भारत ॥
उच्छिष्टं तु यवक्रीतम् अपकृष्टकमण्डलुम् ॥
तत उद्यतशूलः स राक्षसः समुपाद्रवत् ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

sa tadā manyunāviṣṭas tapasvī bhṛśakopanaḥ ||
avalupya jaṭām ekāṃ juhāvāgnau susaṃskṛte ||
tataḥ samabhavan nārī tasyā rūpeṇa saṃmitā ||
avalupyāparāṃ cātha juhāvāgnau jaṭāṃ punaḥ ||
tataḥ samabhavad rakṣo ghorākṣaṃ bhīmadarśanam ||
abrūtāṃ tau tadā raibhyaṃ kiṃ kāryaṃ karavāmahe ||
tāv abravīd ṛṣiḥ kruddho yavakrīr vadhyatām iti ||
jagmatus tau tathety uktvā yavakrītajighāṃsayā ||
tatas taṃ samupāsthāya kṛtyā sṛṣṭā mahātmanā ||
kamaṇḍaluṃ jahārāsya mohayitvā tu bhārata ||
ucchiṣṭaṃ tu yavakrītam apakṛṣṭakamaṇḍalum ||
tata udyataśūlaḥ sa rākṣasaḥ samupādravat ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

स तदा मन्युनाविष्टस् तपस्वी भृशकोपनः ॥ अवलुप्य जटाम् एकां जुहावाग्नौ सुसंस्कृते ॥ ततः समभवन् नारी तस्या रूपेण संमिता ॥ अवलुप्यापरां चाथ जुहावाग्नौ जटां पुनः ॥ ततः समभवद् रक्षो घोराक्षं भीमदर्शनम् ॥ अब्रूतां तौ तदा रैभ्यं किं कार्यं करवामहे ॥ ताव् अब्रवीद् ऋषिः क्रुद्धो यवक्रीर् वध्यताम् इति ॥ जग्मतुस् तौ तथेत्य् उक्त्वा यवक्रीतजिघांसया ॥ ततस् तं समुपास्थाय कृत्या सृष्टा महात्मना ॥ कमण्डलुं जहारास्य मोहयित्वा तु भारत ॥ उच्छिष्टं तु यवक्रीतम् अपकृष्टकमण्डलुम् ॥ तत उद्यतशूलः स राक्षसः समुपाद्रवत् ॥sa tadā manyunāviṣṭas tapasvī bhṛśakopanaḥ || avalupya jaṭām ekāṃ juhāvāgnau susaṃskṛte || tataḥ samabhavan nārī tasyā rūpeṇa saṃmitā || avalupyāparāṃ cātha juhāvāgnau jaṭāṃ punaḥ || tataḥ samabhavad rakṣo ghorākṣaṃ bhīmadarśanam || abrūtāṃ tau tadā raibhyaṃ kiṃ kāryaṃ karavāmahe || tāv abravīd ṛṣiḥ kruddho yavakrīr vadhyatām iti || jagmatus tau tathety uktvā yavakrītajighāṃsayā || tatas taṃ samupāsthāya kṛtyā sṛṣṭā mahātmanā || kamaṇḍaluṃ jahārāsya mohayitvā tu bhārata || ucchiṣṭaṃ tu yavakrītam apakṛṣṭakamaṇḍalum || tata udyataśūlaḥ sa rākṣasaḥ samupādravat ||The ascetic Raibhya, extremely wrathful, overcome by fury, tore out one matted lock of hair and cast it into the well-tended fire; from it arose a woman resembling her in form; then he tore out another lock and again cast it into the fire, and a rakshasa arose, terrible-eyed and fearsome in appearance; the two asked Raibhya what they should do; the enraged sage told them to kill Yavakri, and both, saying "so be it," went forth wishing to slay Yavakri; the kritya created by the great-souled one approached him and, deceiving him, stole his water-pot; then, as Yavakri was defiled and deprived of his water-pot, the rakshasa with an upraised spear rushed upon him.

Translation

Then the ascetic Raibhya, exceedingly wrathful, overcome by fury, tore out one matted lock of hair and cast it into the well-tended fire. From it arose a woman resembling that one in form. Then he tore out another lock and again cast it into the fire. Then arose a rakshasa, terrible-eyed and fearsome to behold. Both of them then said to Raibhya: "What deed shall we perform?" The enraged sage answered them: "Let Yavakri be slain." They said: "So be it," and set out, wishing to kill Yavakri. Then the kritya, created by the great-souled one, approached him and, deceiving him, stole his water-pot, O Bharata. Then, as Yavakri was defiled and deprived of his water-pot, the rakshasa rushed upon him with an upraised spear.'

Commentary

The water-pot here is not merely a vessel: with it goes outward purity and protection. One who has neglected inner purity suddenly finds himself without support even in a rite.

Version

7e9d00b1ddee · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:06:20 PM UTC

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