Story of Vararuchi

Continued from  Chapter II The Incarnation of Pushpadanta as a man

In the city of Kauśámbí there lived a Bráhman (a person from an upper–class family, esp. a family with considerable social and political power) called Soma, and his wife was called Vasu. She was the daughter of a hermit, and was born into the world in this position in consequence of a curse; and I was born by her to this excellent Bráhman, also in consequence of a curse. Now while I was still quite a child my father died, but my mother continued to support me, as I grew up, by severe drudgery.

Then one day two Bráhmans, nameed Vyadi and Indra came to our house to stay a night, exceedingly dusty with a long journey; and while they were staying in our house there arose the noise of a drum, thereupon my mother said to me, sobbing, as she called to mind her husband—“there, my son, is your father’s friend Nanda, giving a dramatic entertainment.” I answered, “I will go and see it, and will exhibit the whole of it to you, with a recitation of all the speeches.” On hearing that words of mine, those Bráhmans were astonished, but my mother said to them—“There is no doubt about the truth of what he says; this boy will remember by heart everything that he has heard once.” Then I went with the two Bráhmans and saw that play, and when I came home, I went through the whole of it in front of my mother: then one of the Bráhmans, named Vyáḍi, having ascertained that I was able to recollect a thing on hearing it once, told with reverence this tale to my mother.

Mother, in the city of Vetasa there were two Bráhman brothers, Deva and Karamba, who loved one another very dearly; this Indra here is the son of one of them, and I am the son of the other, and my name is Vyáḍi. It came to pass that my father died. Owing to grief for his loss, the father of Indra went on a long journey, and then our two mothers died of broken heart due to grief; thereupon being orphans though we had wealth, we desired to acquire knowledge, and we went to the southern region to supplicate the Lord Subramanya. And while we were engaged in austerities there, the god gave us the following revelation in a dream. “There is a city called Páṭaliputra, the capital of king Nanda, and in it there is a Bráhman, named Varsha, from him ye shall learn all knowledge, therefore go there.” Then we went to that city, and when we made enquiries there, people said to us: “There is a blockhead of a Bráhman in this town, of the name of Varsha.” Immediately we went on with minds in a state of suspense, and saw the house of Varsha in a miserable condition, made a very ant-hill by mice, dilapidated by the cracking of the walls, untidy, deprived of eaves, looking like the very birth-place of misery.

Lord Subramanya

 

Then, seeing Varsha plunged in deep meditation within the house, we approached his wife, who showed us all proper hospitality; her body was emaciated and begrimed, her dress tattered and dirty; she looked like the incarnation of poverty, attracted thither by admiration for the Bráhman’s virtues. Bending humbly before her, we then told her our circumstances, and the report of her husband’s imbecility, which we heard in the city. She exclaimed—“My children, I am not ashamed to tell you the truth; listen! I will relate the whole story,” and then she proceeded to tell us the tale which follows:

There lived in this city an excellent Bráhman, named Śankara, and he had two sons, my husband Varsha, and Upavarsha; my husband was stupid and poor, and his younger brother was just the opposite: and Upavarsha appointed his own wife to manage his elder brother’s house. Then in the course of time, the rainy season came on, and at this time the women are in the habit of making a cake of flour mixed with molasses, of an unbecoming and disgusting shape, and giving it to any Bráhman who is thought to be a blockhead, and if they act thus, this cake is said to remove their discomfort caused by bathing in the cold season, and their exhaustion caused by bathing in the hot weather; but when it is given, Bráhmans refuse to receive it, on the ground that the custom is a disgusting one. This cake was presented by my sister-in-law to my husband, together with a sacrificial fee; he received it, and brought it home with him, and got a severe scolding from me; then he began to be inwardly consumed with grief at his own stupidity, and went to worship the sole of the foot of the god Subramanya: the god, pleased with his austerities, bestowed on him the knowledge of all the sciences; and gave him this order—“When thou findest a Bráhman who can recollect what he has heard only once, then thou mayest reveal these”—thereupon my husband returned home delighted, and when he had reached home, told the whole story to me. From that time forth, he has remained continually muttering prayers and meditating: so you find some one who can remember anything after hearing it once, and bring him here: if you do that, you will both undoubtedly obtain all that you desire.

Having heard this from the wife of Varsha, we went out of that city; then we wandered through the earth, and could not find anywhere a person who could remember what he had only heard once: at last we arrived tired out at your house today, and have found here this boy, your son, who can recollect anything after once hearing it: therefore give him to us and let us go forth to acquire the knowledge.

Having heard this speech, my mother said, “All this tallies completely; I repose confidence in your tale: for long ago at the birth of this my only son, a distinct spiritual voice was heard from the heavens. “A boy has been born who shall be able to remember what he has heard once; he shall acquire knowledge from Varsha, and shall make the science of grammar famous in the world, and he shall be called Vararuchi by name, because whatever he desires, shall be granted to him.” Having uttered this, the voice ceased. Consequently, ever since this boy has grown big, I have been thinking, day and night, where that teacher Varsha can be, and today I have been exceedingly gratified at hearing it from your mouth. Therefore take him with you: what harm can there be in it, he is your brother?” When they heard this speech of my mother’s, those two, Vyáḍi and Indradatta, was overwhelmed with joy. Then they quickly gave their own wealth to my mother to provide a feast, and desiring that I should be qualified to read the Vedas, invested me with the Bráhmanical thread.

Then Vyáḍi and Indra took me, we set out rapidly from that city; then in course of time we arrived at the house of the teacher Varsha. The next day he placed us in front of him, and sitting down in a consecrated spot, he began to recite the syllable Om with heavenly voice. Immediately the Vedas with the six supplementary sciences rushed into his mind, and then he began to teach them to us; then I retained what the teacher told us after hearing it once, Vyáḍi after hearing it twice, and Indra after hearing it three times: then the Bráhmans of the city hearing of a sudden divine sound, came at once from all quarters with wonder stirring in their breasts to see what this new thing might be; and with their reverend mouths loud in his praises honoured Varsha with low bows. Then beholding that wonderful miracle, not only Upavarsha, but all the citizens of Páṭaliputra celebrated with joy. Moreover the king Nanda of exalted fortune, seeing the power of the boon of Lord Subramanya, was delighted, and immediately filled the house of Varsha with wealth, showing him every mark of respect.