akṛtavraṇa

a-kṛta—vraṇa m. N. of a commentator on the Purāṇas, VP.

of a companion of Rāma Jāmadagnya, MBh.

of a teacher.

akṛtavraṇa (1. akṛta + vraṇa) m. Name eines Purāṇa - Lehrers VP.

akṛtavraṇa N. pr. eines Begleiters (anucara) des Rāma Jāmadagnya MBH. 3, 11027. fgg. (S. 570). 5, 6058. fgg. N. pr. eines Lehrers Verz. d. Oxf. H. 55,b,41.

akṛtavraṇa m. N.pr. verschiedener Männer.

Akṛtavraṇa, a follower of Paraśu-Rāma. § 393 (Paraśu-

Rāma): III, 115, 10127 (Rāmasyānucaraṃ vīram), (10129).—

§ 394 (Arjuna Kārtavīrya): III, 115 (10133).—§ 394b

(Tīrthayātrāp.): III, 115: A. had followed Rāma Jāma-

dagnya and been an eye-witness of all his deeds in former

days.—§ 395 (Jamadagni): III, 115 (10150).—§ 396 (do.):

III, 116 (10171).—§ 573 (Ambop.): V, 176, 6058 (Rāma-

syānucaraḥ priyaḥ), 6062, 6063, (6064); 177 (6083), (6091);

179, 7132 (he acted as Yuyutsu's charioteer, sakhā Veda-vid

atyantaṃ dayito Bhārgavasya ha); 180, 7179 (°prabhṛtayaḥ

…Rāmasyānucarāḥ); 184, 7280 (sakhā vipro, sc.

Rāmasya).—§ 734 (Ānuśāsanik.): XIII, 26α, 1765 (among

the ṛṣis who surround Bhīṣma when he lies on his

arrow bed).

Akṛtavraṇa (I) — a Brāhman invited for the Rājasūya of

Yudhiṣṭhira to officiate as a priest.

Bhā., X. 74. 9.

Akṛtavraṇa (II) — a Paurāṇika. Learnt one of the four

Mūlasamhitas from the disciple of Vyāsa;¹ a pupil of Roma-

harṣaṇa; otherwise known as Kāśyapa.² [Footnote] 1) Bhā., XII. 7. 5, 7. [Footnote] 2) Vi. III. 6. 17.

Akṛtavraṇa (III) — a sage.

Br. II. 35. 63.

Akṛtavraṇa (IV) — the Brahman boy rescued by Paraśu-

rāma, his guru, from the jaws of a tiger.¹ Advised to take

courage and console his mother; condoled with him on the

loss of his parents.² Accompanied Paraśurāma, to Mandira

for a twelve years' penance and to Mahendra for another

course of austerities. Helped Paraśurāma in his Aśvamedha

and the penance after.³ [Footnote] 1) Br. III. 26. 3; 30. 21; 34, 8, 29; 35. 37. [Footnote] 2) Br. III. 37. 10;

38, 2, 35; 39. 13; 41. 15, 17; 43, 31; 44. 1, 30. [Footnote] 3) Br. III. 46.

3, 28; 47. 34, 59.

AKṚTAVRAṆA .

1) General information. Akṛtavraṇa was a great sage of

erudition and was a disciple of Paraśurāma. He is ex-

tolled in the Purāṇas and it is said that Sūta who recited

first the story of Mahābhārata to an assembly of sages in

the forest of Naimiśa was a disciple of Akṛtavraṇa.

(Skandha 12 of Bhāgavata).

2) How he became a disciple of Paraśurāma. Para urāma

was returning after obtaining arrows from Lord Śiva

after pleasing him by fierce penance. He was walking

briskly through the dense forests anxious to be at the side

of his preceptors to get their blessings. As he passed a

great cave he heard a moan and on getting to the site

of the sound found a brahmin boy being attacked by a

tiger. The tiger immediately fell dead by an arrow from

Paraśurāma. Lo! the tiger turned into a gandharva

freed now from a curse because of which he was for years

living as a tiger. The gandharva bowed down respect-

fully and thanked the sage for giving him relief and left

the place. The brahmin boy fell down at the feet of

Paraśurāma and said, “Great Lord, because of you I

have now become Akṛtavraṇa meaning one who has not

received any wound. (Akṛta=not having secured.

Vraṇa=wound). I shall, therefore, be your disciple for-

ever hereafter”. From that day onwards he never left

Paraśurāma but followed him as his disciple.

3) Other details. (1) In the story of Mahābhārata we

find Akṛtavraṇa in several different contexts appearing

on behalf of Paraśurāma. It was Akṛtavraṇa who told

Dharmaputra the life and exploits of Paraśurāma during

the exile of the Pāṇḍavas in the forests. (Chapters 115 to

117, Vana Parva, M.B.).

(2) In Chapter 83 of Udyoga Parva we read about

Akṛtavraṇa meeting Śrī Kṛṣṇa while the latter was going

to Hastināpura.

(3) In Chapter 173 of Udyoga Parva we read about

Akṛtavraṇa detailing the history of the Kaurava dynasty

to Duryodhana.

(4) Akṛtavraṇa has played a very important role in the

story of Ambā, daughter of the King of Kāśī. Ambā

along with her two sisters, Ambikā and Ambālikā, were

brought down to Hastināpura by Bhīṣma for his brother

Vicitravīrya to marry. But on knowing that Ambā had

mentally chosen Sālva as her husband, Bhīṣma allowed

her to go back to Sālva. But on her return to Sālva he

refused to accept her and she came back to Hastināpura.

Bhīṣma then requested Vicitravīrya to accept her as

his wife which, unfortunately, Vicitravīrya also refused

to do. Ambā then turned to Bhīṣma and besought him

to marry her which, much to his regret, he could not do

because of his vow of celibacy. Thus forsaken by all,

all her sweetness turned into bitter hatred towards

Bhīṣma and she remained alive thereafter only to kill

Bhīṣma. But even the foremost of warriors were not

willing to antagonise Bhīṣma and so her appeal to help

was not heeded by any. It was then that Hotravāha her

grandfather on the maternal side met her and directed

her to Paraśurāma. When she went to Paraśurāma it

was Akṛtavraṇa who received her and on hearing her

sorrowful tale encouraged her to seek vengeance on

Bhīṣma. Again it was he who persuaded Paraśurāma to

champion her cause and go for a fight against Bhīṣma.

During the fight Akṛtavraṇa acted as charioteer to

Paraśurāma. (Śloka 9, Chapter 179, Udyoga Parva,

M.B.).

(5) Akṛtavraṇa was one of the many sages who were

lying on a bed of arrows during the great Kurukṣetra

battle. (Śloka 8, Chapter 26, Anuśāsana Parva, M.B.).