AYODHADHAUMYA (Āyodhadhaumya). Āpoda-
dhaumya, Apodadhaumya, Dhaumya. A great Muni
(sage). He had three disciples, Āruṇi, Upamanyu and
Veda.
1)
Disciple Āruṇi. He belonged to Pāñcāla, and once his
guru deputed him to construct embankments in the
field. But, his attempts to construct embankments
did not succeed. Finally he lay himself in the field
where the embankment was required, and then the
flow of water stopped. The guru enquired about Āruṇi,
who was thus lying in the field. Then only he knew
the reason for Āruṇi's absence. The guru went to the
field and called Āruṇi. Then the embankment burst
open and Āruṇi came out, and because of that Āruṇi
got the name Uddālaka. (M.B., Chapter 3, Verses
21-33).
2)
Disciple Upamanyu. Once Dhaumya (the guru) asked
his second disciple Upamanyu to tend the cows. He
used to take care of the animals grazing in the woods
during daytime and return home at dusk and prostrate
before the guru. Looking at the plump and healthy
body of Upamanyu the guru asked him how he was
feeding himself. His reply was that he was begging
alms and feeding himself with what he got thus. Then
the guru asked him to hand over to him (guru) all
alms got in future. After that he used to give everything
he got by way of alms to the guru. And, he continued
returning to the Gurukula at dusk and prostrating be-
fore the guru. Finding Upamanyu even then as plump
and healthy as he was formerly, the guru said: My
son Upamanyu, you hand over to me all the alms you
get, and yet your body looks as trim as of old. How
happens it so?” Upamanyu replied: “After giving the
alms I get first to you, my guru, I do again beg for
alms and feed myself”. To this the guru reacted thus:
My boy, what you do is not the proper thing. By the
second course of alms-taking you stand in the way of
other people getting their food. It is gross injustice to
do so.”
Upamanyu, from that day onwards strictly followed
his guru's instruction, and continued returning at dusk
to the guru and doing obeisance to him.
Even then finding Upamanyu to be quite plump and
healthy the guru told him: “Well, now you hand over
to me all the alms you get, and you do not take alms
a second time the same day. Yet you are quite fit and
fat. How is it so?”
To this Upamanyu's reply was that he was feeding him-
self on the milk of the cows he tended. The guru told
him that this too was not just and proper on his part.
The guru had not permitted him to drink milk thus.
Upamanyu agreed to obey his orders. And, as usual he
continued tending the cows and returning at dusk. Even
then he maintained the same plump and healthy phy-
sique. And the Guru told him as follows: “You do not
eat the food you get at the first alms-taking, you do not
go in for alms a second time the same day, nor do you
drink milk. Yet, how is it that you maintain the same
fat and healthy physique as in former days?”
Upamanyu's reply was that he was feeding now-a-days
on the foam of milk bristling at the mouth of the
calves when they had fed on their mother's milk. And,
the guru said: “if that is so the calves will be, out of
kindness and sympathy for you, releasing much foam
of milk out of their mouths. That will affect them. So,
do not repeat the process. Since the guru forbade him
to have food in any manner as detailed above, Upa-
manyu, while tending the herd of cows in the forest, ate
the bitter and poisonous leaves of a tree one day to
satisfy his burning hunger. The leaf was bitter in taste
and injurious in its properties. Therefore, this new way
of satisfying hunger affected the health of the eyes of
Upamanyu and he became blind. Moving about in this
condition he fell into a neglected well in the woods.
When, even after the sun had set, Upamanyu did not,
as usual, return, the guru enquired about him from
other disciples. Naturally, they told the guru that
Upamanyu was out in the forest with the cows. As the
guru felt that Upamanyu was staying away late in the
forest since he had been prevented from doing every-
thing he (guru) went to the forest accompanied by
other disciples and called out for Upamanyu, and
Upamanyu responded from deep down the well. He
also told the guru how he happened to fall into the well.
After telling him that if only he would pray to the
Aśvinīdevas they will cure his blindness the guru return-
ed to the Āśrama with other disciples. Upamanyu,
accordingly offered praises and prayed to the Aśvinī-
devas, who were so pleased with him that they appeared
before him and gave him a bread. Upamanyu refused
to eat the bread without giving it to the guru. Then
the Aśvinīdevas told him thus: “In the past when we
gave your guru a bread like this he ate the same with-
out giving it to his guru. You may just imitate him
and eat the bread yourself”. Even then Upamanyu did
not eat the bread. The Aśvinīdevas were so much
pleased at this that they blessed Upamanyu thus: “The
teeth of your guru will turn into hard iron and yours
into pure gold. Your blindness will be cured and all
happiness and prosperity will be yours.”
The blessings of the Aśvinīdevas took full effect, and
Upamanyu hurried to his guru and prostrated at his
feet. Dhaumya and the other disciples of his congratu-
lated Upamanyu. (M.B., Ādi Parva, Chapter 3, Verses
34-77).
3)
Disciple, Veda. Ayodhadhaumya one day said to
Veda, his third disciple: “You stay with me for some-
time serving me. That will bring you all prosperity in
life.” Veda agreed, and stayed for a long time in the
Āśrama in the service of the guru. Without even the
slightest murmur he put up with every discomfort and
hardship, be it acute hunger and thirst or extreme
cold or heat, and gladly performed all the work and
duties the master imposed on him. The guru was ab-
solutely pleased and his blessings resulted in all pros-
perity and omnipotence for the disciple. (M.B., Ādi
Parva, Chapter 3, Verses 78-80).