Gautama and the Crane Nāḍījaṅgha

This narrative is told by Bhīshma to Yudhishṭhira in the Mahābhārata. It is about kṛtaghnatā, ingratitude toward one who has done you good. Gautama is a brāhmaṇa who has fallen away from his varṇa and his duties. Two friends take him in and enrich him: first Nāḍījaṅgha, the crane king also called Rājadharma, and then the generous rākshasa king Virūpāksha. Gautama repays Nāḍījaṅgha by killing him in his sleep for food. The account ends with the plain rule that the ungrateful man has no expiation.

Yudhishṭhira’s question

After the Shaḍgītā, Yudhishṭhira asked Bhīshma what kind of person one should make a friend and what kind one should avoid. He also asked what is meant by mitra-droha (betrayal of a friend) and kṛtaghnatā (ingratitude).

Bhīshma answered over several chapters. He began with a long list of the kinds of people one should and should not befriend. Then Yudhishṭhira pressed him for the exact meaning of the kṛtaghna (the ungrateful man). Bhīshma answered with the account of Gautama.

Gautama’s fall

Gautama was a brāhmaṇa from the madhyadeśa, the central region of Āryāvarta. He had given up both the Veda and the conduct the Veda requires. The text calls him brahma-varjita, one who has set these aside. Poverty drove him into a caṇḍāla settlement, where he looked for shelter and a living.

In that settlement lived a generous thief. He was a man of mixed character. He was a career criminal, yet he kept devotion to brāhmaṇas and the habit of giving. He gave Gautama a house, a year’s supply of food and a Śūdra servant woman. Gautama lived with her and had children. Little by little he became part of the settlement’s way of life. He learned archery from the caṇḍālas and hunted birds every day. He lost every mark of a brāhmaṇa.

An old brāhmaṇa friend came to visit. He recognised Gautama with horror and begged him to change. He said: “You are from a great lineage. Your ancestors were scholars. Come away from here.” Gautama was moved and agreed to leave with him in the morning. The old friend refused all food and contact in the settlement, which he held to be unclean. He waited only until morning, and then he watched Gautama set out toward the sea coast.

The meeting with Nāḍījaṅgha

Gautama joined a group of merchants who were travelling toward the sea coast. In a mountain forest a mad elephant scattered the group. Gautama ran off alone into a beautiful forest beside the path. After wandering he found a magnificent aśvattha (peepal) tree in a clearing of golden sand. The tree looked as grand as the assembly hall of Brahmā.

At dusk a great bird came down to this tree. It was Nāḍījaṅgha, also called Rājadharma, the crane king, a being of extraordinary nature. The text says he was the son of Kaśyapa and a Dākshāyaṇī, a daughter of Daksha. He was a dear companion of Brahmā and went often to Brahmā’s assembly. He had understanding, a divine form and the bearing of a royal ṛshi.

Nāḍījaṅgha welcomed Gautama at once as a guest (atithi). He fed him fish from the great rivers. He fanned him with his wings to take away his tiredness. He made a bed of leaves for him and gave him every kind of hospitality. The next morning he sent Gautama, with a warm introduction, to the city of Virūpāksha, the rākshasa king, who was his friend.

Virūpāksha’s generosity

Virūpāksha welcomed Gautama warmly. He was giving a great feast for a thousand brāhmaṇas on Kārttika Pūrṇimā. The text describes this as an especially holy day, on which Virūpāksha made his great yearly gift (dāna). The rākshasa king did these things.

• He honoured all the brāhmaṇas with pūjā, incense, flowers and golden vessels.
• He fed them the finest food on golden plates set with gems.
• He gave them all the golden vessels they had eaten from, to take away.
• He gave out diamonds, rubies, vaidūrya gems, animal skins and woollen shawls.
• He let them all take as much as they wished.

Gautama received a great load of gold, so much that he could barely carry it. Worn out, he went back to the aśvattha tree, put the gold down and rested.

The act of ingratitude

Resting by the aśvattha tree with his gold, Gautama faced a practical problem. The road home was long, the gold was very heavy and he had no food for the journey. Nāḍījaṅgha came to him again with warmth. He fanned him, offered him more food and received him as a friend.

At this moment the Mahābhārata records Gautama’s thought plainly: “This crane is right beside me. It is a large bird. Its body would feed me for the journey. I can kill it, eat it and take the gold home.”

He waited until Nāḍījaṅgha lay down to sleep beside the fire that Gautama had built for warmth and protection. Then he took a burning brand from the fire and killed the sleeping bird. He cooked and ate the flesh. He took the gold and left.

What the world did

Virūpāksha’s son saw that Nāḍījaṅgha had not come back. He went to the aśvattha tree and found only bones. He set out after Gautama with a troop of rākshasas and caught him.

Virūpāksha heard what had happened and wept. He ordered his son to kill Gautama and let the rākshasas eat his flesh. The rākshasas refused. They said: “We will not eat this. He is a kṛtaghna. Even our stomachs will not take the flesh of an ingrate.”

They cut Gautama to pieces and threw his remains to a band of robbers. The robbers also refused his flesh. The wild animals refused to eat his body.

The Mahābhārata states the rule openly. The brahmaghna (killer of a brāhmaṇa), the surā-pāna (drinker of liquor), the thief and the one who breaks a vow, all of these have a prāyaścitta (expiation). The kṛtaghna alone has none.

Brahmā’s curse and the revival

Virūpāksha performed the last rites for Nāḍījaṅgha with sandalwood, fragrant herbs and jewels. A divine Dākshāyaṇī cow appeared above the pyre and rained milk on it from her udder. Drops of milk-foam fell on the pyre and brought Nāḍījaṅgha back to life. He rose from the ashes and flew to Virūpāksha.

Indra came to Virūpāksha’s city and explained what had happened. Nāḍījaṅgha had once failed to come to Brahmā’s assembly. Brahmā was displeased and spoke a śāpa (a curse) on him: “Since you did not come to my sabhā, you will soon be slain.” The śāpa had worked itself out through Gautama’s act, and the revival had come through the milk of the Dākshāyaṇī.

Then Nāḍījaṅgha did something extraordinary. In spite of everything, he asked Indra to bring Gautama back to life as well. Indra was moved by this greatness of heart and revived Gautama with amṛta (the nectar of life). Nāḍījaṅgha sent Gautama home with his gold. Nāḍījaṅgha himself went back to Brahmā’s assembly, where Brahmā received him with full honour.

Bhīshma’s conclusion

Bhīshma ended with these words to Yudhishṭhira.

“The kṛtaghna has no fame (yaśas), no place (sthāna) and no happiness (sukha). He cannot be trusted. There is no expiation for ingratitude.

Betrayal of a friend leads to endless narakas of the most terrible kind.

Therefore always be kṛtajña (grateful). Be mitra-kāma (devoted to your friends). From a friend everything comes. Through a friend you are honoured. Through a friend you enjoy pleasures (bhoga). Through a friend you are rescued from danger (āpat). Honour your friend with great respect (satkāra). The wise man gives up entirely the low man who is ungrateful, shameless and treacherous, and who burns his own family line.”

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Āpaddharma Parva, Chapter 168: Yudhishṭhira’s question; Gautama’s fall.
• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Āpaddharma Parva, Chapters 169–170: the meeting with Nāḍījaṅgha.
• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Āpaddharma Parva, Chapter 171: Virūpāksha’s gifts; the killing of Nāḍījaṅgha.
• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Āpaddharma Parva, Chapter 172: the rākshasas’ refusal; the rule on ingratitude.
• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Āpaddharma Parva, Chapter 173: Brahmā’s śāpa; the revival; Bhīshma’s conclusion.