Maṇḍūkopākhyāna

The Maṇḍūkopākhyāna is an account in the Mahābhārata, in the Vana Parva, Chapter 192. The ṛshi Mārkaṇḍeya tells it to Yudhishṭhira and the Pāṇḍavas. It is about King Parīkshit of the Ikshvāku line, who ruled Ayodhyā. He married Suśobhanā, the daughter of Āyus, the king of the frogs (Maṇḍūka-rāja), on one condition: that he would never show her water.

The account then follows his sons Śala and Dala. Both kept the divine vāmya horses of the ṛshi Vāmadeva and did not return them. Mārkaṇḍeya tells it to show the greatness (māhātmya) of brāhmaṇas.

Parīkshit’s hunt and the forest lake

King Parīkshit of the Ikshvāku line ruled Ayodhyā. He is not the Parīkshit who was the grandson of Arjuna. He was an older king of the same solar line.

One day he went hunting alone. He chased a wild animal deep into the forest and became tired and thirsty. He found a beautiful forest lake. He went into it and refreshed himself and his horse.

While he rested by the lake, he heard sweet singing. He saw a very beautiful young woman gathering flowers near the edge of the water. Her beauty drew him. He asked who she was and said he wished to make her his wife.

The Gāndharva marriage with Suśobhanā

The young woman agreed to marry him, but she set one firm condition: he must never show her water. Parīkshit agreed. They were joined in a gāndharva marriage at that very place. The king’s army came looking for him. Then the king and his new wife went back to Ayodhyā together, and they lived in great happiness.

The king’s minister knew the queen could not be shown water. He made a special royal garden with no water to be seen. A well was dug and covered with flowering vines. The whole garden was kept free of open pools and streams. The queen lived contentedly there.

The well and Suśobhanā’s disappearance

One day the king and queen were walking in the garden. The queen went to the well. It had been hidden by the vines, but not completely. She went down into the water of the well and did not come up.

The king had the well drained completely to search for her. He found nothing, only a small frog at an outlet.

He was angry and full of grief. He ordered that every frog in his kingdom be killed. A great killing of frogs began across the land. The frogs that were left fled in terror to their king, Āyus, the Maṇḍūka-rāja, the father of Suśobhanā.

Āyus tells the truth

Āyus came to Parīkshit in the form of a tapasvin (one who practises austerity) brāhmaṇa and spoke to him. He said the king’s anger fell on innocent frogs, but it came from real grief. Then he told the truth. The queen Parīkshit loved was Suśobhanā, his own daughter. She belonged to the frog clan, and it was her nature to return to the water.

Āyus said that Suśobhanā had deceived kings before. She had charmed other kings in the same way and then left them. This was her nature. He asked pardon for her and offered to give her back to the king in the proper way. He also told the king to stop killing frogs. The killing served no purpose and went against dharma.

Suśobhanā returned and the three sons

Āyus gave Suśobhanā to Parīkshit again in the proper way. He blessed her to serve her husband faithfully. He also pronounced a śāpa (a curse) on her for her past deceit: her children would be enemies of brāhmaṇas. The couple was reconciled and went back to their life together.

Parīkshit and Suśobhanā had three sons: Śala, Dala and Bala. When Śala came of age, Parīkshit made him king and went to the forest to practise tapas (austerity).

Śala and Vāmadeva’s horses

One day the young king Śala was hunting. He saw an animal and wished to chase it at great speed. His charioteer said their horses were not fast enough. He told Śala that the ṛshi Vāmadeva had wonderful vāmya horses, divine horses that could go anywhere.

Śala insisted. He went to Vāmadeva’s āśrama (hermitage) and asked to borrow the horses for the hunt. He promised to bring them back at once.

Vāmadeva agreed to lend the horses, on the clear condition that they be returned quickly. Śala took the horses, chased his prey and finished his hunt. But when he came back to Ayodhyā, he told himself that such fine horses suited a king better than a ṛshi. He kept them and did not return them.

Vāmadeva sent his disciple to ask for the horses back. Śala refused and brushed the request aside with pride. Vāmadeva went himself and was refused again. Śala even threatened him. Then Vāmadeva gave a grave warning. If the horses were not returned, four terrible rākshasas carrying tridents would come and kill the king, and they would cut his body into four pieces. Śala still refused.

The rākshasas appeared exactly as Vāmadeva had said. They killed the proud Śala and carried his body away.

Dala continues the wrong

The nobles of the Ikshvāku line made Dala, the second son of Parīkshit, king. Vāmadeva came to the new king and asked for his horses. Dala spoke more gently at first, but in the end he also refused to return them. He even threatened Vāmadeva’s life. Vāmadeva then used the power of his tapas. The very arrow that Dala had fitted to his bow against the ṛshi flew back into the inner rooms of the palace and struck Dala’s own young son, Śyenajit.

Dala heard that his son was dead and was shaken. Vāmadeva again offered terms. He would bless the royal family, and the dead son could live again, if Dala would simply admit the wrong and return the horses.

Dala’s wife showed the wisdom the king lacked. She bowed down before Vāmadeva and begged forgiveness and grace for the royal family. Her devotion and humility moved the ṛshi. He blessed her. He promised that her husband would be freed of his fault and that her son would live. Dala, moved by all that had happened, at last gave the vāmya horses back to Vāmadeva with due respect.

What Mārkaṇḍeya teaches

Mārkaṇḍeya tells this account to Yudhishṭhira to show the greatness of brāhmaṇas, and the heavy price of wronging them or breaking a promise made to them. Two kings of the same house, Śala and Dala, took the same road of dishonour. Śala died for his stubborn pride. Dala was set free by the plea of a righteous queen who understood how serious the matter was. The power of a brāhmaṇa lies not in weapons or armies but in tapas and satya (truth).

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192