Śatayūpa
Śatayūpa was a rājarshi (a king who became a ṛshi). He had been the king of Kekaya. After he overcame his enemies and set his own son on the throne, he gave up his rule and took up tapas (austerity) in the forest near Kurukshetra.
Dhṛtarāshṭra, Gāndhārī and Kuntī made their vānaprastha (forest-dwelling) home at Śatayūpa’s āśrama after they left Hastināpura. Vyāsa gave leave, and Śatayūpa taught Dhṛtarāshṭra the whole vidhāna (method) of life in the forest. When Nārada came to the āśrama and told how ancient kings had reached svarga (heaven) through tapas in that same forest, Śatayūpa pressed Nārada to say what gati (destination) awaited Dhṛtarāshṭra.
Former king of Kekaya
Śatayūpa had been a great king who ruled the country of Kekaya. He overcame his enemies and ruled with strength. In time he set his own son firmly on the throne of Kekaya. His royal duties were done, and he went to the forest to live as a tapasvin (one who practises tapas). He became a rājarshi in the full sense: a king who had finished his rājadharma (duty of a king) and gave the rest of his life to tapas. This is told in the Mahābhārata, Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 19.
Host to Dhṛtarāshṭra at Kurukshetra
Dhṛtarāshṭra performed the agnihotra rites on the bank of the Bhāgīrathī with Gāndhārī and Kuntī. Then, with full control of his senses, he went on to Kurukshetra, where he came upon Śatayūpa’s āśrama. Dhṛtarāshṭra went further, together with Śatayūpa, to the āśrama of Vyāsa. There the Kuru king paid Vyāsa full honour. Dhṛtarāshṭra took his dīkshā (initiation) there, and after that he lived at Śatayūpa’s own āśrama.
The great-minded Śatayūpa, with Vyāsa’s leave (anujñā), taught Dhṛtarāshṭra fully the vidhāna of āraṇya-vāsa, which is the whole discipline of forest life. This is told in the Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 19.
Present at Nārada’s words
Some time later Nārada, Parvata and the great tapasvin Devala Muni (Asita Devala) came to see Dhṛtarāshṭra. Kṛshṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa also arrived with his disciples and other siddhas (perfected beings). The elderly and deeply dhārmic rājarshi Śatayūpa was also in the gathering. Kuntī honoured all the ṛshis who had come, according to the custom of the śāstras, and they were well pleased. This is told in the Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 20.
Nārada then told what became of five kings: Sahasracitya, Śailālaya, Pṛshadhra, Purukutsa and Śaśaloma. Each of them had reached svarga through tapas done in this very forest. Śatayūpa was moved by what he heard and spoke before the whole gathering. He praised Nārada for deepening the śraddhā (faith) of the Kuru king, of the whole assembly and of Śatayūpa himself.
He then put the one question that was left. Nārada had named the destinies of several ancient kings, but he had not yet said which world Dhṛtarāshṭra himself would reach, as he did the same tapas in the same forest. Śatayūpa asked Nārada, who sees all things with divine sight, to tell the truth of Dhṛtarāshṭra’s coming gati.
This question, asked by Śatayūpa before the whole gathering, drew out Nārada’s full answer. Dhṛtarāshṭra had three years of life left. He would go with Gāndhārī to the realm of Kubera. After that he would travel in the kāmagamana vimāna (a flying vehicle that goes wherever one wishes) among the worlds of the devas, gandharvas and rākshasas. This is told in the Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 20.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapters 19–20