Śatayūpa

Śatayūpa was a rājarṣi (a king who became a ṛṣi). 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 Kurukṣetra.

Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī and Kuntī made their vānaprastha (forest-dwelling) home at Śatayūpa’s āśrama after they left Hastināpura. Vyāsa gave leave, and Śatayūpa taught Dhṛtarāṣṭra 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 Dhṛtarāṣṭra.

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 rājarṣi 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 Dhṛtarāṣṭra at Kurukṣetra

Dhṛtarāṣṭra 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 Kurukṣetra, where he came upon Śatayūpa’s āśrama. Dhṛtarāṣṭra went further, together with Śatayūpa, to the āśrama of Vyāsa. There the Kuru king paid Vyāsa full honour. Dhṛtarāṣṭra took his dīkṣā (initiation) there, and after that he lived at Śatayūpa’s own āśrama.

The great-minded Śatayūpa, with Vyāsa’s leave (anujñā), taught Dhṛtarāṣṭra 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 Dhṛtarāṣṭra. Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa also arrived with his disciples and other siddhas (perfected beings). The elderly and deeply dhārmic rājarṣi Śatayūpa was also in the gathering. Kuntī honoured all the ṛṣis 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, Pṛṣadhra, 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 Dhṛtarāṣṭra 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 Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s coming gati.

This question, asked by Śatayūpa before the whole gathering, drew out Nārada’s full answer. Dhṛtarāṣṭra 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 rākṣasas. This is told in the Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 20.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapters 19–20