Sudarśana, son of Agni

Sudarśana was the son of Agni and the princess Sudarśanā. Her father was the ancient king Duryodhana of the Ikṣvāku line, and her mother was the river-devī Narmadā. This Sudarśana is a different person from Sudarśana Cakra, the discus weapon of Bhagavān Viṣṇu.

Sudarśana was as radiant as the full moon and learned in the Veda from boyhood. He married Oghavatī and lived as a gṛhastha (householder) at Kurukṣetra. He made a vow to conquer Mṛtyu (Death) through perfect atithi-sevā (service to guests). Dharma himself came in the form of a brāhmaṇa and tested him by asking for Oghavatī’s body as hospitality. Sudarśana met the test with joy and not with anger. This showed his mastery over kāma (desire) and krodha (anger). Dharma showed his true form, and Indra came in person to take the couple to the highest worlds, from which there is no return.

Birth and lineage

Sudarśana’s grandfather was the ancient rājarṣi (royal seer) Duryodhana of the Ikṣvāku line. He was a descendant of Manu through Ikṣvāku, Daśāśva, Madirāśva, Dyutimanta, Suvīra and Durjaya. He married the river-devī Narmadā.

Their daughter, the princess Sudarśanā, was very beautiful. King Duryodhana would not give her to any suitor of lower standing. This included Agni, who was not born a kṣatriya. Agni took offence and vanished from the king’s yajña. The king then learned that Agni himself wished to marry the princess, and he gave way. They were married. In time Sudarśanā bore Agni a son, who was given his mother’s name, Sudarśana. He was a moon-faced child, and even in boyhood he mastered the Vedic teaching about Parabrahma.

Marriage and the vow

Sudarśana married Oghavatī, the daughter of King Oghavat. They settled as householders at Kurukṣetra. There he made a solemn vrata (vow). He would live fully in the gṛhastha-āśrama and still conquer Mṛtyu. He would do this not by giving up the world but by steady devotion to atithi-sevā. He told Oghavatī that nothing an atithi (guest) wished for should ever be refused, not even her own body. He said this vow was never absent from his heart.

The test of Dharma

Mṛtyu had followed Sudarśana everywhere, looking for any lapse in his vow. One day Sudarśana was in the forest gathering samidhas (sticks of sacred firewood). A brāhmaṇa guest came, who was secretly Dharma. He asked for Oghavatī’s own body as his hospitality. Mṛtyu watched. Oghavatī remembered her husband’s standing instruction and agreed.

Sudarśana came back and learned what had happened. He put away all īrṣyā (jealousy) and krodha and rejoiced. He said that for a gṛhastha there is no higher dharma than that a guest leaves satisfied. He swore an oath of truth upon his own body. He called on the ten witnesses that live inside every body: pṛthivī, vāyu, ākāśa, jala, agni, buddhi, ātmā, manas, kāla and dik.

Dharma’s blessing and the ascent

Dharma was pleased and showed his true form. He said that Sudarśana, by his own courage and strength, had conquered the Mṛtyu who stalked him. He had also conquered the pañcabhūtas (the five elements), buddhi, kāla, manas, ākāśa, and kāma and krodha.

Dharma said that Oghavatī would become a holy river that bears her own name, while her other half would always stay in Sudarśana’s service. Then Indra arrived in person with a chariot drawn by a thousand white horses. He carried Sudarśana and Oghavatī, in their own bodies, to the eternal worlds from which there is no return.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 2