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September 2009 
Fruitless Penance - a story from Mahabharata
Posted on Apr 17th, 2009
by 
Eli
Eli
There lived in their hermitages two eminent brahmanas, named Bharadwaja and Raibhya, who were dear friends.
Raibhya and his two sons, Paravasu and Arvavasu, learnt the Vedas and became famed scholars. Bharadwaja de voted himself wholly to the worship of God.
He had a son named Yavakrida who saw with jealousy and hatred that the brah- manas did not respect his ascetic father as they did the learned Raibhya.
Yavakrida practised hard penance to gain the grace of Indra. He tortured his body with austerities and thus awakened the compassion of Indra, who appeared and asked him why he so mortified his flesh.
Yavakrida replied: "I wish to be more learned in the Vedas than any has ever been before. I wish to be a great scholar. I am performing these austerities to realise that desire.
It takes a long time and involves much hardship to learn the Vedas from a teacher. I am practising austerities to acquire that knowledge directly. Bless me."
Indra smiled and said: "O brahmana, you are on the wrong path. Return home, seek a proper preceptor and learn the Vedas from him.
Austerity is not the way to learning; the path is study and study alone." With these words Indra vanished. But the son of Bharadwaja would not give up.
He pursued his course of austerities with even greater rigor, to the horror and the distress of the gods. Indra again manifested himself before Yavakrida and warned him again:
"You have taken the wrong path to acquire knowledge. You can acquire knowledge only by study. Your father learnt the Vedas by patient study and so can you. Go and study the Vedas. Desist from this vain mortification of the body."
Yavakrida did not heed even this second warning of Indra and announced defiantly that if his prayer was not granted, he would cut off his limbs one by one and offer them as oblations to the fire. No, he would never give up.
He continued his penance. One morning, during his austerities, when he went to bathe in the Ganga, be saw a gaunt old brahmana on the bank, laboriously throwing handfuls of sand into the water.
Yavakrida asked: "Old man, what are you doing?" The old man replied: "I am going to build a dam across this river. When, with handful after handful, I have built a dam of sand here, people can cross the river with ease. See how very difficult it is at present to cross it. Useful work, isn't it?"
Yavakrida laughed and said: "What a fool you must be to think you can build a dam across this mighty river with your silly handfuls of sand! Arise and take to some more useful work."
The old man said: "Is my project more foolish than yours of mastering the Vedas not by study but by austerities?" Yavakrida now knew that the old man was Indra. More humble this time, Yavakrida earnestly begged Indra. to grant him learning as a personal boon.
Indra blessed, and comforted Yavakrida with the following words:
"Well, I grant you the boon you seek. Go and study the Vedas; you will become learned."
Narrated by Raja Gopala Chari
Source : http://www.hindubooks.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=409
Raibhya and his two sons, Paravasu and Arvavasu, learnt the Vedas and became famed scholars. Bharadwaja de voted himself wholly to the worship of God.
He had a son named Yavakrida who saw with jealousy and hatred that the brah- manas did not respect his ascetic father as they did the learned Raibhya.
Yavakrida practised hard penance to gain the grace of Indra. He tortured his body with austerities and thus awakened the compassion of Indra, who appeared and asked him why he so mortified his flesh.
Yavakrida replied: "I wish to be more learned in the Vedas than any has ever been before. I wish to be a great scholar. I am performing these austerities to realise that desire.
It takes a long time and involves much hardship to learn the Vedas from a teacher. I am practising austerities to acquire that knowledge directly. Bless me."
Indra smiled and said: "O brahmana, you are on the wrong path. Return home, seek a proper preceptor and learn the Vedas from him.
Austerity is not the way to learning; the path is study and study alone." With these words Indra vanished. But the son of Bharadwaja would not give up.
He pursued his course of austerities with even greater rigor, to the horror and the distress of the gods. Indra again manifested himself before Yavakrida and warned him again:
"You have taken the wrong path to acquire knowledge. You can acquire knowledge only by study. Your father learnt the Vedas by patient study and so can you. Go and study the Vedas. Desist from this vain mortification of the body."
Yavakrida did not heed even this second warning of Indra and announced defiantly that if his prayer was not granted, he would cut off his limbs one by one and offer them as oblations to the fire. No, he would never give up.
He continued his penance. One morning, during his austerities, when he went to bathe in the Ganga, be saw a gaunt old brahmana on the bank, laboriously throwing handfuls of sand into the water.
Yavakrida asked: "Old man, what are you doing?" The old man replied: "I am going to build a dam across this river. When, with handful after handful, I have built a dam of sand here, people can cross the river with ease. See how very difficult it is at present to cross it. Useful work, isn't it?"
Yavakrida laughed and said: "What a fool you must be to think you can build a dam across this mighty river with your silly handfuls of sand! Arise and take to some more useful work."
The old man said: "Is my project more foolish than yours of mastering the Vedas not by study but by austerities?" Yavakrida now knew that the old man was Indra. More humble this time, Yavakrida earnestly begged Indra. to grant him learning as a personal boon.
Indra blessed, and comforted Yavakrida with the following words:
"Well, I grant you the boon you seek. Go and study the Vedas; you will become learned."
Narrated by Raja Gopala Chari
Source : http://www.hindubooks.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=409
Access: Public
wonderful. how much sand can be thrown into the river before realising no bridge will be built that way…
“the answer is blowing in the winds…”
I enjoyed reading this wisdom
love
I am glad you liked this Anna, please accept my warm love and a deep bow
But I have used another quotation on learning (from the Puranas), haven't you read it? “While what we have learnt is a handful, what is yet to be learnt is still an ocean (ful); so the Goddess of learning (Saraswati) is still learning…” In Tamil it is more trite, sorry for the translation…
Thank you Suresh for your input. However, the main lesson is not how little or how much one learns… the main message is “You can acquire knowledge only by study. ”
Eli, I'm wondering - is it through study of the scriptures/teachings or also the study of what Guru Life teaches?
Dear Anna,
There are various kinds of initiation: by Mantra (seed mantra, also called Beeja), by touch, by a glance, by instruction. Contact with a Superman/Super soul does bear fruit. Everyone will benefit in proportion to the degree of his/her own receptivity. There is also such a thing as special Grace (”Ahaituki Kripa”) by which unusual power to progress will be gained. On the other hand, there are cases when even after actual contact no infusion of Grace has followed; one who commands power is able to control it - giving and taking depend on His Will.
It is obvious that the Guru can pass on only as much wealth as he possesses. If the person who has given the Mantra has not reached the final goal, and hence is still on the way, the disciple can not progress any further unless the Guru does. This is why the disciple has to wait on the path so long as the Guru does not advance. Anyone aspiring to the Realization of God who starts giving initiation while he is still on the way will remain stationary at the stage at which he has arrived.
Love
Eli
Isn't it also wonderful when you first have an inner knowing and then are guided to find a book or Guru who takes you to the next level, or shows you something in words that you “just knew”. It helps us to stay grounded and also connected to the source of knowledge.
Eli, do you see people today engaged in fruitless penance?
Meenakshi, thanks for joining in discussion. “Fruitless penance” must be understood in context of this mythological story ONLY. Knowledge of Vedas needs studies, NOT penance, and in that context the penance was called “fruitless”. (The word Vedas should also be interpreted metaphorically only, not literally). However, penance has it's own value and use .. we all know it.
Thank you for clarifying, Eli.