Sage Durvasa Story – Chapter 2: Testing Gods and Humans

The Trial of Gods and Men

In the previous chapter, we learned about the birth of sage Durvasa and his wondrous powers. Possessing an irritable nature, sage Durvasa was renowned in all three worlds due to his penance. In this chapter, we will see how his irritable nature tests the gods and men, and how his curses shape future events.

The Misfortune of Indra and Airavata

Once, Indra, the king of heaven, was wandering in a forest riding his elephant Airavata. The atmosphere was extremely peaceful and enchanting; birds were chirping and a cool breeze was blowing. Indra was engrossed in his opulence, proud of his position and power. Just then, he saw sage Durvasa approaching from a distance, returning from his penance. The sage's face radiated brilliance, but the flames of anger also flickered in his eyes.

Seeing Indra, sage Durvasa threw a divine flower garland towards him, which had been gifted to him by Lord Vishnu. Arrogantly, Indra placed the garland on Airavata's head. Airavata sniffed the fragrant garland and then trampled it with his feet. Seeing this, sage Durvasa was filled with rage. "Indra! You have insulted Lord Vishnu! Your opulence will be destroyed, and your heaven will be devoid of glory!"

Granting a Mantra to Kunti

In another incident, sage Durvasa arrived at the palace of King Kuntibhoja. Kuntibhoja honored him and appointed his daughter Kunti to serve him. Kunti served the sage with utmost devotion and sincerity. Sage Durvasa was pleased with Kunti's service and gave her a mantra by which she could invoke any god and beget a son. Kunti was surprised but believed the sage's words.

To satisfy her curiosity, Kunti decided to test the mantra. She invoked the Sun God. Immediately, the Sun God appeared and granted Kunti a radiant son, who later became known as Karna. Kunti was frightened, as she was unmarried. She kept this incident a secret but became aware of the power of the mantra given by sage Durvasa. Kunti thought, "This mantra is truly amazing! But what should I do now? This son could become a cause of trouble for me."

Attempt to Curse King Ambarisha

King Ambarisha was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. He observed Ekadashi fasts and worshipped the Lord with complete devotion. Once, he observed a special Ekadashi fast, and the time for breaking the fast (parana) was approaching. Just then, sage Durvasa arrived at his door. King Ambarisha invited the sage for a meal. The sage accepted but said he would eat after bathing in the river.

The sage took too long to bathe, and the time for parana began to pass. King Ambarisha, in a dilemma, consulted scholars. He broke his fast by drinking water so that neither the guest would be insulted nor the fast would be broken. When sage Durvasa returned, he learned that King Ambarisha had broken his fast before his arrival. He became angry and created a 'Kritya' (a terrible demoness) to kill King Ambarisha. However, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra destroyed Kritya, and that Chakra began to pursue sage Durvasa. He fled through all three worlds but could not escape the Chakra. Finally, he begged Lord Vishnu for forgiveness. This incident shows that Lord Vishnu definitely protects his devotees, and pride leads to bad consequences.