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विपुलोपाख्यान (vipulopAkhyAna)

 
Mahabharata
English
[Vipulopākhyāna(ṃ)]
(“the episode about Vipula”): § 743b (Ānuśāsanik.). Bhīshma said: There was, in days of yore, a Ṛ. Devaśaraman
his beautiful wife Ruci fascinated every one who saw her, both D., G., and Dā., and particularly Indra. Devaśarman knew very well the disposition of women, as well as Indra's coveting other men's wives. Once, desirous of performing a sacrifice, he summoned his favourite disciple Vipula Bhārgava, and asked him, during his absence, to protect Ruci against Indra, describing to him the disguises that Indra assumes (). Vipula, by his Yoga-power, entered the body of Ruci (description) (XIII, 40). Indra came, but Ruci was unable to move or to utter a word in reply
then, influenced by Vipula, she answered in Sanskrit (? vāṇī saṃskārabhūshaṇā) words that she did not intend to utter. Indra became perplexed, and when he with his spiritual eye discovered Vipula within Ruci, he became afraid that he might curse him. Vipula left the body of Ruci and returned to his own body which was lying near, and rebuked Indra, mentioning Gautama's curse, owing to which Indra's body became disfigured with 1, 000 sex-marks, which, owing to Gautama's compassion, were afterwards changed into eyes, “see that thou dost not, with thy sons and counsehors, meet with destruction.” Śakra, overwhelmed with shame, made himself invisible. A moment after, Devaśarman came back, and granted Vipula the boon that he should never swerve away from righteousness
dismissed by his preceptor, Vipula left his abode and practised the most severe austerities. Devaśarman also, with his spouse, began to live in the woods, perfectly fearless of Indra (XIII, 41). Vipula became full of pride. After some time the occasion came for a ceremony of gifts, with respect to the sister of Ruci ~ the Aṅga-king Citraratha. Meanwhile, a celestial damsel dropped some flowers down to the earth
they were picked up by Ruci, who, adorned with them, went to the palace of the Aṅgaking. Her sister, Prabhāvatī, the Aṅga-queen, urged her to obtain some for her, and Ruci informed her husband, who, summoning Vipula, commanded him to bring him some flowers of the same kind. Vipula found some such flowers still lying scattered, quite fresh, and set out for Campā
on his way he saw a human couple moving in a circle, hand in hand
a dispute arose between them, and at last, each of them took the oath “that one of us who speaks falsely shall, in the next world, meet with the end which will be Vipula's”. Vipula became very sad
proceeding a little way he beheld six other men playing with dice made of gold and silver
they were heard by Vipula to take the same oath as the first couple. At last he recollected the manner in which he had acted in protecting his preceptor's wife (placing limb within limb, face within face), without telling his preceptor the truth. Coming to Campā, he gave the flowers to his preceptor (XIII, 42). Devaśarman, too, knew what he had seen on his way, and how he had acted in protecting Ruci
he explained that the first couple were Day and Night, the others the six Seasons. He absolved Vipula and ascended to heaven with his wife and his disciple. Mārkaṇḍeya had narrated this tale to Bhīshma on the banks of the Gaṅgā (XIII, 43).