Ancient Rishi-s would do seamless travel across Bhaarata. Rishi Mandavya was one such learned scholar of the Vedic scriptures.

As per local folklore, there are many present-day locations related to Rishi Mandavya’s life:

• He did penance in the region called Mandavya, later changed to Mandya of Karnataka state. He advised the local King Indravarma to build the Sri Lakshmi Janardhana temple here
• God Vishnu blessed Mandavya at the Dakshina Sheshadri temple of Terakanambi near Mysuru
• Mandavya built the Vasantha Vallabharaya temple on a hillock in Bengaluru’s Vasanthapura
• He built the Ranganathaswamy temple near Magadi also in the Karnataka state
• God Shiva appeared at the Mandavya Rishi temple in Mandavgan near Ahilya Nagar of Maharashtra state
• He did penance in the Rishi Mandavya cave near Lakhangaon in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh state. This ancient cave is on the banks of River Narmada
• There is a Mahadev mandir – Mandavya ashram in Fingeshwar in the Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh state
• He meditated on the banks of River Beas at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh state. He was impaled here

The story of impalement of the distinguished sage is in Maharishi Vyasa’s epic Mahabharata.

Rishi Mandavya, a virtuous Brahmana was doing dhyana outside his ashrama. A few robbers came there and deposited their booty, as king’s soldiers were chasing them. The soldiers asked the sage if he had seen any thieves? Since Mandavya was in meditation, he kept quiet. The soldiers found the loot inside his abode. They caught him and took him to the local king. The king sentenced him to a painful death by impaling him on a stake. He was kept without food and left to die. But with his yogic powers, he remained alive for a long time.

When the king found out, he rushed there and begged for forgiveness. Mandavya pardoned him though he was wrongly accused of theft. The king tried hard to remove the pike, but the end remained inside. Thus, the sage got the name Ani-Mandavya (ani meaning tip). He lived in pain with the stake piece inside him.

Much later in Yama-loka, Mandavya met Yamaraja (the demigod of death and justice). He asked for the reason for such a punishment as he did not recollect performing any grave sin. Yamaraja replied that in the past he had pierced a small insect with a blade of grass. Any karma performed will beget a corresponding karma-phala. Mandavya thought his punishment was unfair as he was too young at that time. He added that the scriptures also say that karmas performed before the age of 12 years are not counted. The illustrious sage proclaimed that henceforth no act would be sinful if done before the age of 14. With the powers from his severe penances, he cursed Yamaraja to be reborn on Earth amongst the Shudra-s (service-oriented). This was a punishment for causing Brahma-hatya (killing a Brahmana).

Thus, Yamaraja was born as Vidura to a daasi (maid-servant) in Hastinapura (near present-day Meerut in Uttar Pradesh). Vidura was a great adherent of Dharma (moral laws of nature) as he was an incarnation of Yamaraja. Vidura went on to become the Prime Minister of the powerful kingdom.

This article is an excerpt from the book ‘Mahabharata: A World War’ by Gaurang Damani. The book is available at Padhega India and other online stores.