Yavakrita Performs Austerities for Vedic Knowledge

Tormented by envy that his ascetic father receives no honour while a rival sage and his sons are celebrated, Yavakrita resolves to obtain the Vedas through sheer austerity rather than study. He burns his body in a great fire, disturbing Indra himself — who tries twice to dissuade him, first with advice, then with a parable of a sand bridge across the Ganga.

Chapter 432 · ~2 min

Bharadvaja Warns Yavakrita About Pride

Yavakrita has obtained every boon he desired, and his father Bharadvaja sees the danger. To warn his son against arrogance, Bharadvaja tells him the ancient story of Medhavi — a sage's son who believed himself untouchable, insulted the wrong man, and died when the mountains that held his life were shattered by buffaloes.

Chapter 433 · ~2 min

The Tale of Medhavi's Pride and Destruction

Valadhi, grieving for a son, performed austerities until the gods granted him one — but with a condition: the boy would be mortal, his life-span tied to the mountains. When Medhavi grew insolent and insulted the sage Dhanushaksha, the curse meant nothing — until Dhanushaksha understood where the boy's life truly lived.

Chapter 433 · ~1 min

Yavakrita Continues to Injure Rishis

Yavakrita spoke sweetly to his father, promising to honour Raibhya. But the promise was only words. Feeling fearless, he continued to take great pleasure in causing injury to other rishis — unchanged by the story he had just heard.

Chapter 433 · ~1 min

Raibhya Creates Kritya and Rakshasa to Kill Yavakrita

Raibhya hears of Yavakrita's misconduct and is consumed by such fury that his heart seems to burn. He plucks a lock of hair and offers it into the fire — a woman arises. He plucks another — a rakshasa with terrible eyes appears. He commands them to kill Yavakrita, and they go to execute his order.

Chapter 434 · ~1 min

Yavakrita Killed by Rakshasa at Father's Door

Pursued by the rakshasa and finding every water source dried up, Yavakrita flees to his father's agnihotra for refuge. But a blind shudra guard bars the door, restraining him by force while the rakshasa closes in with the spear.

Chapter 434 · ~1 min

Bharadvaja Lamenting and Cursing Raibhya

Bharadvaja finds his son dead and hears a shudra's taunt about the killing. In his grief, he curses his dearest friend Raibhya — that Raibhya's own eldest son will kill him, though he is innocent — then cremates his son and walks into the fire himself.

Chapter 435 · ~1 min

Arvavasu Takes the Vow for Paravasu's Sin

Paravasu returns to the sacrifice and confesses to his brother Arvavasu that he has killed their father, mistaking him for an animal in the dark. He tells Arvavasu that he alone cannot complete the expiatory rite — Arvavasu must perform the penance for killing a brahmana while Paravasu finishes the king's sacrifice.

Chapter 436 · ~1 min

Paravasu Falsely Accuses Arvavasu of Brahminicide

Arvavasu returns to the sacrifice, cleansed of his brother's sin — but Paravasu sees him approaching and tells King Brihaddyumna that Arvavasu is the killer of a brahmana who must be expelled. The servants throw Arvavasu out, though he cries out that he is innocent and that he performed the vow for his brother's sake.

Chapter 436 · ~1 min

Yavakrita Questions How Raibhya Slew Him

After being revived, Yavakrita asks the gods — with Agni at the forefront — how Raibhya was able to slay him, a learned ascetic who had accomplished the vow of knowing the brahman. He cannot understand how he, who mastered the Vedas easily, could be killed by Raibhya, who studied with such difficulty.

Chapter 436 · ~1 min