Mudgala Tested by Durvasa's Repeated Visits
Durvasa, the notoriously short-tempered sage, arrives at Mudgala's hermitage as a shaven-headed lunatic and devours every grain of food the hermit has gathered. He returns six times, each time eating everything, smearing leftovers on his body, and leaving Mudgala to starve. But Mudgala never wavers — not in anger, not in generosity, not in the purity of his mind.
Mudgala lived in Kurukshetra. He was good in his conduct, truthful, without envy, and rigid in his vows. He survived by gathering grains of rice — one drona of vrihi at a time — living like a pigeon, collecting what he needed and no more. For a fortnight, he and his wife and son would eat. For the next fortnight, he would gather again. He sustained his body only on the food left after gods and guests had eaten. And on auspicious lunar days, Indra himself would arrive with the other gods to partake of their shares. When Mudgala gave rice from his measure without any envy, whatever remained always increased when another guest arrived — so that hundreds of learned brahmanas could enjoy it.
Then Durvasa heard about him.
Durvasa, clad in nothing but air, went to Mudgala's hermitage. He appeared as a dishevelled lunatic — head shaven, speaking harsh words. He told Mudgala: "I have come here desirous of food."
Mudgala welcomed him. He offered water to wash the feet and the mouth. He gave the hungry one the supreme food he had obtained with great difficulties, though the visitor seemed mad. Durvasa ate up all the tasty food that had been offered. Mudgala gave him more. When he had eaten everything, Durvasa smeared his body with the leftovers and went away the way he had come.
On the next auspicious lunar day, he came again. He ate up all the rice that Mudgala possessed. Mudgala had to go without food and had to go out again to gather.
But that hunger was incapable of upsetting Mudgala's temperament. There was no anger, no jealousy, no disrespect, no agitation in the mind of that supreme of brahmanas — or in those of his sons and wife.
In this way, firm in his resolution, Durvasa arrived at the right time on six occasions. And each time, he could not see any distortions in Mudgala's mind. He saw that the mind of that pure-hearted one was always pure and clean.
Extremely delighted, Durvasa spoke to Mudgala.
"In this world, there is no one who is your equal, with your generosity and lack of envy. Hunger drives away all sense of dharma and removes self-possession. The tongue follows the senses and is attracted towards the succulent. Life is sustained through food. The mind is fickle and it is difficult to control it. The control of the mind and the senses is certain asceticism. It is difficult to give up with a pure mind that which has been earned through labour and misery. But all this has been exactly achieved by you. We are delighted and favoured to have met you. Control of the senses, fortitude, generosity, self-control, serenity, compassion, truthfulness and dharma — all are established in you. You have conquered the worlds through your deeds. You have obtained the supreme objective. Even the residents of heaven proclaim your great deeds of giving. You will go to heaven in your own body."
While Durvasa was still speaking, a messenger of the gods arrived before Mudgala in a celestial chariot. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 543