धर्मव्याध

{ dharmavyādha }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

DHARMAVYĀDHA   Though he was born in the caste of foresters he became a saint by following the path of duty and righteousness. In his previous birth he was a Brahmin. He was a friend of a king who was an adept in archery. Once both went on hunting expedition to the forest. The brahmin sent an arrow at a wild animal but the arrow went and struck a sage who was doing penance under a tree. When the sage was rolling on the arrow he said: “Oh, evil-natured Brāhmaṇa, may you be born as a hunter selling flesh in your next life.” The Brahmin went and apologised to the sage and craved for pardon. Taking pity on him the sage consoled him by saying that though he would be born as such, he would be a great scholar and attain mokṣa by doing his duty without even once wavering from it. The Brahmin was born a hunter in the country of Mithilā He took to looking after his parents as a vow and soon became a top-ranking righteous man. He did his duty to which he was born. He sold meat and earned a living. He never killed or butchered an animal. One day a Brahmin named Kauśika was doing penance sitting under a tree when a crane perched on the top of its branches defiled the Brahmin's head with its droppings. The Brahmin in rage looked up and his powerful stare burnt the crane and it fell down dead. Leaving that place some time later he went to a house to beg. The house-wife informed him that he would be given alms only after attending to her husband. The Brahmin was not pleased with her reply. Seeing that she added “Please do not look at me like that. I am no crane. To me my husband is supreme.” The Brahmin was taken aback when he heard the lady mention the incident of the crane. The lady explained to him that all her powers were due to her devotion to her husband and advised the Brahmin to go and meet Dharmavyādha of Mithilā to remove the egoism in him. Obeying her instructions Kauśika went and accepted Dharmavyādha as his guru. The learned hunter then spoke to Kauśika about Varṇadharmas, Śiṣṭācāras, hiṁsā and ahiṁsā, Mīmāṁsā relating to dharma and karma, the importance and glory of Brahmavidyā, the significance of the control of the senses, Triguṇas, Prāṇavāyu, service to father and mother and many such other things. The egoism of Kauśika was removed and he returned home. Devoted to his parents he attained heaven. [Chapters 27 to 33, Vana Parva] .

प्राचीन चरित्रकोश

धर्मव्याध n.  मिथिला नगरी में रहनेवाला एक धर्म परायण व्याध । इसने कौशिक नामक गर्वोद्धत ब्राह्मण को, मातापिता की सेवा का माहात्म्य बता कर विदा किया [म.व.१९७.२०६] । इसे अर्जुन तथा अर्जुनी नामक अपत्य थे । उनमें से अर्जुनी विवाह योग्य होने के पश्चात्, मतंग ऋषि के पुत्र प्रसन्न से उसका विवाह हुआ । धर्मव्याध अत्यंत धार्मिक था । पंच महायज्ञ, अग्नि परिचर्या तथा श्राद्धादि कर्म यह बहुत ही भाविकता से हररोज करता था । परंतु यह सारे धर्मकृत्य यह मृगया करते करते ही करता था । एक बार, अर्जुनी की सास ने उसे व्यंग वचन कहे, ‘यह तो जीवघात करनेवालों की कन्या है । यह, तप करने वालों के आचार भला क्या समझेंगी? धर्मव्याध को इसका पता चल गया । मतंग को इसने समझया, ‘शाकाहारि होते हुए भी तुम जीवघातक हो’। पश्चात् इसने संसार के सास ससुरों को शाप दिया, सासससुर पर बहुएँ कभी भी विश्वास नही रखेगी, तथा यह भी न चाहेंगी कि उन्हें सासससुर हों [वराह.८.] । पूर्वजन्म में यह एक सामान्य व्याध था । काश्मीराधिपति वसु राजा को इसने पूर्वजन्म का ज्ञान दिया । उस कारण वसु राजा ने इसे वर दिया, ‘अगले जन्म में तुम धर्मव्याध बनोगे’ [वराह.६] । महाभारत में यही कथा कुछ अलग ढंग से दी गयी है । पूर्व में यह वेद पारंगत ब्राह्मण था । परंतु एक राजा की संगत में आकर क्षात्रधर्म में एवं धनुर्विद्या में इसे रुची उत्पन्न हो गयी । एक बार यह उस राजा के साथ शिकार के लिये गया । अनजाने में इसके हाथ के ऋषि का वध हो गया । ऋषि ने इसे शाप दिया, ‘तुम शूद्रयोनि में व्याध बनोगे’ । अनजाने में अपराध हो गया आदि प्रार्थना ऋषि से करने पर, उसने उःशाप दिया, ‘व्याध होते हुए भी तुम धर्मज्ञ बनोंगे । पूर्वजन्म का स्मरण तुम्हें रहेगा, एवं अपने मातापिता की सेवा तुम करोंगे’ [म.व.२०५] ; कौशिक ७. देखिये । महाभारत में धर्मव्याध के द्वारा, निम्नलिखित विषयों पर विवरण किया गया हैः--वर्णधर्म का वर्णन [म.व.१९८.१९-५५] ;शिष्टाचार का वर्णन [म.व.१९८.५७-९४] । हिंसा एवं अहिंसा का वर्णन [म.व.१९९] ; धर्मकर्मविषयक मीमांसा [म.व.२००] ; विषयसेवन से हानी एवं ब्राह्मीविद्या का वर्णन [म.व.२०१] ; इंद्रियनिग्रह का वर्णन [म.व.२०२] । कालंजरगिरि पर इन्द्र के साथ सोम पीने का सम्मान इसे मिला था [ब्रह्म.१३.३९] ।

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

धर्म—व्याध  m.  m. ‘the righteous hunter’, N. of a Brāhman changed into a hunter in consequence of a curse, [MBh. iii]; [Śukas.] (according to the [VarP.] of a Brāhman killer born as a hunter from the body of वसु, king of कश्मीर).

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धर्म व्याध