Curse & boon stories : Curse on Yamaraja by Sage Mandavya

Dear all welcome to my Indian mythology stories blog post. today I am going to tell you another Shaap story related to Hindu mythology.

Curse & boon stories: Curse on Yamaraja by Sage Mandavya

During the Mahabharata era, a highly revered and powerful sage named Rishi Mandavya existed. Rishi Mandavya had led a life free from any sinful deeds, and as a result, he was preparing for liberation. However, one day, when his disciples dug the ground to plant saplings in his ashram, a large amount of gold emerged from the ashram's land.

When this news reached the king, he mistakenly assumed Rishi Mandavya to be a dacoit of the past and arrested him. The king ordered Rishi Mandavya to be impaled in front of the public. Despite repeated attempts, the executioner failed to carry out the hanging, and the king realized his mistake. He begged for forgiveness, holding onto Rishi Mandavya's feet.

However, angered by the unjust treatment, Rishi Mandavya went to Yamaraja, the god of death, seeking an explanation for the humiliation despite leading a righteous life. Yamaraja then showed Rishi Mandavya a moment from his childhood when, at 12, he had unknowingly pierced a bird's wing with an arrow while playing. According to Yamaraja, this was the consequence of that seemingly innocent act.

Nevertheless, Rishi Mandavya did not accept it as a sin, arguing that a child lacks knowledge of right and wrong at that age. Furious, Rishi Mandavya cursed Yamaraja to be born as a servant in a lowly family. In due course, Yamaraja, in the form of Vidura, was born as a servant in Hastinapura during the Dwapara Yuga. He fulfilled his duty, rectifying the imbalance in his actions, and his teachings as Vidura became renowned worldwide for imparting knowledge of ethics and justice.