The Amazing Story of Sage Chyavan and Kamadhenu
One day, Sage Chyavan got angry and cursed a man, saying, “From today, you will lose your wisdom and become foolish. Because of this foolishness, you will also become poor.” The man became scared and begged for forgiveness, but the sage did not listen. He took water from his pot and sprinkled it on the man to give him the curse. Then, the sage walked away.
A few days later, Sage Chyavan sat in deep meditation in a quiet place. Meanwhile, some disciples of Sage Vashishta and villagers were taking a beautifully decorated cow on a grand procession with music and drums. They were worshipping the holy cow with great devotion. However, the noise of the children playing disturbed Sage Chyavan’s meditation. Annoyed, he opened his eyes and got up to curse them. But just then, he saw a divine vision—inside the cow, he saw 33 crore gods and goddesses!
Realizing his mistake, the sage folded his hands in respect. The divine cow, Kamadhenu, spoke, “Oh wise sage, it seems that negative emotions have filled your heart. That is why you are so restless. First, remove these emotions from within you. Only then will your meditation be complete.” Sage Chyavan understood and left the place.
To cleanse his heart, he went into the water and sat there in deep meditation. Many water creatures, like fish, turtles, octopuses, starfish, and crocodiles, started circling around him. They gently touched him with love, as if they had become a part of him. As the sage’s negative emotions disappeared, all the creatures began to feel connected to him. But something even more surprising was about to happen!
A fisherman came to the river with his fishing net. The first time he threw the net, he caught nothing. The second time, again, he caught nothing. He became worried and cried, “Oh God, if I don’t catch anything today, my family will starve!” Praying, he threw his net a third time. This time, Sage Chyavan got caught in the net! The fisherman thought he had caught a big fish and pulled the net with great effort. But when he saw the sage trapped inside, he was shocked.
The fisherman apologized, saying, “Please go back into the water. I will take only the fish.” But when the sage freed all the fish and let them go, the fisherman was confused. “Why did you do that?” he asked.
Sage Chyavan replied, “Because killing fish is a sin. You should not do it.”
The fisherman started crying. “But how will I feed my family? This is unfair to me.”
The sage thought for a moment and then said, “Go and bring the king here. Tell him I have called him.” The fisherman obeyed.
Soon, King Nahusha arrived with his ministers and soldiers. Recognizing the sage, the king bowed and said, “I have been searching for you, O great sage. I need you to perform a special ritual (yajna).”
Sage Chyavan said, “I will perform your ritual, but first, you must pay for the one who brought me out of the water. If you fail to value me correctly, I will return to the water, and your ritual will not happen.”
The king requested a day to think. In his palace, he wondered, “What is the true value of a sage?” Many ministers gave their opinions, but the king was not satisfied.
Just then, he heard the sound of drums and bells outside. A soldier informed him that Sage Vashishta’s disciples were taking a decorated cow in a procession. The king went outside and fed the holy cow with his own hands. When the cow left, he saw its footprints on the ground. He bowed before them and suddenly realized the answer!
The next day, the king returned to the river and told Sage Chyavan, “I have found your true value.” He opened a small pouch and said, “I offer you the dust from the feet of the holy cow as a gift.”
At that moment, Sage Chyavan had a vision of Kamadhenu, the divine cow. He remembered how she had guided him to purify his heart. He took the sacred dust and placed it on his forehead, saying, “You have pleased me, O King. This is the greatest gift of wisdom. I will perform your ritual.”
Then, he added, “But all the rewards from this ritual should be given to this fisherman.” The king agreed. The fisherman folded his hands and said, “From today, I promise never to catch fish again.”
Sage Chyavan smiled and said, “All of this was possible because of Kamadhenu, the divine cow.”
