Table of Contents
Name and Origin
Durvāsa Maharṣi—grammatically rendered as Durvāso maharṣi—was born as the divine son of Ṛṣi Atri and his wife Anasūyā, of the Haihaya line. He emerged with the essence of Rudra, granted to Atri as a boon by the Trimūrti. From his earliest days, Durvāsa’s very presence carried the power of divine wrath born of Rudra’s nature.
Birth and Early Life
Demise of King Anasūyā
While Durvāsa lay in Anasūyā’s womb, King Anasūya of the Haihaya dynasty sought to insult her. To protect her honor, the divine infant manifested the force of Rudra’s anger, and the king was reduced to ashes. Thereafter, upon his birth and upbringing, Durvāsa received blessings from his Ṛṣi father and embarked upon fierce tapas, soon gaining the ability to traverse all realms at will.
Wanderings and Renown
Endowed with boundless tapas and ascetic power, Durvāsa roamed the three worlds unbound, revered by yakṣas, kinnaras, and gods alike. He remained detached from worldly ties, offering obeisance only to his parents, and upheld rigorous vows of nonattachment—his mind ever immersed in the bliss of Brahman.
Encounter with Viṣṇu and the Gift of the Pārijāta
One day Durvāsa journeyed to behold Lord Viṣṇu. Pleased by the sage, Viṣṇu honored him with a Pārijāta flower, placing it in Durvāsa’s hand. As Durvāsa returned, celestial maidens (vidyādhara-kāntālī) offered him wreaths of flowers. Gratefully, he accepted their tributes as well.
Curse on Indra and Restoration
On the road, Indra appeared atop Airāvata and saluted Durvāsa. Durvāsa presented to Indra the Pārijāta from Viṣṇu and the garland from the goddesses. Indra, disdaining these offerings as unworthy of his status, cast them aside. Enraged, Durvāsa cursed Indra:
“You who touch sacred gifts but place them on an elephant’s back, unworthy ruler, your mastery shall fade. Your wealth shall turn to milk, and Airāvata’s head shall become fixed as three wooden beams.”
Terrified, Indra prostrated himself. In compassion, Durvāsa relented, instructing him to worship Śrīhari, upon whose favor his sovereignty and riches would be restored.
Quest for Dharma-Devi
Durvāsa’s brother Dattātreya and he once resolved to perceive the true form of Dharma, the goddess of righteous order. After intense tapas failed to reveal any vision, they agreed that if Dharma did not appear, she must be annihilated. At that moment, Dharma-Devi manifested in the guise of a Brahmaṇī.
Dialogue and Curse of Dharma-Devi
Durvāsa, smitten by righteous ire, prepared to curse her. Dharma-Devi spoke:
“O ascetic, anger avails nothing; wrath destroys the fruit of tapas.”
Durvāsa challenged her identity and entourage. The goddess replied,
“I am Dharma, embodied as sattva and tamas virtues—brahmacarya, satya, tapaḥ, dāna, dama, nīti, śauca, śuddhi, kṣama, śānti, prajña, ahiṃsā, śraddhā, medhā, and dayā—and those who uphold me stand behind me.”
Unmoved, Durvāsa declared he saw no dharma in her and cursed her to three births:
- Yudhiṣṭhira, the just king Dharma‐rāja
- Vidura, the wise Sūta‐son and dharma expert
- A brutal chandāla who would oppress King Hariśchandra
Through these lives, Dharma-Devi would experience the fruits of her own law.
Legacy of the Curse
In each birth, she emerged as exemplar of righteousness and its trials: Yudhiṣṭhira’s steadfast justice, Vidura’s moral clarity, and the chandāla’s stern discipline toward Hariśchandra. In this way, Durvāsa’s curse served as a cosmic lesson in the nature of dharma itself.
Boon to King Supratīka
In Kṛtayuga there lived a great emperor named Supratīka who longed for offspring. Seeking Durvāsa’s blessing, he performed intense tapas but found the sage absent. Resolving to invoke him through austerity, Supratīka’s penance drew forth Durvāsa, who appeared and proclaimed, “By the grace of your wife Vidyutprabhā you shall beget a son.” Thus Supratīka’s queen bore a child.
Jātakarma and the Naming of Dūrjaya
When the boy was born, Supratīka remembered Durvāsa, who instantly arrived to perform the jātakarma rite. He named the child Dūrjaya and declared, “I will teach you all the śāstras in a moment.” But the infant’s tender age seemed an obstacle. Thereupon Durvāsa endowed the child with the maturity of sixteen years through divine power and imparted to him all Vedic lore.
Gift of a Second Son, Sudyumma
Grateful, Supratīka, Vidyutprabhā, and their son Dūrjaya honored Durvāsa with worship and praise. Pleased, the sage foretold, “Your wife Kāntimatī shall bear you another son.” By this boon, Supratīka’s queen Kāntimatī gave birth to Sudyumma. This saga is recorded in the Varāha Purāṇa.
Curse of the Apsarā Sahasikā
Once Durvāsa practiced tapas on Gandhamādana mountain. Bold youth Sahasika, son of Emperor Bali, came there with the apsarā Tilottamā and mocked the silent sage with laughter and jests. Such irreverence angered Durvāsa, whose tapas was broken. He cursed them: “Are you civilized or demonic? For your mutual infatuation and insolence, you deserve birth as demons on earth.”
Moved by their pleas, he mitigated the curse: “You shall die by the hands of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra.” Thus Sahasikā was reborn as the donkey‐demon Gārddabha and Tilottamā as the daughter of Bāṇāsura, named Uṣā. Though born of divine lineage, they bore the fruits of their transgression until liberated by divine grace.
Marriage to Kaṃḍalī and Her Transformation
Resolved to enter saṃsāra, Durvāsa sought a wife suitable to his life of detachment. He approached the ṛṣi Ūrva, who consented but warned that his daughter Kaṃḍalī was fierce and tempestuous. Durvāsa pledged to endure her ways and married her.
True to her nature, Kaṃḍalī daily tormented him, depriving him of peace and proper service. After endless trials, Durvāsa’s eyes burned like fire. Kaṃḍalī, heedless, mocked him yet again. In a glance born of overwhelming will, Durvāsa turned her to stone. From that petrified form arose a grove of banana trees—Kaṃḍalī‐vana—so that Kaṃḍalī’s name might endure, testifying that Durvāsa inflicted no mortal wound but transformed her to reveal his compassion.
Her father Ūrva later came seeking his daughter and found the grove. Durvāsa explained how Kaṃḍalī’s insolence had tormented him and that the grove was her lasting monument. Though grieved, Ūrva recognized the justice of the sage’s action.
The Ekādaśī Vow and King Aṃbarīṣa
On another journey Durvāsa visited King Aṃbarīṣa, a great devotee of Viṣṇu. Arriving on the dwādashī tithi immediately after Ekādaśī’s fast, Aṃbarīṣa invited the sage to bathe before breaking his vow. Durvāsa lingered with his disciples, delaying the ceremony. Concerned, Aṃbarīṣa’s priests urged the king to drink water to fulfill his vow’s release.
Perceiving this as neglect of his hospitality, Durvāsa cursed the king: “I will punish you for this slight.” A fierce agent issued from Durvāsa’s mind to afflict Aṃbarīṣa. The king prayed to Viṣṇu: “I have done no wrong; I but observed my vow and honored my guest.” Lord Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana-cakra slew the messenger and then wheeled toward Durvāsa himself. The sage sought refuge at Brahmā’s and Śiva’s feet, but the cakra pursued. At last he knelt before Aṃbarīṣa. The king implored: “Let him go; I bear no grudge.” Then Sudarśana departed.
Through these episodes, Durvāsa’s fierce ascetic power and his equal capacity for mercy are revealed, illustrating the intricate balance of curse and benediction in the cosmic order.
Encounter with Śabara and the Boon of Satya‐tapa
While wandering in the forest, Durvāsa Maharṣi came upon Śabara, a hunter‐ascetic performing tapas. “Mahārṣi,” he said, “please accept my hospitality.” Desiring to test the sage’s compassion, Durvāsa agreed and inwardly wondered whether Śabara could fulfill any request he might make.
Pleased by Śabara’s sincerity, a celestial voice granted him a mystic jewel, saying, “With this, serve the sage in every way. No matter your boon, you shall possess all necessary resources.” Empowered thus, Śabara conjured divine food—pāñcabhakṣya‐paramānna—prepared by youthful maidens. “Mahārṣi,” he invited, “all is ready; please indulge.”
Durvāsa replied, “I must bathe first, and I require water.” When Śabara pointed to the nearby river Devikā, Durvāsa commanded, “Let the water come to me.” Obediently, the river rose around the sage, who bathed and returned to partake of Śabara’s feast.
Moved by this perfect hospitality, Durvāsa blessed him: “You have practiced tapas with unshakable devotion to your guru and passed my test. You shall be famed as Satyatapu. I grant you mastery of all Vedic, Śāstra, and Purāṇa knowledge.”
He further instructed: “True wisdom (su-jñāna) is discriminative insight into right and wrong. Only with su-jñāna does one perform satt-karma. Through satt-karma arises jñāna; through jñāna arises further su-jñāna. Prior to both stands viveka—discernment between good and evil—which is essential. Satt-karma divides into four kinds, yet two are universal: obedience to one’s own varṇa-dharma and worship of Brahman. Observing these leads to mokṣa, for the supreme Brahman is none other than Lord Viṣṇu, who delights in Vedic rites and grants all their fruits.”
Śabara asked, “O Sage, Vedic rites demand wealth for yajña and other rituals. Without resources, how can one attain mokṣa through satt-karma?”
Durvāsa replied, “I will prescribe only those vrata-vows suited to your station, whose merit equals that of yajña. Perform these satt-karma—they yield the same results as fire-sacrifices.” Thus instructed, Śabara undertook the vrata and secured liberation.
Service to Mudgala and Ascension to Svarga
Mudgala Maharṣi was engaged in pure, sāttvika tapas called uṇcahr̥tta. Durvāsa, wishing to bless him, arrived at his hermitage as a guest, accompanied by disciples. Although Mudgala had observed a strict fast of many days, he honored the sage with warmth: offering his own food rather than partaking himself.
For several days, Mudgala fed Durvāsa his own intended meal, silently enduring hunger. Impressed by such selfless devotion, Durvāsa exclaimed, “Your service is beyond compare. I grant you the boon of living ascent to Svarga in your own body.”
Yet Mudgala, discerning that heavenly enjoyment pales before ultimate liberation, chose to continue his tapas. He regarded Durvāsa as his guru, persisted in penance, attained Brahma-rṣi status, and thereby achieved mokṣa.
This incided is recounted in the Aranya parva of the Mahābhārata, illustrating Durvāsa’s capacity to both test and exalt those who serve him in true selflessness.
Service to Kuntī and the Birth of Karṇa
During the Mahābhārata era, Durvāsa visited the court of King Kuṃtibhoja, where the princess Kuṃtī dutifully served him at her father’s command. Impressed by her devotion, Durvāsa blessed her and said, “O maiden, ask any boon you wish.” Kuṃtī requested a mantra by which whichever deity she worshipped would grant her a son. Durvāsa taught her the sacred verse: “Invoke any deity with this mantra, and that god will be born as your son,” then departed.
Doubting its power, Kuṃtī tested the mantra upon Sūrya. Instantly Sūrya appeared and said, “You have called me desiring a son; thus I grant you Karṇa,” and vanished. Fearing scandal and unable to raise an extraordinary child, Kuṃtī placed the infant Karṇa in a basket and set him afloat on the river, where he was found and raised by a charioteer.
This is recorded in the Ādi Parva of the Mahābhārata.
Visit to Dvārakā and Marriage to Yogamāyā
Once Durvāsa, hearing of Kṛṣṇa’s deeds, journeyed to Dvārakā to behold the Lord. Spied from afar, Viṣṇu—accompanied by Ugrasena, Vasudeva, and others—received Durvāsa with pūjā and pādyārghya, seating him as a cherished guest.
Under Kṛṣṇa’s guidance, Yogamāyā appeared in her celestial beauty to serve Durvāsa. Pleased by her ministrations, Durvāsa inquired of Kṛṣṇa, “O Lord, what boon shall I grant her?” Kṛṣṇa replied, “O Sage, Yogamāyā is the supreme potency born of Paraśiva, and you of Śiva’s essence. It is fitting that you wed her.” Durvāsa consented, and Kṛṣṇa solemnized their union in Dvārakā, bidding Durvāsa remain there.
Seeking to comprehend Kṛṣṇa’s majesty—whether it lay in jñāna, yoga, or the plenitude of Viṣṇu’s opulence—Durvāsa used his tapas to visit the homes of sixteen thousand gopīs and eight mahīṣīs in a single night. Everywhere he beheld Kṛṣṇa’s divine form, realized his omnipresence, and returned to pay homage, declaring, “O Bhagavān, I grasp your supreme principle.”
Sojourn on Kailāsa
From Dvārakā, Durvāsa ascended to Kailāsa at will. There he prostrated before Śiva and Pārvatī, chanting their praises. Pārvatī asked, “What brings you, O Sage? Have you any desire?”
Durvāsa answered, “Mother, I am weary of mortal life’s dualities—joy and sorrow, right and wrong. I wish to dwell eternally in your presence.” When Śiva looked to Pārvatī, she reminded him, “O Sage, you have wed Yogamāyā in Dvārakā and she awaits you as pātivrata. You shall receive righteous offspring in due time. Yet if ever you long for our darśana, come freely.” Thus assured, Durvāsa remained content upon the mountain.
Trial of Satya‐bhāma
Once he visited Queen Satya‐bhāma at Kṛṣṇa’s palace. Doubting even the Lord’s tranquility, Durvāsa decided to test him: “O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, grant me to ride your chariot.” Kṛṣṇa called Satya‐bhāma and Rukmiṇī, had them seat Durvāsa upon his ratha, and ordered the horses to run. Durvāsa struck and commanded them to speed up or halt at will, yet the horses heeded only Kṛṣṇa’s commands. Realizing the Lord’s unshakable equanimity, Durvāsa praised him: “O All‐Powerful One, you alone embody supreme śānti,” and offered obeisance.
Sojourn with Rukmiṇī
On another occasion Durvāsa visited Rukmiṇī’s abode, declaring, “I have come as your guest and wish to remain here.” Kṛṣṇa welcomed him, and both Rukmiṇī and Kṛṣṇa served him faithfully. When Durvāsa asked, “Bring me food,” they set before him a simple meal. Dissatisfied, he demanded a hundredfold feast and consumed it all. Each day he proclaimed a fast after eating, driven by his austere vow.
After twenty‐one days of this cycle, enraged by Rukmiṇī’s perceived inconsistency, Durvāsa reduced her palace and retinue to ashes. Then, humbled by Kṛṣṇa’s gentle laughter as he ate the remaining kheer, Durvāsa praised both Kṛṣṇa and Rukmiṇī: “In you there is no trace of anger; in the Lord of Gokula there is infinite devotion. May your fame endure eternally, and may Rukmiṇī’s steadfast pātivratya confer great merit upon women forever.”
This narrative appears in the Viṣṇu‐purāṇa and the Bhāgavata‐purāṇa.
Curse on the Yādava Clan
As the Yādava population swelled—legends say to 168,844 sons and as many teachers—Kṛṣṇa resolved that their power must be diminished to prevent strife. Seeking a means, he thought of Durvāsomaharṣi. Immediately the sage appeared outside Kṛṣṇa’s temple in Dvārakā, summoned as the instrument of the Lord’s will.
In mockery, the Yādava youth Samba disguised himself as a pregnant woman, wrapping his belly in cloth, and approached Durvāsa. “O Sage,” they taunted, “this maiden is with child—will it be a son or daughter? Grant us leave!” Enraged by their insolence, Durvāsa cursed: “Not a girl, nor a boy, but an iron rod shall issue from your womb, and by it you all shall be destroyed.” Thus the divine purpose was set in motion.
The Iron Rod and the Demise of the Yādavas
Distressed by the curse, the Yādavas implored Kṛṣṇa. He directed them to pulverize the iron rod and cast it into the sea. The fragments washed ashore and took root as reeds by the banks of the Piṇḍarīka creek. At the festival of intoxication, in a drunken brawl, the Yādavas tore up those reeds to use as weapons and slew one another. Only Balarāma and Kṛṣṇa survived. This fulfils the prophecy Durvāsa unwittingly enacted.
Trial of the Pāṇḍavas
Once Duryodhana, bent on humiliating the Pāṇḍavas, first sought to curry favor with Durvāsa by serving him footwater. He vowed that Durvāsa should bless him just as he had the Pāṇḍavas. Durvāsa agreed to visit the Pāṇḍavas in exile to test their hospitality.
Durvāsa arrived at Draupadī’s hermitage on the Ekādaśī–Dvādashī tithi. He asked Draupadī to feed his ten thousand disciples. Draupadī offered him water and directed him to bathe before dining. Upon her return, she found none of the inexhaustible vessel’s food remained. At that moment, Lord Kṛṣṇa manifested, disguised as a wandering mendicant, declared his hunger, and Draupadī served him. Kṛṣṇa placed a single morsel upon a washing stone, which multiplied to satisfy Durvāsa and all his followers. Pleased by her devotion, Durvāsa fulfilled her vow by bestowing blessings and departed.
Reflection on Dharma and Providence
Through these episodes, Durvāsa appears both as catalyst of divine judgment and as dispenser of grace. His interactions with the Yādavas illustrate the law of karma and the Lord’s inscrutable design. His trials of the Pāṇḍavas underscore the power of sincere hospitality and surrender to divine will. In each case, Durvāsa Maharṣi serves as the living embodiment of tapas and dharma, enacting cosmic order through his fierce ascetic power.
Trial at Ayodhyā: Banishing Lakṣmaṇa
Durvāsomaharṣi lived through Rāmāyaṇa era as well. Once he journeyed to behold Śrī Rāmacandra, who was then discussing the principles of dharma with Yama‐Dharmarāja in the guise of a brāhmaṇa. Rāma had stationed Lakṣmaṇa at the gate with strict orders: “Let no one enter until our discourse concludes, not even you.”
Yet Durvāsa arrived and requested admission. Lakṣmaṇa replied, “O Sage, my lord commands that none enter.” Angered by this refusal, Durvāsa cursed Lakṣmaṇa with extinction of his lineage. Alarmed, Lakṣmaṇa ran to inform Rāma.
“Durvāsa‐maharṣi’s word stands, yet you have disobeyed my command and insulted him,” Rāmacandra declared. “I must punish you by banishing you from the city. Depart at once.” Thus Lakṣmaṇa was exiled from Ayodhyā.
Durvāsa then received Rāma’s pādyārghya, and Rāma asked the reason for his visit. “Nothing more than to behold you, O Lord,” the sage replied, and departed.
Stricken by separation from Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa cast himself into the Sarayū river, ending his mortal life. Thereafter, Rāmacandra’s avatāra too approached its end. In this way, Durvāsa became instrumental in Lakṣmaṇa’s and ultimately Rāma’s departure. This episode is recounted in the Uttara Rāmāyaṇa and the Bhāratam.
The Teaching of the Rudra‐Kavaca
Durvāsomaharṣi had many disciples to whom he imparted profound jñāna and vedic lore. Among his numerous contributions is the instruction of the Rudra‐Kavaca, the sacred armor of Rudra. This kavaca, as taught by Durvāsa, remains a living tradition: it is recited in daily worship and parāyaṇa, safeguarding the devotee with the power of Śiva himself.
Bhīṣma’s Admonition at Kurukṣetra
When Bhīṣma began to reveal his divine prowess on the battlefield—harnessing celestial weapons and godly might—he still fought in his human capacity. Until that boundary was crossed, Kṛṣṇa refrained from intervening. The moment Bhīṣma invoked his godly strength beyond mortal limits, Kṛṣṇa warned him: “O grandsire, you display divine majesty and wield those powers to fight, yet I stand here as God‐in‐person. If you invoke those celestial energies while I remain present, will you transgress the bounds of human duty?” Instantly understanding the subtle principle of dharma, Bhīṣma subsided. Thereafter, even though he felled many warriors, he never again drew upon his divine nature in combat, and Kṛṣṇa did not oppose him.
The Boundary of One’s Station
Every individual in the world, regardless of their spiritual attainment—devotee, jñānī, or yogī—must recognize and abide by their own station. In worldly life there is always a prescribed sphere of action: a human being must conduct themselves as a human, no matter their inner realization. To overstep that sphere, treating subordinates as inferior or employing one’s exalted state in ordinary duties, is a breach of dharma. Even in service, one must not let inner attainments override external propriety. Such transgressions incur fault, for dharma is the observance of one’s rightful limits.
Kṛṣṇa’s Subtle Teaching
Kṛṣṇa’s warning to Bhīṣma exemplifies this principle: though He is the Supreme Lord, He did not promise divine protection in every crisis. In the Gītā He had told Arjuna: “You will conquer on this field, and if you fall, you will attain heaven.” No absolute guarantee was given; each man was to uphold his duty within his human role. Rāma in the Uttara Rāmāyaṇa had similarly declared Lakṣmaṇa’s exile as Lakṣmaṇa’s own consequence of disobedience—not Kṛṣṇa’s failure to protect.
Likewise, Arjuna’s Vijñāna‐Rūpa (Cosmic Form) dispelled his delusion but did not bind Kṛṣṇa to shield him at every turn. Even when Abhimanyu fell, Kṛṣṇa did not intercede—he had not pledged to personally avert every tragedy. His role was as Ādarśa‐Gurū (Ideal Master), revealing the nature of dharma, not micromanaging every outcome.
Thus Kṛṣṇa’s life is a continuous dharma‐lesson: He showed Arjuna the temporal cosmos, yet remained aloof from claiming responsibility for every karmic result. He taught that the Lord is the impartial overseer—granting insight but allowing the law of action and consequence to unfold.
The Guru and the Worldly Path
No other scripture rivals the Mahābhārata’s breadth of dharma‐instruction, earning it the epithet “the Fifth Veda.” Kṛṣṇa, as Jagad‐Guru (World‐Teacher), elucidated not only the ultimate path of liberation but also the proper conduct in daily life. He delineated for every condition—teacher and student, householder and renunciant—their rightful duties and boundaries. No avatar before or since has so integrally joined teaching of transcendence with guidance on living within the world.
Even as the Supreme, He kept His divine sway a silent witness, never flaunting lordship to alter outcomes at whim. He remained the impartial Lord—present, observing, yet allowing the cosmic order to maintain its course. In every situation He affirmed that the fruits of action arise according to dharma and individual qualification, not by miraculous intervention. His very life stands as the supreme model of how the Lord both dwells within and transcends the realm of action.