Mandavya (), also called Aṇi Māṇḍavya, is a sage in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

. He is best known for a legend where he is wrongfully punished by a king by impalement.

Legend

Impalement

According to the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

, Mandavya was once performing a

tapas Tapas () are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as , which are battered, fried baby squid; or , spicy potatoes). In some bars ...

with his arms raised, standing in front of his ashrama for many years. During this period, some thieves happened to pass by his ashrama, having stolen property belonging to the king. Finding that the king’s men were pursuing them, the thieves fled, after leaving their stolen property in the sage's ashrama. The king’s men seized Mandavya, believing him to be an accomplice. Mandavya refused to talk to his accusers. When the thieves were caught, Mandavya also along produced before the king, and they were all condemned to death. The thieves and the sage were struck at the tip of a trident, and while the thieves died, Mandavya stayed alive. According to the

Brahmanda Purana The ''Brahmanda Purana'' () is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas, a genre of Hindu texts. It is listed as the eighteenth Maha-Purana in almost all the anthologies. The text is also referred in medieval Indian literature as th ...

, even as the sage underwent this suffering, Ugrashravas, the husband of Shilavati, wished to visit the house of his favourite prostitute, and Shilavati agreed to carry him to her house. When the couple came across Mandavya, the latter understood the man's intentions, and cursed him to die before the next sunrise. Horrified, Shilavati, with her piety, ensured that

Surya Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...

, the sun god, would not rise the next dawn. Since this led to universal chaos, the devas approached

Anasuya Anasuya () is an ascetic, and the wife of Sage Atri in Hinduism. She is the daughter of Devahuti and the Prajapati Kardama in Hindu texts. In the ''Ramayana'', she lives with her husband in a small hermitage on the southern border of the Chi ...

, who convinced Shilavati to have the sun rise again.

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

blessed the sage with longevity, and several sages appeared before Mandavya, making enquiries regarding him. When the king realised that Mandavya was innocent, he rushed to seek the sage's forgiveness. His men tried to pull the trident from his body, but were unable to do so. Finally, the sage had to be released by cutting the trident, with its tip (Aṇi) remaining in his form. Hence, he came to be known as Aṇi Mandavya.

Cursing Dharma

Mandavya approached

Dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

(Sometimes identified with

Yama Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharm ...

), asking why an innocent man like him had suffered the hardship that he had gone through. Dharma answered by stating that Mandavya had tortured small insects like bugs and ants when he was a boy, and his impalement had been the punishment. The sage countered that the Shashtras stated that no man should have to suffer for any sin committed before the age of five, arguing that he had been unjustly punished. Since Dharma had attempted to murder him, a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

, the greatest of sins, he cursed the deity to be born as a

Shudra Shudra or ''Shoodra'' (Sanskrit: ') is one of the four varnas of the Hindu class and social system in ancient India. Some sources translate it into English as a caste, or as a social class. Theoretically, Shudras constituted a class like work ...

on earth. Accordingly, Dharma incarnated himself as

Vidura Vidura (), plays a key role in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is described as the prime minister of the Kuru kingdom and is the paternal uncle of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Legend Mandavya's Curse The rishi Mandavya cursed Yam ...

in the

References

{{HinduMythology Rishis Characters in the Mahabharata