Agni and the Kandava Forest

 

Agni and the Kandava forest

Once Lord Agni fell sick due to excessive consumption of the yagna ghee (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/05/shvetaki-and-agni.html). This excessive consumption happened due to the constant yagnas conducted by a king called Shvetaki . King Shvetaki was very fond of conducting yagnas. Once he wanted to conduct a hundred year yagna. As a prelude to that he conducted a non-stop yagna for 12 years where he poured ghee into the yagna fire non-stop. This surfeit of offering was what had made Lord Agni sick.

A sick Lord Agni meant that he was not enthusiastic in accepting the offerings in the yagnas. The yagna fire in many sacrifices started looking dull and lustreless. This started affecting the yagnas all over the Universe.

Lord Agni decided he needed some help to get better. He went to Lord Brahma and told him what happened. Lord Brahma gave Agni a solution that was simple. Lord Brahma told Agni “Your sickness is due to the excessive eating of one type of food, that is the yagna ghee. The best remedy for over eating is lot of activity. Go to the bhuloka and do your normal activity of burning forests and bushes. This activity will ensure that the excessive ghee in your system will get digested. I would suggest you look for a forest with thick and varied growth so that you can get a variety of nourishment.”

Lord Agni was very happy. He thought it was a simple solution. Lord Agni felt it might be better to look for a big forest or bush that can give him a lot of activity and cure his illness immediately. After evaluating many forests, he decided that the Kandava forest would be ideal. He wanted to consume this thick forest in order to gain back his health and strength.

The Kandava forest was a thick forest on the banks of river Ikshumathi. It was the home of many different species and tribes. The main tribes living there include the Nagas, the Pischasas, many Daityas and Danavas. In addition, the forest was the home to many species of birds, animals and trees.

An enthusiastic and hopeful Lord Agni stood in front of the forest hoping that even in his weakened state he would be able to burn down this forest. He started blowing fire into the forest with all his might. The edges of the forest started burning. But within a few moments the flames died down. Lord Agni was surprised that his fire did not spread in the dry forest.

Lord Agni thought he did not blow well enough. So, he gathered all his left over strength and blew again. This time it was slightly better. The fire spread a bit more but just fizzled out. Lord Agni kept trying but eventually he lost whatever little strength he had. He tried for six times but no luck. Frustrated and tired he sat down.

Not knowing what else to do, he went back to Lord Brahma. He told Lord Brahma what had happened. Agni told Brahma “Father. Despite following your instructions, I am unable to consume the Kandava forest. Every time I am blowing into the forest, it dies down within a few minutes. As I am already weak, I am not able to keep at it. Please tell me what I can do.”

Lord Brahma patiently heard him out. Then he said “You are unable to consume the forest effectively as the forest is being protected by Lord Indra. Every time you are blowing fire, Indra is warning his friend Takshak, the king of the Nagas. The Nagas warn the others. They are collecting water in their hoods, beaks and mouths and putting out the fire. Your diminished powers are no match for the collective powers of the forest dwellers. You will have to wait for the right opportunity for consuming the Kandava forest.”

After a few years, Lord Brahma called Agni again. He told him “The Kandava forest is now without any protection. Takshak has gone to Kurukshetra. Moreover, the Pandava brothers have been given permission by Bhishma to clear the Kandava forest to create their capital city. Arjuna and Lord Krishna have gone to the forest to see the best way to clear the forest. Arjuna and Lord Krishna are nothing but the Nara and Narayana You go meet them and they will help you.”

Lord Agni went to the Kandava. He met with Arjuna and Lord Krishna who were thinking of how best to clear the forest to create the capital city. Lord Agni took the form of a brahmin. He went to them and said “I am very hungry. Can you help me get food?”

Thinking he was a brahmin asking for food, Lord Krishna and Arjuna were wondering how to get food for him in the forest. Then Lord Agni revealed his true self and told them why he wanted to consume the Kandava forest. He also told Arjuna and Lord Krishna that the forest was under the protection of Lord Indra who was preventing any harm to the forest. He told Lord Krishna and Arjuna that if they could help him consume the forest and regaining his health, he could help them clear up the land quickly to build their city.

Hearing Agni, Lord Krishna and Arjuna assured him of their protection. They asked him to start doing his job of consuming the forest. When Agni started the fire, Indra realised that Takshak was not in the forest. But Takshak’s wife and son were in the forest. Like earlier, Indra first rained on the forest. Arjuna created a protection over the forest with his arrows prevent the rains.

Takshak’s wife and son came out trying to escape the fire. Arjuna killed Takshak’s wife. Angered at the death of his friend Takshak’s wife, Indra blew a gust of fund. Arjuna lost consciousness for a few seconds and Takshak’s son Ashvasena managed to escape. Indra was angered by now.

 

To protect his friend’s family, Indra attacked Arjuna with his Vajrayudha. A severe fight ensued between Arjuna and the Devas led by Indra. The battle was fought for fifteen days. With the help and blessings of Lord Krishna, Arjuna managed to defeat the devas.

 

 (This battle has been described in detail in the Mahabharata by Vyasa. Vyasa mentions the name of everyone who joined the fray on behalf of Indra. Birds from the race of Garuda, serpents, Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Yama, Kubera, Varuna, Karthikeya, Aswins, Dahtri, Java, Tvastr, Surya, Mrtyu, Aryaman, Pusha, Bhaga, Mitra, Savitri, Rudras, Vasus, Maruts, Viswedevas and Sandhyas all fought Arjuna and Lord Krishna in the Kandava battle)

While the battle was raging on, Lord Agni was free to consume the Kandava forest without any hindrance. At the end of fifteen days, the battle between Arjuna and Lord Krishna was over and the so was the consumption of the Kandava forest by Lord Agni.

Only seven creatures managed to escape from the fire –  five Sarangakas (birds), Mayadhanava and Takshak’s son Ashvasena.

The birds were the wife and children of Rishi Mandapala – Jarita and her children Jaritari, Sarisrikka, Stambamitra and Drona. The Rishi’s wife and children were unharmed as the Rishi who had left them in Kandava (to be with his second wife Lapita) requested Agni to spare them.

Mayadhanava was a special reason. He was an architect and was capable of creating great palaces. He had earlier created the celestial city Tripura. (Three floating city castles created by the three sons of Tarakasura and later destroyed by Lord Shiva.). Mayasura (Mayadhanava) was grateful to Arjuna for sparing his life. In return he created an incomparable city for the Pandavas and a beautiful palace for them to live in at Indraprastha. He was also the architect of the Hall of illusions in the palace of the Pandavas (where Draupadi was supposed to have made fun of Duryodhana for mistaking floor with a water body and tripping.)

Takshak’s wife died in the fire trying to save her son. Takshak’s son, who escaped the fire, was later on killed by Arjuna in the Kurukshetra war. Parikshit  (the grand son of Arjuna ) was later killed by Takshak to avenge the death of his wife and son. And Janamejaya in turn tried to kill Takshak to avenge the death of his father Parikshit. The cycle of vengeance, life and death go on. It all started with a good king over feeding Lord Agni.