UPAMANYU A LOYAL STUDENT

Upamanyu was a devoted student of Guru Ayodhadhaumya. The guru had three important students: Aruni, Upamanyu, and Veda. One day, Guru Dhaumya asked Upamanyu to take the cows to the forest for grazing. Every evening, Upamanyu would return home and bow to his teacher.

One day, the guru noticed that Upamanyu looked healthy and well-fed. He asked him how he got his food. Upamanyu replied that he begged for food and ate what he received. The guru then told him to give all the food he collected to him first. Upamanyu obeyed and still looked strong. The guru asked again how he was staying healthy. Upamanyu explained that after giving the food to the guru, he would beg again for more.

The guru told him this was wrong because it took food away from others. Upamanyu obeyed and stopped begging a second time. Yet, he remained fit. The guru asked him again how he was surviving. Upamanyu admitted that he drank milk from the cows he took care of. The guru said this was also not allowed, so Upamanyu stopped drinking milk.

Even after this, Upamanyu was still healthy. The guru asked him how this was possible. Upamanyu replied that he drank the foam left by the calves after they fed on their mothers' milk. The guru told him to stop this as well since it could harm the calves.

Now, Upamanyu had nothing to eat. One day, while looking after the cows, he ate some leaves from a tree. These leaves were poisonous, and he became blind. Unable to see, he wandered in the forest and fell into a deep well. When Upamanyu did not return in the evening, the guru and other students went to look for him. They found him at the bottom of the well. The guru told him to pray to the divine twin doctors, the Asvins, for help.

Upamanyu prayed sincerely, and the Asvins appeared. They gave him a piece of bread to eat. However, Upamanyu refused to eat before offering it to his guru. The Asvins tested him by saying his guru had once eaten without sharing. Still, Upamanyu did not eat first. Pleased with his devotion, the Asvins blessed him. His sight was restored, and they gave him gold teeth. Upamanyu returned happily to his guru, who praised him for his dedication and obedience.