Durvāsas' Untimely Visit and Kṛṣṇa's Morsel

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While the Pāṇḍavas lived happily in the forest, feeding Brahmins from the Sun's pot, Duryodhana, Karṇa and Duḥśāsana plotted new harm. Into their court came the famously short-tempered Durvāsas with ten thousand disciples. Duryodhana served him like a slave day and night, careful never to show anger. Durvāsas tested him: he demanded food at odd hours, went off to bathe and came back late, said he had no appetite, once woke at midnight, had a meal cooked, criticised it and ate nothing. Duryodhana never flinched.

Pleased, Durvāsas offered a boon. Duryodhana, who had planned the request with his friends, asked the sage to visit Yudhiṣṭhira in the forest with his disciples, but only after Draupadī had fed the Brahmins, her husbands and herself and had gone to rest. He knew that the Sun's pot gave food only until Draupadī had eaten. After that, nothing could be served to a guest with thousands of followers. Durvāsas agreed and left. Karṇa remarked that fortune favoured them: the Pāṇḍavas were now exposed to Durvāsas' wrath and had fallen into a dark abyss.

Durvāsas arrived at the Pāṇḍavas' camp with his disciples just after Draupadī had eaten and the day's food was finished. Yudhiṣṭhira welcomed them and offered hospitality. The sage said they would first go to bathe in the river and then return to eat. Draupadī was desperate. There was nothing to give, and she knew what a curse from Durvāsas might mean. In her distress she prayed to Kṛṣṇa, who had once rescued her in the assembly hall. He came at once. He told her he was very hungry and asked for food. She said the vessel was empty, since she had already eaten. Kṛṣṇa asked her to bring it anyway and found a tiny morsel of vegetable stuck to the rim. He ate it, saying: may Hari, the soul of the universe, be satisfied with this. (Later retellings speak of a single grain of rice; the vulgate text speaks of a scrap of vegetable.)

Then he sent Sahadeva to call the sages. While they were standing in the water they suddenly felt full, as if they had eaten a huge meal, and could not bear the thought of more food. Fearing Bhīma's anger and the Pāṇḍavas' dignity, they ran away without returning. Kṛṣṇa's intervention saved the Pāṇḍavas from a curse and showed that the Sun's boon, bounded though it was, had a greater protector behind it. Duryodhana's scheme failed.

Told by Vaiśampāyana → Janamejaya

Who: Durvāsas, Duryodhana, Draupadī, Kṛṣṇa, Yudhiṣṭhira, Karṇa

Bound to

Sūrya's Akṣaya Pātra for Yudhiṣṭhira boon

Kunti's mantra and Karna's birth origin

Jayadratha Abducts Draupadī origin

The Ghoṣa-yātrā: Duryodhana Captured by Citrasena origin

Duryodhana's Fast unto Death, the Dānavas' Counsel and Karṇa's Vow origin

Places: Kāmyaka forest

Where this comes from

read for this telling · Mahabharata, Ganguli translation (mahabharataonline.com) Vana Parva, Section CCLX (Duryodhana serves Durvāsas and asks his boon)

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