The sage Chyavana, deeply delighted with the devotion and virtue of Sukanya, resolved to test her with a subtle trial, knowing well its consequences and the extent of his own ascetic power upon the world and his kin. With calm detachment, he said to her, “Follow the counsel of the divine twins, the Asvins.” Obedient and pure in heart, Sukanya turned to the twin gods and said, “As you have promised, grant me a youthful companion to share my life.”
The Asvin’s smiled and led her and the aged sage into a sacred lake. When they emerged from the waters, all three shone with the bloom of youth—radiant, graceful, and alike in form, each bearing the same divine beauty. They stood before Sukanya and said, “Choose, O virtuous one, whomever your heart recognizes as your lord.” With prayerful reverence, she bowed inwardly to her true husband and, discerning through divine insight, touched Chyavana’s feet in homage. The sage, pleased with her purity and discernment, turned to the Asvin’s and said, “Through your grace, I have regained the strength and vigor of youth. My life has attained its fulfillment. In the grand sacrifice of King Śaryāti, I shall ensure that you receive the sacred Soma, the nectar reserved for the gods.” The twin deities blessed him and returned joyfully to their celestial abode.
When King Śaryāti heard of these wondrous happenings at the hermitage, he hastened to see the sage. Chyavana received him with the honors of a hermit host and said, “O King, let us perform a great sacrifice that your fame may spread through all the quarters of the earth and bring prosperity to your people. Gather the purest offerings required by the Vedas.” The king, whose virtue made sin itself tremble to approach, arranged the holy provisions and performed the sacrifice in perfect conformity with sacred law.
When the time came to offer the Soma, Chyavana called upon the Aśvins to partake. Then Indra, the lord of heaven, warned the king: “These twins are but physicians of the gods. They are not fit to taste the Soma, for such an act defies celestial order and the sanctity of the sage’s domain.” But Chyavana, unmoved, recited the Vedic hymns, sanctified the Soma through the fire of Agni, and offered it to the Aśvins.
Angered at this defiance, Indra lifted his thunderbolt to strike the sage. With a mere glance, Chyavana stilled the mighty god where he stood, rendering him motionless. From the sacrificial fire, he then brought forth a being of terrifying form—immense, radiant, and dreadful—whom he named Madā. The demon’s body spanned heaven and earth; his eyes burned like twin suns; his breath poured forth fire and smoke, consuming all it touched. His jaws stretched between earth and sky, and with his vast tongue, he drew all creatures toward destruction. The world trembled at his presence, never before seeing such a manifestation of wrath.
The gods and sages, terrified, turned to Indra and said, “Only you can pacify the sage and withdraw this power. Delay not, for the worlds are imperiled.” Indra, realizing the boundless might of Chyavana’s penance, bowed and spoke humbly, “O sage of immeasurable austerity, forgive my folly. Your power is invincible. Henceforth, I decree that the twin Aśvins shall rightfully partake of Soma in every holy sacrifice among the gods.”
Pleased by his repentance, Chyavana withdrew the demon back into the sacred fire and pardoned Indra. Before disappearing, the sage commanded Madā to remain in a subtle form upon the earth, manifesting only through the forces of temptation—through wine, women of lost virtue, hunting, and dice. “In these,” said the sage, “your presence shall dwell, and only by righteousness, control of the senses, and the discipline of penance, pilgrimages, and holy baths shall men overcome you.” Thus peace was restored, and the Aśvins were admitted among the gods in sacred worship.
The place where Chyavana, son of Bhṛgu, performed this great penance became known as Archika Hill. The sage Romasa, recounting this tale, led the Pāṇḍavas to the river that sanctified the spot. After taking their holy bath, they entered the Saindhava forest, the dwelling of gods and sages where Sanatkumāra, Śaunaka, Nārāyaṇa, and Brahmā had once performed grand sacrifices. There lay the sacred lake called Chandratīrtha. The Pāṇḍavas performed their rituals, honored the holy men, and journeyed onward to the river Yamunā.
Romasa said, “This Yamunā is as sacred as the Ganges, for on its banks King Māndhātā, of the Ikṣvāku line, performed countless sacrifices extending over ages beyond reckoning.” Yudhiṣṭhira, filled with reference, requested to hear of Māndhātā’s glory.
The sage replied, “Māndhātā, born of King Yuvanāśva, was a monarch of boundless virtue and strength. Once Yuvanāśva, desiring a son, sought the blessing of the sage Bhṛgu, who prepared a sacred draught to grant his wish. But by fate’s play, the king, parched with thirst, drank of it himself. Bhṛgu then declared, ‘This water was meant for your queen, yet by destiny you have consumed it. Therefore, you shall yourself bear the child.’ In due time, from the left side of the king’s body, a radiant boy emerged, shining like the rising sun.
When Indra beheld the newborn, he placed his finger in the child’s mouth, and the boy drew forth divine nectar. The gods named him Māndhātā, ‘he who suckled from Indra.’ Gifted with supreme knowledge, he mastered the Vedas, weapons, and sacred sciences through meditation alone. Indra installed him as sovereign of the earth and bestowed upon him the divine bow Ajagava, an impenetrable shield, and celestial weapons. He conquered every foe and ruled as a universal monarch, conducting innumerable sacrifices and bestowing endless wealth upon sages and priests.
In time, when drought fell upon the world, Māndhātā, enraged by Indra’s neglect, challenged him in battle and, through his unshakable resolve, brought rain once more to the earth. It was upon these shores that the mighty king performed his series of sacrifices.
Upon the banks of the Sarasvatī in Kurukṣetra, another sage-king, Somaka, conducted a grand yajña. Thus Romasa, like one spreading jewels of divine lore before the sons of Pāṇḍu, revealed the ancient sanctity of each place. Step by step, the Pāṇḍavas traversed a land woven with the living threads of spiritual power, where every hill and river bore the memory of sacrifice, penance, and divine communion.
