Yudhishthira sat outside the newly built hut in the jungle, staring into nothingness, forlornness writ large on his face. His mind was raging with negativity.

My dear brothers and Draupadi are left homeless in this jungle, thanks to my unforgivable actions. The sages visiting us? What do I do about them? Today, we were lucky there was enough food in the house, and Draupadi and Bhima worked hard to cook and serve all the visiting sages. 

What will we do tomorrow? I know there are absolutely no rations left, even for us, let alone anyone visiting us. Without a kitchen, servants, and rations, how will we feed the sages? I am accursed! I not only lost my kingdom but also the ability to perform the most basic sacred duty of hospitality. Would it be right to send them away hungry? 

No! No! Not at all! I have to find a way.

He suddenly had an idea. He retired for the night, his heart lighter with a plan of action for the morning.

Surya Gifts the Akshaya Patra

The next day, at the crack of dawn, before his brothers and Draupadi awoke, Yudhishthira bathed and cleansed himself, and sat in meditation and prayer, appealing to Surya, the Sun God, the primal source of food for life on earth. The exiled Pandava sat under a tree, completely unmoving and immersed in his devotion. 

Pleased with his faith, Surya appeared before Yudhishthira. “Ask what you seek, my dear prince.”

The eldest Pandava bowed low and said, “O Provider of Nourishment, show us a way to nourish ourselves and feed the sages and other people who visit us in this jungle. How can I get rations and food for them and for us? Pray, please help me.”

Surya smiled. “I have the perfect gift for you.” Suddenly, a big copper vessel appeared in the Sun God’s hands. Handing it over to Yudhishthira, he said, “This is the Akshaya Patra, the vessel of inexhaustibility. It lives up to its name. It will never run out of food, and you can feed any number of people with it. The only condition is that the woman in your house must be the last to eat from it. As soon as she has eaten, the vessel will stop making food for anyone that day. It is for your use until the end of your exile.”

Yudhishthira was immensely grateful for the Akshaya Patra. He bowed and thanked the Sun God profusely for his magnanimity.

He returned home and handed over the magical vessel to Draupadi. From that day on, food was never a problem for the exiled brothers and their visitors. The Pandavas would uphold the sacred duty of hospitality without a hitch. 

Duryodhana Hatches a Wicked Plan

One day, everyone, including Draupadi, had eaten their fill. The Pandavas were just about to retire for the night when there was a knock on the door. Yudhishthira opened it to find Sage Durvasa and hundreds of his disciples. 

He welcomed them with due respect, making sure they were all seated comfortably under the big awning in the courtyard for visitors. 

Inside, Draupadi could feel her stomach tighten with anxiety. Something is not right. Why would they come so late? She heard her husband ask Sage Durvasa.

“What can I do for you at this late hour, O revered sage?”

“We have travelled a long way and are tired and hungry. I hope you have enough food for us. I have heard that you have the magical Akshaya Patra with you.”

Draupadi’s insides exploded. She knew the sage, or whoever sent him, was up to no good. Coming so late meant they knew that she would have eaten, and getting food for hundreds of people would be impossible. And Sage Durvasa’s infamous short temper was world-renowned. 

She felt it in her gut that they were being set up, perhaps, in the wicked hope that the angry sage would curse them in some unimaginably irretrievable way. 

Yudhishthira must have gotten the same idea because she heard him tell the sage, “Indeed, revered sire. Why don’t you and your disciples freshen yourselves at the riverbank while we make arrangements for your refreshments?”

The sage and his disciples left, and the five brothers walked in, worry and anxiety unmistakable on their faces, seeing the same emotions on their wife’s face. 

Draupadi found herself in the same situation as that horrendous day when Duryodhana tried to humiliate her in front of the entire Kuru court. Only Krishna, her beloved brother and King of Dwarka, came to her rescue. Now too, she turned to him.

“Krishna! Krishna! You are our only refuge!”

The Pandava brothers joined in the prayer to Krishna, the divine in disguise as their friend and mentor.

Krishna Saves the Day

Even as they were immersed in their prayer and meditation, they heard a second knock at their door. Their hearts felt light, and renewed hope filled their minds. Draupadi rushed to the door, opened it, and saw a delightful sight.

There he was! A peacock feather swayed on his head, and an enigmatic smile danced on his lips. His eyes twinkled mischievously, and he wore his heart on his sleeve, full of love and affection for one of his favourite sisters and his most favoured friends.

“You called for help?” He said as he stepped in and was hugged by all six people. “Come, come, my dears. Tell me your problem.”

Yudhishthira sat Kishna down and related the entire episode to him. 

“Aah! Looks like Duryodhana’s doing. I heard that Sage Durvasa was in Hastinapur being served by Duryodhana recently. Let me see what I can do. Bring me the Akshaya Patra, Pritha.” He was the only one who referred to Draupadi by her maiden name.

She went into the kitchen and returned with the magical vessel of inexhaustible food. Well, conditionally inexhaustible.

Krishna examined the vessel keenly for a while. Suddenly, his face lit up with the brightest smile they had ever seen. His eyes gleamed with mischievous joy as he exclaimed. “Aah, there,” pointing to some obscure stuff none of the six could see. 

But on closer scrutiny, Draupadi saw a tiny fragment of grain and an even tinier fragment of vegetable stuck on the edges of the vessel. She said, her tone woeful, “I didn’t even clean the vessel well!”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Krishna said, smiling. Picking up the two tiny slivers of food, he put them into his mouth and said. “That should take care of the sage and his disciples’ hunger.”

At that moment, Sage Durvasa and his disciples were coming out of the river, bathed; their stomachs growled with hunger as they looked forward to a satisfying hot meal. But in the next moment, the sage let out an inexplicable burp, followed by every one of his disciples. Their stomachs suddenly felt full. 

After all, the cosmos was satiated when Krishna ate that sliver of food from the Akshaya Patra. How could the sage and his disciples be left out of that satisfying meal?

Sage Durvasa realised the moment’s potency. Someone much, much bigger than him was helping the hapless Pandavas. He quickly turned to his disciples and instructed them to continue to their next destination without stopping for food at the Pandavas’ place. They followed his instructions readily.

In the Pandavas’ hut, the scene was like this. Krishna was sitting on a little bench. Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadi sat at his feet, listening with rapt attention, huge smiles radiating from everyone’s faces. 

Author’s Note:

The story of Durvasa and the Akshaya Patra is popularised across North India through various versions of the Mahabharata, like Nilakantha Chaturdhara’s commentary on the epic. 

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2.0.

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