Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage — Bhagavata Devotees, illustration

Chapter 10

Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage

The Lord himself said — "I am not free, I am under the control of my devotees" — and a sage was chased by that sentence for a year

Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage is chapter 10 of Bhagavata Devotees. Source: Bhagavata Purana. It is told in 5 scenes — The king; The catch; Fury; The chase; Breaking the fast — followed by 10 quiz questions.

The king

Ambarisha was emperor of the whole earth — of the solar dynasty, Nabhaga's son, in the line of Vaivasvata Manu. He had everything, and counted it all as nothing. A king by circumstance, a devotee by choice.

He and his queen kept the Dvadashi fast for a whole year — fasting, worship, feeding brahmins, service on the bank of the Yamuna, every sense surrendered to Hari. His mind was at Krishna's feet, his speech on descriptions of Vaikuntha, his hands sweeping the temple.

Pleased, Vishnu set his Sudarshana discus to guard Ambarisha and his line.

The catch

On the last day there was one right moment to break the fast — within the prescribed Dvadashi window. If it passed, the whole year's vow would be wasted.

Just then Durvasa arrived with his disciples. Ambarisha received him with full honour and invited him to eat. Durvasa agreed, but first went down to the Yamuna for his bath and midday rites, and there he grew so absorbed in meditation that the time for breaking the fast kept slipping away.

The moment was passing. The brahmin advisers suggested a compromise: sip only water. Ritually, this could count as breaking the fast without amounting to a full meal before the guest had eaten.

Ambarisha drank only water, and sat hungry, waiting for Durvasa.

Fury

Durvasa returned and saw everything through his yogic sight. He flared up — the king had eaten before his guest, in the pride of his kingship!

He tore a lock of matted hair from his head and hurled it to the ground. It became a blazing Kritya, sword in hand, lunging at Ambarisha. Ambarisha did not move or defend himself. He stood in prayer.

Then Vishnu's Sudarshana discus, which he had left on guard, burned Kritya to ash — and turned on Durvasa.

The chase

Durvasa ran. The discus followed.

He ran to the ends of the earth, into caves, across the sea, up into the sky. He went to Brahma, and Brahma was helpless. He went to Shiva, who also said, "We cannot stop his discus." At last he reached Vaikuntha and Vishnu.

Vishnu's answer — one of the best-known lines expressing the Bhagavata's vision of devotion —

"I am not independent. I am in the power of my devotees. My heart is with them and theirs is with me. The holy person is my heart, and I am his. Go to Ambarisha. Only he can stop this."

Durvasa returned. A whole year of running had passed, and the discus was still behind him. He fell at Ambarisha's feet. Seeing a brahmin at his feet, Ambarisha was flustered, and he prayed to the discus, and it calmed and went back.

Breaking the fast

For a full year Ambarisha had lived on water alone, waiting for Durvasa to return. Now he fed Durvasa first, and only then ate himself.

Durvasa said, "I have seen the greatness of the Lord's devotees. One with your patience can make anyone pure."

Note: The Ambarisha–Durvasa story is in the ninth canto of the Bhagavata Purana (chapters 4–5), and Vishnu's line "I am under the control of my devotees" (around 9.4.63–68) is one of the best-known lines expressing the Bhagavata's vision of devotion, spoken in the first person. This is not the same Ambarisha who appears in the Shunahshepa sacrifice story — those are two different Ambarishas. Durvasa's fierce temper appears all through the Puranas and the Mahabharata (Kunti's boon in the Mahabharata; Shakuntala's curse not in the Mahabharata but in Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntalam; and the pestle-curse on the Yadavas, where Bhagavata 11.1 counts him among the sages who cursed); do not read him here as a villain — the text's Durvasa really holds a principle (a householder's duty to the guest is absolute) and is really humbled, and says so. The note can hold both dharmas together — service to the guest, and the devotee's refuge — without making anyone a villain.

Source: from the Bhagavata Purana, Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage

Now — how much stayed with you?

Fact

Of which line was Ambarisha?

  • The lunar line
  • The Yadava line
  • The line of Nabhaga and his son Nabhaga, descended from Vaivasvata Manu
  • The Bhrigu line
Read the whole story — A king by circumstance

Ambarisha was emperor of the whole earth, and treated all of it as nothing.

He and his queen kept a year-long Dvadashi vow — the mind on Krishna's feet, the speech on Vaikuntha, the hands on cleaning the temple.

Pleased, Vishnu set his Sudarshana discus to guard him.

What happened?

What did Vishnu give to guard Ambarisha?

  • His own Sudarshana discus
  • Garuda
  • An armour
  • His mace
Read the whole story — The discus on guard

This boon later becomes the centre of the story.

The discus is not just a weapon — it is the answer to the devotion Ambarisha kept for a year.

And when the crisis came, the discus acted according to the Lord's prior arrangement to protect Ambarisha.

Why is that?

Why did Ambarisha break the fast with only water?

  • Because he had no food
  • Because Durvasa told him to
  • Because he was ill
  • Because the advice was that sipping water could count as breaking the fast in time without eating before the guest
Read the whole story — Between two rules

The fast had to be broken within the Dvadashi window, or the whole year's practice was void.

But Durvasa was still at the Yamuna, absorbed in his ritual bath and meditation, while the Dvadashi window was running out.

The brahmin advisors gave a middle path — only water, and then sitting hungry, waiting for Durvasa.

What happened?

What did Durvasa make from his matted hair?

  • A snake
  • A burning kritya
  • A storm
  • A curse-letter
Read the whole story — A lock of hair

Durvasa returned, knew everything by his yogic sight, and blazed up — "the king ate before his guest, in his pride."

He tore a lock from his matted hair and flung it to the ground, and it became the kritya.

Ambarisha did not move, did not defend himself — he stood in prayer.

Put it in order

In what order did Durvasa run, to escape the Sudarshana discus?

  • First to Brahma, then Shiva, then to Vishnu in Vaikuntha
  • First to Vishnu, then Shiva, then Brahma
  • First to Indra, then Yama, then Vishnu
  • Straight to Ambarisha
Read the whole story — No one could stop it

The discus first burned the kritya to ash, then turned on Durvasa.

Durvasa ran to the ends of the earth, into caves, across the sea, up to the sky.

Brahma could not help, Shiva could not ("we cannot call back his discus") — at last he reached Vishnu.

Who said it?

"I am not free. I am under the control of my devotees. The sadhu is my heart, and I am his." — who said this?

  • Narada
  • Shiva
  • Ambarisha himself
  • Vishnu
Read the whole story — The book's argument, in the first person

The whole book has been showing that devotion works; here the Lord declares himself bound by his devotees' love.

"Aham bhakta-paradhino" — I am under the devotee's control.

So the only one who can save Durvasa is Ambarisha.

Fact

For how long did Ambarisha go without food, waiting for Durvasa?

  • One day
  • A full year
  • One month
  • Seven days
Read the whole story — The devotee's response

The Lord declares himself bound by his devotees' love; Ambarisha's own conduct shows the other side of that relationship: he took no food for the whole year.

The text says that while waiting for Durvasa to return, Ambarisha maintained himself only on water for the entire year.

When Durvasa returned, he fed him first, and then ate himself.

Who said it?

"I have seen the greatness of the Lord's devotees. One who has patience like yours could purify anyone." — who said this?

  • Vishnu
  • Ambarisha
  • Durvasa
  • Narada
Read the whole story — The sage bows

Do not read Durvasa here as a villain — he really held a principle (a householder's duty to the guest is absolute).

And he was really humbled, and said so.

The story holds both dharmas together — service to the guest, and the devotee's refuge — without making anyone a villain.

The texts disagree

This Ambarisha is distinct from the Ambarisha of which other story?

  • King Dasharatha of the Ramayana
  • The King Ambarisha of the Mahabharata
  • There is no other Ambarisha
  • The King Ambarisha of the Ramayana's Shunahshepa sacrifice episode
Read the whole story — One name, two kings

There is more than one king named Ambarisha in the old genealogical traditions.

The Ramayana's Shunahshepa episode has a King Ambarisha; the Bhagavata's own Shunahshepha episode instead belongs to Harishchandra and his son Rohita.

The Ambarisha of Bhagavata 9.4 — the one pursued indirectly through Durvasa — is Nabhaga's son and a different figure.

Riddle

I am a discus that would not stop until the man I was chasing fell at the feet of the man I was protecting. What am I?

  • The Sudarshana discus
  • The Brahmastra
  • The Pashupatastra
  • The Kalachakra
Read the whole story — A guard already under orders

The Lord had already appointed the Sudarshana discus to protect Ambarisha; after burning the kritya, it pursued Durvasa.

And not Brahma or Shiva, only the devotee it was protecting could stop it.

This story proves the Lord's own words — "I am under the devotee's control."

Questions about Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage

What happens in Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage (Bhagavata Devotees)?

The Lord himself said — "I am not free, I am under the control of my devotees" — and a sage was chased by that sentence for a year. The story moves through: The king; The catch; Fury; The chase; Breaking the fast.

What comes after Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage in Bhagavata Devotees?

Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage is the last chapter of Bhagavata Devotees.

What is the source for Ambarisha and Durvasa — the discus that chased a sage?

Bhagavata Purana.