Mandavya

2025-08-22T11:10:21Z

49.43.202.161: typo fix

{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| name = Mandavya
| image =
| caption =
| affiliation = [[Rishi]]
| texts = [[Mahabharata]], [[Puranas]]
}}{{Short description|Sage in Hinduism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

'''Mandavya''' ({{Langx|sa|माण्डव्य|translit=Māṇḍavya}}), also called '''Aṇi Māṇḍavya''', is a sage in [[Hinduism]]. He is best known for a legend where he is wrongfully punished by a king by impalement.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-06-24 |title=Sage Mandavya's story |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/Sage-Mandavya%E2%80%99s-story/article14399371.ece |access-date=2022-11-19 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Legend ==

=== Impalement ===
According to the [[Mahabharata]], Mandavya was once performing a [[Tapas (Indian religions)|tapas]] with his arms raised, standing in front of his [[Ashram|ashrama]] for many years. During this period, some thieves happened to pass by his ashrama, having stolen property belonging to the king. Finding that the king’s men were pursuing them, the thieves fled, after leaving their stolen property in the sage's ashrama. The king’s men seized Mandavya, believing him to be an accomplice. Mandavya refused to talk to his accusers. When the thieves were caught, Mandavya was also produced before the king, and they were all condemned to death. The thieves and the sage were struck at the tip with a trident, and while the thieves died, Mandavya stayed alive.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Valmiki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qj9bDwAAQBAJ&dq=ani+mandavya+rishi&pg=PT2346 |title=Delphi Collected Sanskrit Epics (Illustrated) |last2=Vyasa |date=2018-05-19 |publisher=Delphi Classics |isbn=978-1-78656-128-2 |pages=2346 |language=en}}</ref>

According to the [[Brahmanda Purana]], while the sage was undergoing this injustice, [[Ugrashravas]], the cruel husband of Shilavati, wished to visit the house of his favourite prostitute, and the unsuspecting Shilavati agreed to carry him to her house. When the couple came across Mandavya, the latter understood the man's intentions, and cursed him to die before the next sunrise. Horrified, Shilavati, with her piety, ensured that [[Surya]], the sun god, would not rise the following morning. Since this led to universal chaos, the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] approached [[Anasuya]], who convinced Shilavati to let the sun rise again.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Krishna |first=Nanditha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DF_af8_547EC&dq=ani+mandavya+sunrise&pg=PT140 |title=Sacred Animals of India |date=2014-05-01 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-81-8475-182-6 |pages=140 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Shiva]] blessed the sage with longevity, and several sages appeared before Mandavya, making inquiries regarding him. When the king realised that Mandavya was innocent, he rushed to seek the sage's forgiveness. His men tried to pull the trident from his body, but were unable to do so. Finally, the sage had to be released by cutting the trident, with its tip (Aṇi) remaining in his form. Hence, he came to be known as Aṇi Mandavya.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Aṇimāṇḍavya |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241396.html |access-date=2022-11-19 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

=== Cursing Dharma ===
Mandavya approached [[Dharma]] (sometimes identified with [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]]), asking why an innocent man like him had suffered the hardship that he had gone through. Dharma stated that Mandavya had tortured insects like bugs and ants when he was a boy, and his impalement had been the punishment. The sage countered that the [[Dharmaśāstra|Shashtras]] stated that no man should have to suffer for any sin committed before the age of five, arguing that he had been unjustly punished. Since Dharma had attempted to murder him, a [[Brahmin]], the greatest of sins, he cursed the deity to be born as a [[Shudra]] on earth. Accordingly, Dharma incarnated as [[Vidura]] in the [[Mahabharata]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=George M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&dq=dharma+mandavya&pg=PA56 |title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology |date=2008-03-27 |publisher=OUP USA |isbn=978-0-19-533261-2 |pages=56 |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Mandavya ( माण्डव्य) Temple.jpg|alt=Mandavya Temple|thumb|Mandavya Rishi Temple in Damkada Tansen Nepal|240x240px]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Rishis]]
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]

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Mandavya