Uttanka

In both legends, he is a learned sage who goes through many hurdles in procuring the earrings demanded by his guru's wife as the fee for the teacher (gurudakshina).

A work in Malayalam, also called Utankopakhyana, is another recounting of the story from the 14th book, but uses the name Utanka, not Uttanka.

[2] According to the Adi Parva, Uttanka was one of three chief disciples of the sage Veda, who in turn was a student of Dhaumya.

The guru's wife harboured a grudge against Uttanka, as he had refused to fulfil her desire in her fertility period.

Uttanka hesitated but ultimately complied after being informed that his guru, Veda, had acted likewise.

Pushya informed Uttanka that his queen does not appear before any impure person who has not performed the ritual ablutions.

She warned Uttanka that Takshaka, the king of Nagas (serpents), was after the divine earrings and he should therefore take guard against him.

Uttanka tried to pursue the mendicant, but Takshaka had reverted to his original form of a serpent and slithered away into a hole in the ground, reaching Naga-loka, the abode of the Nagas.

Indra, the king of the gods, saw Uttanka in the process of digging and sent his weapon Vajra (thunder-bolt) to help him carve a tunnel to the realm of the Nagas.

[1][3] Uttanka then saw two beautiful women weaving with white and black threads on a wheel fixed on the wall.

He reached the ashram just before sunset as the guru's wife was in the process of casting a curse on Uttanka for not arriving in time.

[1][5] After handing over the earrings and taking leave of his guru, Uttanka went to Hastinapur, the kingdom of King Janamejaya.

However, when Takshaka was about to drop to death into the sacrificial fire, Astika, a young boy well versed in scriptures, son of the sage Jaratkaru intervened with Janamejaya.

When called by his guru, Uttanka accosted Gautama, and with tears in his eyes asked him why he alone had been retained in the hermitage when thousands of other disciples had been discharged after training.

Ahalya suggested that he bring her the divine earrings of Madayanti, King Mitrasaha Saudasa's wife, as gurudakshina.

The queen warned Uttanka that her earrings were coveted by Nagas, Yakshas, rakshasas and the gods, who would try to steal them.

There, Uttanka saw a horse with the "tail which had black and white hair, a copper-coloured muzzle, and eye of the same colour that seemed to flame forth in splendor".

Thus choked, the serpents, headed by Vasuki came out, worshipped Uttanka and surrendered the earrings and asked that they be pardoned.

Uttanka was agitated and was about to curse Krishna for not bringing about a compromise between the warring cousins Pandavas and Kauravas.

[8] Krishna explained the necessity of war for restoration of dharma and revealed his Vishvarupa form to Uttanka.

In the end, Indra had told Krishna that he would offer Uttanka the amrita as a Chandala, provided the sage did not refuse it.

Uttanka, realizing his mistake that ordinary men cannot appear in this desert, either he was a Deva or messenger of Krishana.

Finally, Indra had relented and had told Krishna that he would offer Uttanka the amrita as a Chandala, provided the sage did not refuse it.

[11][1][10] The Vana Parva book of the Mahabharata narrates that an asura (demon) named Dhundhu lived under the sands of the desert of Ujjalaka, in Marudhanva.

Upset by Dhundu's action, Uttanka – whose ashram was in Ujjalaka – performed tapas (austerities) dedicated to Vishnu.

Pleased, Vishnu told Uttanka that the Ikshvaku king Kulavalashva, possessing part of his power, would slay the demon.

King Kuvalasva, with more than twenty-one thousands troop accompanied by his son and Brahmana Uttanka, set out for that region.

And enraged, the Asura baffled all of their weapons, and started to vomit fiery flames, achieving wonderful feat of consuming all of his troops in a moment.

The King, possessed of mighty energy, then approached him, extinguished his flames with force, discharging stream of water, and consumed him in a moment by using Brahma weapon.

Uttanka then sprinkled water from the holy Ganges on the hunter's corpse, which restored Gulika who then attained Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu.