DEVOTIONAL LOVE OF MOTHER JARITA IN MAHABHARATA

Four Sarngika Birds stays alive during the Conflagration of Khandava forest

Mother's love can never be defined in words. Her unconditional love knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. Here in my blog put up, I will share about Jarita: a female bird of species known as Sarngika who couldn't leave her sons and protected them with great devotion all through the conflagration of the Khandava forest. Do you all know that her sons were able to remain alive during the fierce Khandava van daah along with Mayasura and Ashwasena; the son of the Takshaka snake? Ashwasena was saved by the deity Indra and Mayasura by Arjuna in the course of the Conflagration. Jarita's sons were also able to make it through the influence of their father Mandapala on the fire god. 

There was once a religious Ascetic named Mandapala who practised rigid penance. After having full control over his senses, he left his body and reached Pitr Loka. He was puzzled to see himself unsuccessful in obtaining the outcomes of his true karmas. Out of curiosity, he asked the deities who were sitting there after Yamaraj the motive behind it. Deities responded to him," Mandapala! You are no doubt a magnificent Ascetic who carried out many yajnas and practised austerities however you did not get the results out of it due to the fact of having no descendants of your own." They mentioned Mandapala that, a "human being after birth becomes indebted on the earth and repays through the way of yajna, celibacy practice and via raising sons since only sons save their fathers from the pits of hell." Since Mandapala had no son his austerities grew to become valueless.

(Please check the below video👇 in Hindi)

Mandapala in order to get a son as soon as possible went to Sarngika Jarita and made love with her in the Khandav forest. When Jarita gave birth to four sons named Jaritari, Sarisrikta, Stambamitra, and Drona. Mandapala announced to Jarita that his elder son Jaritari would take responsibility for his entire dynasty, Sarisrikta would help in the family lineage, Stambamitra would practice austerities and Drona would operate yajnas. After that Mandapala abandoned these hatchlings alongside Jarita there and went to another woman named Lapita. During the conflagration of the forest, he prayed to the fire god and did his stuti to spare his four sons' lives. Fire god was pleased and agreed to Mandapala.

Being on her own, Jarita was worried for her kids. She had to take care of them all by herself since Mandapala had already left. Seeing the fierce fire god engulfing the complete forest, she lamented for her kids. She couldn't find a way to defend her offspring. Neither she ought to fly away with her wingless hatchlings nor she let them die in the fire. Having no other way out, She thought of dying along with her children there. Baby birds requested their mother to go away from them from that wooded area and protect her own life alternatively considering the truth that, their mother could continue carrying on their dynasty by way of giving birth to other baby birds.

Jarita then noticed a mouse hole there and asked all her sons to hide inside it in order to remain secure from the fire. She additionally convinced them by saying that, the mouse was already snatched by a falcon which Jarita had witnessed before. However, her kids didn't agree and requested her mother to leave them alone in their situation and come back to the area later to see if they survived. Jarita then searched for some different secure places nearby.

The four sons of Jarita started out doing stuti of fire god there. Pleased hearth god when came near him whilst engulfing the forest, remembered the request of Sage Mandapala and consoled all the four sons now not to fear him. Fire god additionally asked for a boon to them. Drona requested him to burn a tomcat there that used to annoy the birds always. Firegod agreed and baring all of the four birds endured the Conflagration of the forest. Just after the fire god left that place, Jarita cryingly rushed closer to her kids and observed them unhurt like before. She hugged each of them out of affection.

On the other hand, Mandapala started grieving for his sons and Jarita near Lapita. He regretted leaving Jarita and their helpless hatchlings in such a situation. Seeing the sage mourning for his wife Jarita and sons, jealous Lapita asked Mandapala to go back to Jarita, blamed him to be extra affectionate closer to Jarita and his sons rather than for her and informed him that, I  will remain alone in the hermitage just like a spouse staying after being abandoned by means of her wicked husband." Mandapala referred to her that, he in no way roamed around in the world to be with any woman in specific but to have a son from her and leave his sons in a pathetic scenario whilst putting expectations on his future sons was his stupidity which he regretted at that time. Thus he left her and went in the direction of his sons.

Seeing their father in front of them, neither of the four birds welcomed him nor reproached him. Mandapala one by one called all their names and also asked Jarita about their wellness. Jarita told Mandapala that he had nothing to do with his sons anymore for the reason that he had already abandoned all of them before for some other female and then she additionally requested her husband to return to Lapita again.

Mandapala responded to her, "In other lokas, Sautiya dah or jealousy closer to saut and having a relationship with different men usually destroyed women. Courteous Arundhati who had once doubted her husband the non-secular Sage Vashistha had continually tried for their family's well-being and hence faced penalties later. Even though I have come to see my sons here, you are insulting me the way Lapita did too, as a result, this proved, a wife after becoming a mother ignores her duties towards her husband."

After listening to all this, his four sons sat near their father to whom Sage consoled for not coming there before by saying, he was certain that being born as powerful sages from a pious mother like Jarita, they could never be harmed via fire and he informed about his earlier request towards fire god for sparing his son's lives. Later Mandapala along with his wife Jarita and his four sons went to another location altogether.

Ref: Mahabharata book Adi Parva

Read about the reason behind Khandava Van daaha..