Shloka 8
Cyavana’s Reconciliation with Indra; Tīrtha-Indexing at Ārcīka-parvata and Yamunā
Chapter 125
स मन्युर्व्यगमच्छीघ्रं मुमोच च पुरंदरम् । मर्द च व्यभजद् राजन पाने स्त्रीषु च वीर्यवान्,इन्द्रके ऐसा कहनेपर भृगुनन्दन महामना च्यवनका क्रोध शीघ्र शान्त हो गया और उन्होंने देवेन्द्रको (उसी क्षण) सम्पूर्ण दुःखोंसे, मुक्त कर दिया। राजन! उन शक्तिशाली ऋषिने मदको, जिसे पहले उन्होंने ही उत्पन्न किया था, मद्यपान, स्त्री, जूआ और मृगया (शिकार)--इन चार स्थानोंमें पृथक्ू-पृथक् बाँट दिया। इस प्रकार मदको दूर हटाकर उन्होंने देवराज इन्द्र और अश्विनीकुमारोंसहित सम्पूर्ण देवताओंको सोमरससे तृप्त किया तथा राजा शर्यातिका यज्ञ पूर्ण कराकर समस्त लोकोंमें अपनी अद्भुत शक्तिको विख्यात करके वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ च्यवन ऋषि अपनी मनोनुकूल पत्नी सुकन्याके साथ वनमें विहार करने लगे। युधिष्ठिर! यह जो पक्षियोंके कलरवसे गूँजता हुआ सरोवर सुशोभित हो रहा है, महर्षि च्यवनका ही है
sa manyur vyagamac chīghraṃ mumoca ca purandaram | marda ca vyabhajad rājan pāne strīṣu ca vīryavān ||
Lomasa said: “His anger quickly subsided, and he released Purandara (Indra) from his affliction. Then that mighty sage, O king, apportioned ‘Mada’—the intoxicating delusion he had earlier brought forth—into separate domains: drinking, women, and (by implication in the received narrative) other corrupting pursuits. Thus, by removing the force of intoxication from its single overwhelming form and distributing it into specific temptations, he restored balance among the gods and re-established order. The episode underscores a moral logic: uncontrolled pride and intoxication ruin discernment, while restraint and wise regulation preserve dharma and social harmony.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Anger and intoxication/pride (mada) destabilize judgment and dharma; the wise do not merely suppress such forces but regulate and channel them so that they do not overwhelm society. Restraint and discernment restore harmony even among the powerful.
Cyavana’s wrath subsides; he frees Indra (Purandara) from distress and then ‘divides’ the personified Mada, assigning it to specific temptations such as drinking and sexual indulgence (with the broader tradition adding gambling and hunting). This act prevents Mada from acting as a single, all-consuming force.