page_title: Uttanka
section_title: Meeting Krishna
hierarchical_section_title: Uttanka / Meeting Krishna
caption_attribution_description: English: Mahabharata ([n.d.]) Author: Ramanarayanadatta astri Volume: 6 Publisher: [Gorakhpur Geeta Press] Possible copyright status: NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT Language: Hindi Call number: AAO-3248 Digitizing sponsor: University of Toronto Book contributor: Robarts - University of Toronto Collection: robarts; toronto Full catalog record: MARCXML [Open Library icon]This book has an editable web page on Open Library.
context_page_description: In Vedic tradition, Uttanka, also spelled Utanka, is a rishi who resided in the Maru desert. The primary source of this account is found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
  In the earliest version, Uttanka is described as the disciple of the sage Veda. In the second version, his guru is Gautama. 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.
  Uttanka asks the king Saudasa who was cursed by Vasistha to become a cannibal for earrings without any fear. And in last successfully receives it from her wife Madayanti, who before giving him warns that those earrings are celestial, and do not by any means put it heedlessly, if he do it will be stolen by higher beings who are always looking for a chance to have them. During his return, from hunger he tries to pluck fruits from a tree and drops those earings and a Nagas steal the earrings, and later the gods Indra and Agni help Uttanka to retrieve them from the realm of the serpents.
context_section_description: The Ashvamedhika Parva narrates Uttanka's meeting with the god Krishna. As Krishna was returning to his kingdom Dwarka, he noticed the wandering ascetic Uttanka. Uttanka met Krishna and asked for news. Krishna told about the devastation in the Kurukshetra War. Uttanka was agitated and was about to curse Krishna for not bringing about a compromise between the warring cousins Pandavas and Kauravas. Krishna explained the necessity of war for restoration of dharma and revealed his Vishvarupa form to Uttanka. The sage bowed to Krishna. Krishna told Uttanka to ask for a boon. Uttanka asked Krishna to grant him the boon of finding water whenever he was thirsty. Krishna granted the boon to Uttanka. Uttanka was the only other person other than Arjuna and Bhishma to get a divine vision of Krishna.
  Wandering in the desert, the sage became thirsty and, hoping to get water, thought of Krishna, but instead, he found a naked Chandala (an outcaste untouchable) urinating and asking him to drink the urine. The Chandala was covered in mud and surrounded by filthy dogs. The Chandala repeatedly requested Uttanka to drink his urine. But when Uttanka refused, the Chandala disappeared. Then when Krishna appeared on the scene Uttanka complained that it was improper of him to send a Chandala to quench the thirst of a Brahmin. Krishna explained that he had requested Indra to give him amrita, but Indra was not willing to give it to mortals. 
  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. Krishna had agreed to Indra's condition. Krishna then informed Uttanka that his refusal to accept amrita from the Chandala was improper. However, Krishna promised to keep his boon of providing water to the sage. He then blessed Uttanka that rain clouds would appear at his bidding and bring rain showers in the desert. These clouds appear rarely, and in the desert rain clouds are still known as Uttanka’s clouds (Uttanka Megha). 
  In another version of this event, it is said that, to test Uttanka, Krishna once appeared before him disguised as an untouchable hunter and offered him water which was polluted with urine. Uttanka rejected the offer as it was being offered by the hunter, an untouchable. This displeased Krishna who then appeared before Uttanka in his true form.
caption: Uttanka prays to Krishna for showing his Vishvarupa.
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