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And he proceeds to tell the story of the Brahmana to Yudhisthira

And he proceeds to tell the story of the Brahmana to Yudhisthira

= उञ्छवृत्तिब्राह्मणः ॥ Brahmana who lived by Unchavrtti =

= उञ्छवृत्तिब्राह्मणः ॥ Brahmana who lived by Unchavrtti =

<blockquote>धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे धर्मज्ञैर्बहुभिर्वृते। उञ्छवृत्तिर्द्विजः कश्चित्कापोतिरभवत्तदा॥ (Maha. Asva. 14.90.24)</blockquote>Once upon a time in Kuruksetra, the land of dharma, the land that is always inhabited by those who know dharma, there lived a brahmana. He obtained his livelihood by unchavrtti (उञ्छवृत्तिः) - by gathering the left-over grains from harvested fields and marketplaces. Like a pigeon, he would painstakingly collect his food grain by grain. And on such food did he nurture his whole family, comprising his wife, son and daughter-in-law.

<blockquote>धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे धर्मज्ञैर्बहुभिर्वृते। उञ्छवृत्तिर्द्विजः कश्चित्कापोतिरभवत्तदा॥ (Maha. Asva. 14.90.24)</blockquote>Once upon a time in Kuruksetra, the land of dharma, the land that is always inhabited by those who know dharma, there lived a brahmana. He obtained his livelihood by unchavrtti (उञ्छवृत्तिः) - by gathering the left-over grains from harvested fields and marketplaces. Like a pigeon, he would painstakingly collect his food grain by grain. And on such food did he nurture his whole family, comprising his wife, son and daughter-in-law.

The mongoose goes on to say that since then he has been roving across the earth to find a place or occasion that would make the rest of his body golden. He has attended many yajfias and visited many a forest where the tapasvins perform their great austerities; but to no avail. He came, he says, to the yajna of Yudhisthira in great expectation. But his hopes have been belied. The grand annadana of Yudhisthira's asvamedha has failed to compare with the gift of one measure of roasted and pounded grain made by that austere brahmana of Kuruksetra.

The mongoose goes on to say that since then he has been roving across the earth to find a place or occasion that would make the rest of his body golden. He has attended many yajfias and visited many a forest where the tapasvins perform their great austerities; but to no avail. He came, he says, to the yajna of Yudhisthira in great expectation. But his hopes have been belied. The grand annadana of Yudhisthira's asvamedha has failed to compare with the gift of one measure of roasted and pounded grain made by that austere brahmana of Kuruksetra.