Aruni, an Ideal Student: Mythological Tale From India

Long, long ago, there lived a sage named Ayodh Dhaumya. He was a great scholar, and many students from distant lands came to stay in his gurukul and learn from him.

Those days there were no schools or colleges. The students lived with the guru in his ashram and learned from him. The well-read munis lived a very simple life and had no servants. The students helped with the housework. They had to get firewood from the forest, fetch water from the river, tend the garden and fields of crops, and also take care of the domestic animals.

Aruni, an Ideal Student

They learned the scriptures, various life skills, how to wield weapons, and different arts along with these daily chores. The pupils mastered not just the scriptures but also turned into responsible human beings, ready to face the challenges of life.

One cloudy morning, when the pupils of Ayodh Dhaumya were busy with their usual tasks, it began to rain heavily. Everyone ran indoors. A wild storm blew outside, and flashes of lightning streaked across the sky. The thunder roared like hundreds of gunshots being fired here, there, and everywhere. The sage looked worried. He thought of his fields. The crops were nearly ready, but Dhaumya had had no time to build strong boundaries. This rain was untimely!

What will happen if the boundaries are washed away by the rain? he wondered. The entire harvest would be gone.

He looked at his young pupils and called out to Aruni.

“Aruni, go to the fields and see if the boundaries are still intact. I had noticed some breaks last evening. The water could simply rush in and wash out the crops if the breaks are not mended. Will you attend to it, please?”

“Of course I will, Guruji,” said Aruni at once. “I’ll mend the boundary and see to it that the water doesn’t enter our fields and spoil the crops.”

“Do be quick! We need to act fast…” urged Ayodh Dhaumya, looking at the grey sky.

Aruni rushed out to the fields. The rain was lashing down in torrents, and most of the fields were already underwater. Aruni looked around carefully and noticed the breach in the boundary wall. Water was gushing in from here. With the help of the spade he was carrying, he tried to repair it, blocking the flow with mud and sticks. But the rain in its fury washed it away. The breach only got bigger and bigger. Aruni realised this was a hopeless task.

He was worried and didn’t know what to do. And then, he got an idea. The break in the boundary was just about his height. If I just lie down there instead of trying to fix the break, I could stop the water from flowing in, he thought.

Knowing that he didn’t have much time, he acted fast. He did not stop to think how cold and clammy the wet earth was! The raindrops felt ice cold on his bare body. But he just lay there quietly, in satisfaction that he was finally able to prevent the water from flowing into the fields. Now my Guru’s crops are safe, he said to himself. And that was all that mattered to Aruni. He was now the human wall between the water and the fields!

The rains continued through the rest of the day without a break. Aruni lay there all day, braving the rain. The water pushed against his ribs, trying to enter the fields. He was nearly frozen. But he hardly thought of his own safety.

In the evening, sage Ayodh Dhaumya realised that he had not seen Aruni the whole day.

“Where is Aruni? It’s almost night, and I haven’t seen him the whole day!” he enquired. “Does anyone know where he is?”

“Guruji, he had gone to check the boundaries of the fields,” said one of his disciples. “You asked him to check the water from entering the fields,” said another.

“Yes, I did ask him! But that was in the morning. Where has he been all day long? Surely, it wouldn’t have taken him so much time to repair the boundary!”

“He never returned from the fields,” said the others.

Sage Ayodh Dhaumya looked worried. “I must look for him immediately. I hope he is safe! Come with me, all of you. We must find Aruni at once.”

They reached the fields, but there was no trace of Aruni anywhere. It was not raining heavily, but in the dark night, no one noticed him lying along the boundary, drenched in mud and water and frozen cold.

“Aruni, are you there?” called the other disciples.

“Aruni! Aruni! Where are you?” called out the sage anxiously.

After moments of silence, a weak voice answered. “I am here, Guruji, lying by the boundary.”

“But what are you doing there, son? Why are you lying there in the mud?” asked sage Dhaumya amazed, “Do get up and come here.”

“I am afraid, I can’t! I have been lying here all day because I could not fix the boundary,” said Aruni stuttering with cold. “The rain was too strong. It kept washing away all the mud, the moment I put it there. So I lay down there myself, blocking the water with my body. This was the only thing I could do to save the fields.”

Sage Ayodh Dhaumya was touched by his loyalty and obedience.

“Aruni, I am proud of you, my son,” he said. He firmly held his shivering body. “Don’t worry about the boundary any more. We now have time to repair it as the rain has almost stopped. Come home with me, and let me take care of you.” The other students took over fixing of the boundary. Aruni followed his teacher home, happily.

“Aruni, I am really pleased with your sincerity. May you be a great scholar! I give you a new name. From today you shall be known as Uddalak, meaning one who rises from the boundary. Everyone will remember you as a shining example of the most obedient and loyal disciple.”

Delighted beyond words, Aruni bowed down and touched his Guru’s feet.