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74. ennaip pOl enREnO uparisaranaip pOlE

Uparicharavasu was a king who ruled his kingdom as per dharma. He was famed for his knowledge of dharma and following it sincerely. Due to that he was blessed by the dharma devata so that he could move about without touching the ground. One time, during his rule, an argument broke out between rishis and the devas about the sacrificial offering during a yaga. There is a rule in the Vedas about not killing any animal. But, there is also a special rule about being allowed to sacrifice an animal during a yaga. It is said that a goat can be sacrificed after the reciting of specific mantras during a yaga.

Due to the rule that animals should not be killed in general, the rishis created the form of a goat using grains, made it sacred with the mantras and sacrificed it in the yaga. The devas did not accept this sacrifice. They wanted a real animal sacrificed in the yaga. Therefore, the devas and the rishis took their case in front of the king Uparicharavasu and asked him to give a dharmic solution.

Uparicharavasu respected all souls equivalent to his own. His belief was that the animal had as much right to live as he himself did. So, he accepted the argument of the rishis. Angered by this, the devas cursed him that he would touch the ground as he moved about from that time onward.

Another version of the story says that he spoke on the side of the devas. The rishis were angered with him and tried to convince him to speak against dharma. It is said that he corrected the rishis and made them all understand that everyone should live like him following dharmma.

In either case, Uparicharavasu comes across as a selfless person.

Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I follow dharma completely and show that all beings are the same as one's self like Uparicharavasu did?"

Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

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