Dadhica (Dadhici)
A famous sage. Mention is made in Maha-bharata, Salya Parva, Chapter 51, Stanza 83, that this hermit was the son of the great hermit Bhrgu, and that he was made of the essences of the world, with a huge body.
2 ) The birth of the hermit Sarasvata.
Dadhica erected his hermitage on the bank of the river Sarasvati and began to do penance. The power of penance increased daily. Seeing this Indra was flurried. So he sent the celestial maid #Alambusa to break the penance of Dadhica somehow or other. Alambusa came to the hermitage of #Dadhica and began to dance and sing. When the hermit saw her he grew lustful and seminal discharge occurred to him. The semen fell in the river Sarasvati, who became pregnant and in due course gave birth to a child. She took the child to the hermit Dadhica and told him the story of the child. The hermit was much pleased. He took the child and embraced it and blessed the river Sarasvati thus :-
“Brahma, the gods and the celestial maids will be pleased if your water is offered as oblation.”
Dadhici then said that the child should be named #Sarasvata. He also added that when there was a drought continuously for twelve years, Sarasvata would have the power to bring rain. Then Sarasvati took the child to her abode and brought it up.
3 ) How he destroyed the asuras with the head of a horse.
Once Dadhici went to the world of the devas. From there he looked down and saw the earth filled with the asuras. Indra went to destroy them. But he could not. So he made a search for anything left behind by Dadhica. He understood that Dadhica had with him the head of a horse. It was found in a lake in the country of Saranya. With the bones taken from that head Indra and Dadhica destroyed a large number of asuras.
(Rgveda, Mandala 1, Anuvaka 13, Sukta 84).
4) The weapon (Vajra) of Indra was made from a bone.
A story occurs in the Mahabharata, which says that the Diamond-weapon of Indra was made of a bone of Dadhici. The asuras went to fight with Indra under the leadership of Vritrasura. Indra tried his utmost to kill Vritrasura, but he could not. At last Indra approached Brahma, who told Indra that if a bone of the hermit, called Dadhica was obtained it could effectively be used against Vritra. Accordingly Indra went with Nara and Narayana to the banks of the river Sarasvati and entered the hermitage and bowed before the shining hermit Dadhica and informed him of their errand. The hermit replied that he had no objection in giving his bone to save the gods. Saying thus the hermit discarded his life. Indra took the bone of Dadhici and made his weapon of Diamond (Vajra) with which he killed Vritra and his followers.
(Mahabharata, Chapter 100).
5 ) Other information
1) At the sacrifice of Daksa, #Dadhici got angry because Siva was not given his dues of the sacrifice. (M.B. anti Parva, Chapter 284) .
(2 ) Once Dadhici talked to a Brahmin called Karuna about the importance of the ashes dedicated to Siva. (Padma Purana, Chapter 101).
(3). See Dhananjaya V to know how this hermit gave absolution from curse to a fly.
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