The seven sages along with their families reached a spot shown to them by the sanayasi. It had huge walls on all four sides.It had a small lake with pellucid water. The lake was guarded by a demoness by name Yathadhani. She was specially appointedby king Vrishadarbhi for the specific purpose of killing the saptarshis. She asked everyone of the seven sages to explainthe meaning of their name and only then she would allow him to pluck the stems of locus flowers. Gowthama also gave a satisfactory meaning of his name.
Later all the sages got into the lake and collected a number of lotus stems which they required for their needs and bundledthemup and put them on the bank. Then they had to complete their rituals and after finishing them they came out of the lake. On their reaching the bank, a surprise was waiting for them. Some of the bundles of lotus stems had been stolen. Whowas the theif? They looked at one another in suspicion. There was only one solution available. Each one had to swear saying"I have not stolen the nundles". Everyone one agreed.
Atri, vasishta, Kashyapa, Bharadwaja,Jamadagni swore to that effect. Gaothama stood up and spoke thus." Let the man whostole the nundles be subjected to the punishment given to the brahmin who does not study the Vedas, the one has given upthe three modes of fire sacrifice, the one who sells soma creepers and the punishments meted out to those brahmins who failto live up to their expected codes of conduct."
The last one to take the oath was Shunahsakha. In his oath taking he indirectly revealed that it was he who had stolenthe bundles. This Shunahsakha was none other than Devendra, the chief of gods. He had come to the forest in disguise just toprotect the seven sages from the cruel Yathudhani and provide them food and water when they required them. He made obeisanceto the great sages and said,"O great ones, you have freed yourselves from greed and all desires. Lord, Almighty has grantedto you everything you need."
Yudhishtira had come to Bhishma seeking knowledge and advice on dharma. He asked the grandsire,"After death, tell me whethereveryone goes to heaven? Or are they spent to different worlds as they deserve? Are the words they are sent to different?Bhishma replied,"O great son of Kunti, humans go to different lokas according to the sins and good deeds they do whilethey live. Even those who do good deeds go to difficult lokas and in the same way the sinners are sent to different kinds of hell". Inthis connection Bhishma made a reference to the discussion sage gauthama had with Vasava(Devendra). The essence of theirdiscussion is as follows:
"Long long ago there was a sage by name Gauthama. He was soft spoken, kind and he had achieved the power of controllinghis senses. Once he saw a baby elephant which had lost its mother. It was crying loudly for its mother. Kind and compassionatethat he was, his heart melted when he saw the plight of the young elephant. Immediately he brought the young elephant tohis ashram. He began to look after it with great care. He was mother to the little animal. He loved it as much as he loved his own children.
'Once Devendra came to the ashram of Gauthama, disguised as king Dhritharashtra. He waited for a chance to take away theelephant. Taking the oppurtunity when Gauthama was away from the ashram, he took away the baby elephant. Gauthama whowas performing tapas at a distance saw someone taking away his baby elephant. He stood up and walked up to 'Dhritarashitra'and stopped him and said,"Are you have entered my ashrama, you have become my friend. If you take away this baby elephant,which is as good as my son, you are cheating yout friend. This elephant brings water and samith for me every day. Furtherit has the qualities of gratitude, politeness and forbearance and with these it protects my ashram. Therefore the baby elephantis my son and return it to me"
The clever and cheming Devendra in the guise of Dhritashtra offered to give a thousand cows, a huge quantity of gold, ahundered maid servants and various kinds of precious stones in return for the elephant. He tried to tempt Gouthama andmake him fall a prey to worldly treasures. But gauthama who had conquered his senses could not be snared into accepting evenif the world were offered in return for the baby elephant.
'keep this in my place in the world, I am going to find it and bring it back,said Gouthama in a firm voice. In this contextGauthama names a number of lokas to which human beings are sent after death according to the good deeds and sins they commitin this world. He said he would get back the elephant wherever he might hide it.
Devendra had come to test sage Gauthama in the guise of king Dhritharashtra. Therefore he began to argue with devotion."O great sage Gauthama, you are the greatest among brahmanas and you are devoted to your tapas. What use are your going to get fromthis baby elephant? A king has a number of uses for an animal like this. Further elephant is the animal I ride on. Thereforethere is no sin in my taking away the animal. Therefore O great sage you forget about this elephant,"he said in humility.Gauthama was not happy with the words of the king. He was a bit angry with him at his determination to take it away withhim. Raising his voice he said seriously,"Look here great king, even if you take the elephant to the land of Yama and hideit there, I am going to search the entire Yamaloka and get it His voice was determined.