How did a killer hunter become an eminent sage?

There is a story in the Varaha Purana. Aruni who was a highly spiritual saint, built a cottage on the banks of the river Devika to perform severe penance. Whilst performing japa after bathing, he saw a fierce hunter with a bow and arrow rushing towards him. He had come to kill the sage and snatch away the bark garment he was wearing. As soon as he saw the sage, he changed his mind. The hunter said: “O Brahmin, I came here with the intention of killing you. But now, upon seeing you, I don’t wish to do that. I now wish to perform penance near you.”

The sage did not reply, thinking that the man guilty of killing Brahmins is a high sinner. Desirous of acquiring religious merit, the hunter remained there.

One day, a tiger came to the river when the sage was about to have a bath. The tiger attempted to kill the sage. The sage plunged into the water and the tiger was trying to drag him out. The hunter quickly killed it and then a person came out of the tiger’s body. Hearing the noise of the hunter killing the tiger, the sage exclaimed ‘Om Namo Naarayanaaya’ (Bow to Narayana). That mantra was heard by the tiger which was about to die and it transformed into a divine man. The sage asked him who he was and he told him about his former life. “I was a king known as Dirghabahu. I was well versed in Dharma and had mastered the Vedas and known about everything good and bad. I had nothing to do with brahmins and was insulting and disregarding brahmins, saints and great men. This attitude of mine angered them and they cursed me to become a tiger. I then prostrated before them and sought their pardon. They said: “You should eat only once every six days and whatever comes near you at midday, this will be your food. When you are about to die, being hit by an arrow, you will hear a Brahmin uttering ‘Bow to Narayana’. Then you will attain liberation.”

The hunter, risking his life, saved his Gurudev from a tiger. Guru Aruni was pleased with him and said, “Son, I am pleased with your devotion and service. I shall give you a boon of your choice.”

The hunter said: “That that you are pleased with me is itself a boon. What else have I to seek?”

The sage said: “Now all your sins have disappeared by your holy bath in the river Devika, by my sight and by hearing the name of Vishnu, and you have become pure in mind. So now you may do further sadhana here.”
Sage Aruni imparted instruction to his disciple and went away.

The hunter followed the auspicious path and began to do penance, giving up regular food and meditating on the Guru (sage Aruni). His body was reduced to a bag of bones but his face was effulgent like blazing fire because of the penance. One day, a great sage Durvasa came to test him. The hunter bowed to the great sage. The hunter requested the sage to become his guest. Durvasa, desiring to know the spiritual powers of this hermit who had fully subdued his sense organs and become fully purified, told him: “Give me, well prepared food of barley, wheat and rice.”

Told this, the hunter began to seriously think how he could meet this demand. Whilst thus engrossed, a golden vessel fell into his hand from the sky. The noble hunter then went out to beg alms in the not- too-distant city through forests. Walking along, from tree after tree nymphs appeared with golden vessels full of various foodstuffs and filled his begging bowl. When his goal was thus achieved, he delightfully returned to the sage. He requested the sage to take a seat and wash his feet.

But the sage, with a view to testing how far his penance was powerful, said that he was unable to go to the river. Meditating on his Guru, he sought recourse to the river Devika. To accomplish the service of Guru Bhakta hunter, the holy Devika river moved to the place where Durvasa was resting. Seeing that wonder, Durvasa was very surprised, and after washing his hands and feet, ate the food reverentially given. He then blessed the hunter: “Let the Brahmavidya (knowledge of Brahman), Vedas and Puranas dawn on you.”

After giving this boon, Durvasa told him that he would become a famous sage by the name Satyatapaa. Your former knowledge has perished and a pure one has come upon the imperishable body you have now acquired. This is the truth. Therefore, O sage, the Vedas and Shastras will always appear in your mind. 

A killer hunter, with the divine influence of seeing a saint, devotion to Guru, service, sadhana and Guru’s grace, became an eminent sage.