Once upon a time there was a sage by the name of Chavana. He was practicing penance near a pool in the dried river of Saraswati. A king passed by with his wives (yes wives!) and a daughter, Sukanya. Chavana was practising penance for a very long time, and ant-hills had formed all over him, with only two eyes gleaming out of the ant-hills. Curiosity got the better of Sukanya and she pierced them with a twig. Chavana’s penance was disturbed and he got angry. In his anger he cursed all of the king’s army to fall sick.
When the king learnt everything, he tried to appease the sage, but Chavana would hear nothing, unless Sukanya was married to him. The king had to relent and thus Sukanya was married to the old Chavana.
Ashwins, the twin gods saw the odd couple and advised Sukanya to leave the old Chavana and choose one of the two. But Sukanya would not leave her husband. So they suggested that they would make her old husband into young, but she would then have to select one out of the three.
So the three of them took a dip in the pool and out came all of them looking alike. Sukanya looked all three in their eyes and chose the young Chavana as her rightful husband.
It is after this myth of sage Chavana that the ayurvedic concoction Chavanprash, gets its name! So if you want to rejuvenate yourself and keep fit and young, don’t forget to have your daily dose of Chavanprash!
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