Chapter 41 of 51 · Uma Samhita · Overall chapter 355 of 464
The Seven Hunters
Seven brahmana brothers who deceitfully kill and eat their guru's cow while tending it, covering the act with a false shraddha-ceremony justification, are reborn across three successive lives - first as hunters, then as chakravaka birds, then finally as humans again - their accumulated merit from that one genuine shraddha gradually restoring the yogic attainment their original deceit had cost them.
Sanatkumara said
There are said to be seven classes of ancestors in heaven, the best of those who have done austerities, four with bodies and three without. The original classes of gods, brahmanas and others worshipped them. By the strength of their yoga they earlier gained soma, so it should be offered at shraddhas, especially to yogis. It must be offered to all of them in a silver vessel or one plated with silver. When it is offered at a shraddha, saying "svadha" first, the ancestors are pleased. When the sun is on its northern course one must worship Soma and Yama and make oblations into the fire; where there is no fire it can be offered in water. If one does this devotedly the ancestors are pleased with him and give him nourishment, many offspring, heaven, freedom from disease, prosperity and all else desired. Sage, rites for the ancestors are better than rites for the gods. Brahmana rishi, since you are devoted to your ancestors you will be free of age and death. Sage, the destination gained through devotion to the ancestors cannot be gained through yoga. Great sage, devotion to ancestors is special, and one should act accordingly.
Markandeya said
Having said this, and having given me sight and discernment hard even for the gods to gain, the lord of the gods went away by the path of yoga. Bhishma, hear of it again. There were brahmanas, sons of Bharadvaja, who despite having gained the dharma of yoga deviated because of wicked conduct. They were Vagdushta, Krodhana, Himshra, Pishuna, Kavi, Svasrisha and Pitrivarti, whose deeds matched their names. Son, Koushika's sons became Garga's disciples. When their father died they went and lived elsewhere. Their guru put them to tend his cow and calf. While looking after the tawny cow and calf all of them behaved improperly. Descendant of Bharata, on the way they suffered hunger and, being children, were deluded, and, cruel in mind, they killed the cow. Kavi and Svasrisha told them to stop but could not restrain them. Pitrivarti performed shraddhas every day, devoted to the ancestors, and angrily told them: there are things one should not do, yet offered to the ancestors they can be done; so all of you control yourselves and perform a shraddha, and then the cow can doubtless be accepted by dharma; if we follow dharma and worship the ancestors we will not suffer adharma. So addressed, all of them sprinkled the cow with water, offered it to the ancestors and ate it. Going back, they told the guru that a tiger had killed the cow and gave him the calf. The brahmana, very distressed, accepted the calf. They suffered the sin of having lied and killed the cow. In time, son, when their lifespans were over, the seven brothers died. Because of their cruelty, violence, ignoble conduct toward a guru and excess of violence, the seven were born as powerful, spirited sons of a hunter. Those seven, discerning in dharma, were born as hunters in the land of Dasharna. All kept their own dharma and were free from the delusion of hunting animals. Full of anxiety, they lived on beautiful Mount Kalanjara. They reflected on the knowledge they had gained at the time of their deaths. Though they roamed the forest they were forgiving. They took nothing and were free of the pairs of opposites. All performed good deeds and roamed the forest following virtuous dharma. They had the siddhi of remembering past lives and did nothing against dharma. They remembered everything they had heard in earlier lives and in their guru's house about dharma, so as not to return to samsara. Taking whatever food they could on that mountain, those ascetics gave up their lives. Descendant of Bharata, king, the places where their bodies fell on Mount Kalanjara can be seen even today. Their deeds were neither good nor bad, so they got a birth neither good nor bad: in a lovely spot on an island covered with reeds they were born as water birds, chakravakas. They gave up living by dharma with a mate and instead followed the sages' dharma. They were unattached, without ownership, tranquil, free of the pairs of opposites and took nothing. They were birds only in name, withdrawing and following the path of renunciation. All those birds followed dharma and kept celibacy. Remembering past lives, those seven celibates grew old together, practising virtuous dharma and always free of faults. When born as brahmanas they had been deluded and had acted falsely toward their guru, which is why they were born as lower species. But they kept their knowledge of the shraddha, and so arranged a shraddha and performed rites for the ancestors, and thereby gained knowledge and their superior qualities increased step by step. In earlier lives in the guru's house they had heard of brahman, and with that knowledge established they practised it. Their names are remembered as Sumana, Suvakshuddha, Svatantra, Suyajna, Chhidradarshaka, Panchala and Kulina. As those birds followed dharma there an excellent event occurred, great sage; hear it. There was a powerful lord and king named Nipa, prosperous, who went into the forest surrounded by the women of the inner quarters. Seeing his happiness and the kingdom's radiance, the chakravaka Svatantra wished to be a king. He thought: by good deeds, austerities and rules I am tired; by fasting and some austerities I must have gained unwavering, complete fruits, so by them let me be like him, receiving every kind of good fortune. Two other chakravakas said they would go with him, wishing what would please him, and become his advisers. When he agreed, Sumana kept to the path of yoga. When those two chakravakas had spoken, Sumana answered: you have kept the path of yoga but have spoken of karma and asked for such a boon; listen, dear one: you will become a king in the supreme city of Kampilya, and these two will be your advisers and will not transgress. Those three did not tell their four companions about the kingdom. Pleased, Sumana spoke to them again: Sarvasattva, Suyajna and Svatantra, when your curse is over you will take to yoga again, by the ancestors' favour and the good deed you did: you did keep dharma, sprinkling the cow with water and offering it to the ancestors. "Our knowledge is a means for all of us to gain yoga; when you become humans you will gain yoga." This bold statement must be stated in the form of a shloka. After saying this the learned bird Sumana fell silent. Shantanu's excellent son, Markandeya said, for the worlds' welfare I have told you of their conduct; what else do you want to hear?
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.