उञ्छवृत्ति

{ uñchavṛtti }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

UÑCHAVṚTTI   A brahmin. His story is told as follows in [Jaimini Aśvamedha Parva] . This poor brahmin who lived by begging got one day some food grain powder. After offering a portion of it to Agni and Brahmins, he divided the balance equally between the children. Then he sat down to take his own food when Dharmadeva, disguised as a brahmin, appeared and demanded food. Uñchavṛtti gave all his food to the guest. Since that did not satisfy the guest, the sons also gave their shares of the food to him. Greatly pleased at the noble act of Uñchavṛtti, Dharmadeva took the brahmin family with him to Svargaloka. One day a few particles of the foodgrain powder which remained with the brahmin fell on the earth. A mongoose came and played on that ground. That part of his body which got smeared with the food-grain powder became golden in colour. Though the mongoose went to the yajña ground of Dharmadeva and repeated the above process there, the remaining portion of its body did not become golden.

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

उञ्छ—वृत्ति  mfn.  mfn. one who lives by gleaning, a gleaner, [MBh.]

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उञ्छ वृत्ति

Shabda-Sagara

उञ्छवृत्ति  mfn.  ( -त्तिः-त्तिः-त्ति) A gleaner, one who lives by gleaning.
E. उञ्छ and वृत्ति practice.

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उञ्छ वृत्ति