King Ambarish and the Sage Durvasa

King Ambarish ruled the whole earth, yet his mind stayed on the Lord. His eyes were for the temple, his ears for sacred stories and his hands for service. Once he kept the Ekadashi fast for a whole year. At the end, on the Dwadashi of Kartik, he was ready to break the fast.

Just then the great sage Durvasa arrived. The king invited him to eat. The sage said: first I will bathe in the Yamuna. But he was very late, and the time of Dwadashi was about to pass. The king was in a dilemma: eating before his guest would be disrespectful, but not breaking the fast in time would leave the vow incomplete.

On the advice of the Brahmins, the king broke his fast with only a sip of water, which counts as eating and also as not eating. Durvasa returned and understood. Filled with rage, he created a terrible demoness from a lock of his hair. The king stood calmly. Then the Lord's Sudarshan chakra appeared, destroyed the demoness and began to chase Durvasa.

Durvasa fled to Brahma, then to Shiv, but no one could stop the chakra. At last he fell at Lord Vishnu's feet in Vaikunth. The Lord said: I am under the control of My devotees, as if I were not free. Go and ask forgiveness from the one you wronged.

Durvasa returned and fell at Ambarish's feet. The king was deeply embarrassed. With folded hands he prayed to the Sudarshan chakra, and it grew calm. All this time, nearly a year it is said, the king had not eaten, waiting for the sage. He first fed Durvasa with respect, and only then took prasad himself.