ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðə nˈæɹətˌɪv fˈaʊnd ɪnðə vˈɑːnə pˈɑːɹvə ʌvðə mˌæhɐbhɐɹˈɑːɾə, sˈeɪdʒ tʃˌaɪɐvˈɑːnə wʌz sˌoʊ ɐbsˈoːɹbd ɪn pɹˈæktɪsɪŋ ɔːstˈɛɹᵻɾiz ɔnðə sˈaɪd əvə lˈeɪk ðæt tˈɜːmaɪts bˈɪlt ˌʌp ðɛɹ mˈaʊnd ˈɔːl ˌoʊvɚ hɪz bˈɑːdi ænd ˈoʊnli hɪz ˈaɪz wɜː lˈɛft.
According to the narrative found in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata, Sage Chyavana was so absorbed in practising austerities on the side of a lake that termites built up their mound all over his body and only his eyes were left.