Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Bali included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of
A mighty monkey-king.
Birth.
is the son of Indra. There is a story about the birth of as follows:�
Śīlavatī who was devoted to her husband once carried her husband Ugratapas who was a leper, on her shoulder to the house of a harlot one night. On the way they saw the hermit Aṇimāṇḍavya, who had been placed on a trident by the order of the King, beating his limbs with agony. Lying on the trident he saw Ugratapas. Seeing the amorous nature of Ugratapas Aṇimāṇḍavya cursed him that before sunrise he would die. Śīlavatī who was a woman of great purity and loyalty hearing the curse said, "Let the Sun not rise tomorrow."
Next day, though it was time the sun did not rise. The night prolonged. ṇa the charioteer was ready at the usual time but saw the Sun sitting motionless. Wasting time was intolerable to the charioteer. So he decided to make the best use of the time at his disposal by witnessing a little of the dance of the celestial beauties in the realm of the devas. But males had no admittance there. So ṇa took the shape of a beautiful woman and got in. Seeing a new person, very beautiful to look at, sitting in the midst of the celestial maids Indra grew amorous. He secretly took her to a dark place and a son was born out of that coition. That son is . When ṇa returned the Sun was standing full of anger. Being afraid of him ṇa confessed everything to the Sun. When he heard the whole story the Sun expressed his desire to see that figure which ṇa had adopted. Accordingly ṇa again became a woman. The Sun also had coition with her and ܲī was the son born out of this coition. and ܲī were brought up by Ahalyādevī in the hermitage of Gautama.
At that time a monkey-king named Ṛkṣarāja had been ruling over the forest with ṣkԻ as his capital. He had no sons and so he approached Indra and placed before him his grievances. Indra brought and ܲī from the hermitage of Gautama and handed them over to Ṛkṣarajas. (Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 107; ṇḍ ʳܰṇa, Chapter 42; Uttara 峾ⲹṇa and Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa).
Marriage and Kingship.
Owing to difference of opinion, defeated the asuras who came for the churning of the Sea of Milk. The devas who were pleased at this, gave , a woman named , derived from the Sea of Milk. Thus became his wife and he got a son by her, named ṅg岹 who became famous as a mighty warrior-prince. ܲī married ܳ. At that time Ṛkṣarāja died and became King. (Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa).
Enmity with Hanūmān.
It was during this period that ᲹԳܳ was born. While Ś and ī were living in the forest as monkeys ī got with child. The child was given to (Wind-God) with the womb. placed the womb with the child in ñᲹ ٱī’s stomach. 岹 informed all these things. thought that his position would be lost, if a being born of Ś, grew up in the form of a monkey. In accordance with the advice of 岹, melted Pañcaloha (Five metals) and passed it into the womb of ñᲹ. Still the child in the womb was not killed as it was the sperm of Ś. The molten metals became earrings of the child in the womb. (Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa).
ܲī separated.
Once, the son of Maya, the carpenter of the asuras, wanted to defeat by a combat or cunning sleights as he was an expert wrestler and magician. He came to ṣkԻ in the midnight and standing before the palace, challenged , who getting angry came out followed by ܲī. Seeing the two of them the magician began to run. and ܲī chased him to a cave. Placing ܲī at the mouth of the cave followed the magician. Before going, said to ܲī: "Brother, I will go in and kill the Magician and return. Be brave and stay here. If the asura dies milk will appear at the mouth of the cave and if he kills me blood will be seen. If the latter happens close the mouth of the cave firmly and return to ṣkԻ and live happily there."
did not return even after a year. Finally the asura was killed. But by the cunning sleights of the magician it was blood that appeared at the mouth of the cave. Thinking that his brother was slain by the magician ܲī felt sorry. Then he closed the mouth of the cave firmly with stone and returned to Kiṣkīndhā. Hearing about the death of the monkeys anointed ܲī as King. After a time returned stronger than before and saw the mouth of the cave closed. He thought that ܲī had closed the mouth of the cave deliberately to kill him and to usurp his throne. reached ṣkԻ and drove ܲī away. Śugrīva fled to Mount Ṛśyamūkācala which was prohibited area for due to a curse. ٲṅg had cursed him that if he entered that mountain his head would be broken. So ܲī was safe in that mountain.
The desire of to take revenge on ܲī increased everyday. Everyday he used to go to the four seashores and conduct bath, prayer, meditation etc. and return to ṣkԻ within a short time. With one jump he will reach one place from another, and in each jump he would put one step on the head of ܲī in the Ṛśyamūkācala. ᲹԳܳ was the minister of ܲī. He was much annoyed at this habitual torture of ܲī. One day as usual was stepping on the head of ܲī to jump to another place, when ᲹԳܳ caught hold of by his waist. ᲹԳܳ thought that if was dragged down on the mountain somehow or other, his head would break and there would be an end of his wicked deeds. thought that if he could jump into ṣkԻ with ᲹԳܳ it would be easy for him to destroy ܲī. But both were of equal strength. So ī did not jump with ᲹԳܳ to ṣkԻ and ᲹԳܳ did not drag to the ground. Both did not know how to stop the fight. At last they made a treaty. agreed to stop torturing ܲī and ᲹԳܳ agreed not to cause any trouble to . Both returned to their own places. After that ܲī lived in Ṛśyamūkācala with his ministers and in ṣkԻ. (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, ṣkԻ ṇḍ, Sarga 10; Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa).
5) was cursed by ٲṅg the great hermit. See the word Dundubhi para 4.
Defeating 屹ṇa.
had got a boon from the Gods that he would get half the strength of his opponent who stood face to face with him in fight. This power enabled to defeat all his foes and bring the countries in all directions under his sway. 屹ṇa heard about this and decided to overpower somehow or other and approached ṣkԻ. knew this. His minister, Tāran, went to 屹ṇa and told him about the power of and of the boon by which got half the strength of his opponent. When 屹ṇa heard of this peculiar boon he decided to kill . His idea was to kill by going behind him when he went to the sea-shore to take bath in the morning.
Next morning went to the eastern sea-shore and began his prayer and meditation. 屹ṇa approached from behind and sat close to him. Perhaps the idea of 屹ṇa might have been to take by his tail and beat him on the ground. knew that 屹ṇa was sitting behind him. But pretending that he knew nothing put his long tail on the body of 屹ṇa, and passed it lengthwise and breadthwise through every part of his body and tied him like a bundle of faggots, and made a jump into the air. Within a short time he visited all the usual places and reached ṣkԻ. Seeing 屹ṇa hanging by the tail of , even the women folk laughed. Thus 屹ṇa admitted defeat. let him go unhurt. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa).
Death.
After ī had been stolen away 峾 and ṣmṇa wandered about in the forest. Then they met with ᲹԳܳ, who took them to his King ܲī. Śrī 峾 and ܲī entered into a treaty, by which Śrī 峾 was to kill and to restore to ܲī his wife who was under the custody of , and to make him the King of ṣkԻ, in return for which ܲī and his men had to help Śrī 峾 to find out and recover ī. In accordance with the conditions of the treaty, Śrī 峾 and ܲī reached ṣkԻ, to confront with . Śrī 峾 and ܲī had hit up on a plan, by which Śrī 峾 was to shoot down, when ܲī was engaged in boxing with . ܲī challenged to a single combat. came out and a horrible boxing began between the two. But Srī 峾 could not distinguish one from the other. Thier faces were so alike. ܲī, being defeated, receded from fight. Śrī 峾 and ܲī returned to Ṛśyamūkācala. Surgīva spoke ill of Śrī 峾. But Śrī 峾 revealed the truth, and ܲī believed it. Next day morning both of them started for ṣkԻ to kill . Śrī 峾 had put a flower garland around the neck of ܲī to distinguish him from . This time tried to the utmost to dissuade from fighting. But without paying any heed to her words engaged ܲī in fighting. Śrī 峾, sitting in ambush, instantly sent an arrow to the breast of who looked to the side from which the arrow came. Before falling down, looking at Śrī 峾 said "It is not right on the part of the King of ǻ to have shot an arrow from ambush". Hearing that Śrī 峾 said, "If you see me face to face you will become devoted to me. It is not right to kill one’s devotee. You are a friend of 屹ṇa, who as you know, is my foe. If I let you alone 屹ṇa is likely to get your help. Besides, you have a boon that you will get half the strength of the foe who faces you, and as such you cannot be killed by anybody in direct fight. It is unavoidable for the safety of ܲī, for my interest, for the protection of the world at large, and for the preservation of law and order that you should be killed. Was it not a violation of duty on your part to steal the wife of ܲī?"
fell down. Immediately devī and ṅg岹 arrived there. spoke very harsh words to Śrī 峾. At last entrusted and ṅg岹 with Śrī 峾 and then he died. (Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, ṣkԻkāṇḍa).