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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Devayani 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 ٱ𱹲ī

Sukr峦ⲹ’s daughter.

Birth.

ⲹܱԳ, son of had two sons: Priyavrata and ٳԲ岹. Priyavrata wedded ܰū and ṣmī, two very beautiful daughters of Viśvakarmaprajāpati, and he had by ܰū ten sons called ī, Idhmajihvā, ۲ñ, Ѳ屹ī, Rukmasukra, ҳṛtṛṣṻ, Savana, ѱپٳ, īپdzٰ and Kavi as also a daughter called ŪᲹī who was the youngest of the whole lot. Of the above ten sons Kavi, Savana and Ѳ屹ī were spiritual giants and great sages. Uttama, and Raivata, the three sons of Priyavrata by his second wife ṣmī turned out to be manvantarādhipatis. ŪᲹī, the only daughter of Priyavrata was married to Śܰ峦ⲹ, preceptor of the asuras. ٱ𱹲ī was Śܰ峦ⲹ’s daughter by ŪᲹī. (ٱī岵ٲ, ṣṭ Skandha).

Curse by Kaca.

Kaca, son of ṛh貹پ became Śܰ峦ⲹ’s disciple to learn ṛtñīī (the science to ward off death for ever). ٱ𱹲ī fell madly in love with Kaca. But, after his studies under her father were over Kaca returned to devaloka without marrying ٱ𱹲ī, who cursed that Kaca’s learning should prove useless. And, Kaca cursed her in return that nobody from devaloka should marry her. (For details see Kaca).

ٱ𱹲ī in a neglected well.

Once ṛṣ貹 was the king of the asuras, and Śܰ峦ⲹ lived in his palace. Śṣṭ, the daughter of the king and ٱ𱹲ī, the daughter of Śܰ峦ⲹ became thick friends. While one day these two friends with their companions were engaged in water sports Indra came that way. Very much interested in seeing the deva damsels thus engaged in water sports Indra assumed the form of air and blew off the dresses of the damsels from the shore while they were playing in the river. The damsels hurriedly got out of water, ran after the fleeing garments and put on whatever came to their hands. In the confusion what Śṣṭ got and wore was ٱ𱹲ī’s clothes. ٱ𱹲ī ran after Śṣṭ and caught hold of the clothes, but the latter did not yield them to her. Both of them indulged in hot words against each other, Śṣṭ calling Śܰ峦ⲹ a beggar living in her father’s palace for his food. Not only that, she pushed ٱ𱹲ī into a neglected well and went her way.

At that time prince ۲پ, son of ṣa, was hunting in that forest. Feeling very thirsty he came to the well for a drink and therein saw ٱ𱹲ī in tears. He brought her out from the well and leaving her there went on his way.

Śܰ峦ⲹ and his wife actually got anxious and upset that their daughter had not returned even after the lapse of so much time and deputed their servant Gurṇikā to seek for ٱ𱹲ī. She found her out in the forest. But, ٱ𱹲ī refused to return home as she did not want to continue as the daughter of one who lived on the charity of Śṣṭ and her father. Gurṇikā carried back this news to Śܰ峦ⲹ, who then went himself to the forest and met his daughter. He felt deeply wounded to hear about the insults heaped on his daughter by Śṣṭ, and sent word to ṛṣ貹 that they were not returning to the palace. ṛṣ貹 realised that if Śܰ峦ⲹ quarrelled with him the whole asura world also would become divided. He, therefore, tried his best to pacify the 峦ⲹ and his daughter. At last ٱ𱹲ī agreed to return to the palace in case Śṣṭ went to her with one thousand of her maids to serve as her (ٱ𱹲ī's) maids. ṛṣ貹 acted accordingly and ٱ𱹲ī was satisfied and returned to the palace with her father. (Ādi Parva, Chapter 78 onwards.)

Wedding of ٱ𱹲ī.

Some time afterwards when ٱ𱹲ī was sporting in the forest with Śṣṭ and others, King ۲پ happened to pass that way. They recognised each other and ٱ𱹲ī requested ۲پ to marry her as she had mentally chosen him as her husband on the very same day on which he had saved her from the well.

۲پ realised only too well that it was really dangerous to marry the daughter of Śܰ峦ⲹ in the forest secretly and he, therefore, rejected ٱ𱹲ī’s request. But, she got down her father there and with his permission ۲پ married her. He also got much wealth by way of dowry. Śṣṭ and her maids accompanied ٱ𱹲ī but Sukr峦ⲹ warned ۲پ that on no account should he touch Śṣṭ.

With his wife and her attendants ۲پ returned to his palace; but he put Śṣṭ and her maids in a place newly built for the purpose. ٱ𱹲ī delivered a child in due course and it was named Yadu. Śṣṭ one day met ۲پ in the forest and requested for a child by him. Though at first he was reluctant to oblige remembering only too well the injunction of Śܰ峦ⲹ, he at last succumbed to the eloquence of Śṣṭ. She got pregnant by him and the child she delivered was called Druhyu.

ٱ𱹲ī was alarmed at the birth of a child to Śarmiṣṭha, who was unmarried, and questioned her about it. Śṣṭ’s answer that a brahmin stranger, who came that way was the father of her child satisfied ٱ𱹲ī.

Ere long another son, Turvasu, was born to ٱ𱹲ī, and Śṣṭ too delivered two children called Anudruhyu and ū. Thus the mistress (ٱ𱹲ī) had two sons and her servant, Śṣṭ three sons.

While ۲پ and ٱ𱹲ī were one day strolling in the garden the sons of Śṣṭ came there. She noticed the close resemblance of those boys to her husband (۲پ) and it kindled her wrath. Though ۲پ did not, because of the presence of ٱ𱹲ī, notice the children, when she asked them who their father was, they answered "۲پ", whereupon in great rage she ran up to her father. ۲پ too followed her. ٱ𱹲ī told her father about the infidelity of ۲پ and he (Śܰ) cursed that ۲پ be afflicted with old age. When ۲پ asked for redumption from the curse Śܰ峦ⲹ told him that he could exchange his old age for the youth of somebody else.

۲پ then called together all his five sons and asked them whether anyone of them was prepared to exchange his (son's) youth for his (۲پ's) old age for one thousand years. The three elder sons refused to agree to the proposal, but the fourth son ū gladly exchanged his youth with his father’s old age. After spending his life in youthful enjoyment for one thousand years ۲پ returned his youth to ū, and ū assumed Kingship of the country. (Ādi Parva, Chapters 81-83).

Synonyms for ٱ𱹲ī.

Auśanasī, Śܰtanayā and Bhārgavī.

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