Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Pulastya 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 Pulastya
One of the ʰ貹پ.
Birth and marriage.
Pulastya is one of the six spiritual sons of . Pulastya was born from the ṇa—ear—of . (Chapter 65, Ādi Parva and 岵ٲ).
Pulastya had a son named Dattoli (Dambholi) of his wife ʰīپ. This Dattoli in his previous birth was the Agastya of ⲹܱ Manvantara. (Chapter 10, ṃśa 1, վṣṇ ʳܰṇa).
Pulastya had a son named վś of his wife Ჹū. (4th Skandha, 岵ٲ). Ѳٲ states that Pulastya had two wives named Ի and ʰīī. Ჹū mother of վś had another name, Māninī.
All these statements taken together indicate that Pulastya had four wives named ʰīپ, Ჹū, Ի and ʰīī.
Genealogy.
The race formed by Pulastya is given below: Pulastya got a son named վś of his wife Ჹū alias Māninī. վś had two wives named 첹ī and Devavarṇinī alias Ilabilā. 첹ī had three sons, 屹ṇa, ܳ첹ṇa, and վīṣaṇa and a daughter named Śū貹ṇa. 屹ṇa got of his wife ѲԻǻ岹ī three sons, ѱ岹, پⲹ and Akṣakumāra. ܳ첹ṇa got of his wife Vajramālā two sons named Kumbha and Nikumbha. վīṣaṇa got of his wife seven sons. վś got of his wife Ilabilā a son named ղśṇa alias Kubera.
Birth of վś.
In olden times in հܲ Pulastya Ѳṣi was doing penance on Mt. Meru. On a nearby hillock the sage ṛṇԻ was also doing penance. Celestial maidens, 岵 maidens and their lovers came to the ś and by their erotic sports and dances vitiated the precincts of the ś. Pulastya got angry and cursed all the maidens to become pregnant if they entered the ś area. Without knowing this curse Māninī, daughter of ṛṇԻ came to that spot and got pregnant of Pulastya. Pulastya then married her and the celebrated Ѳṣi վś was born to her.
How he saved 屹ṇa.
Once 屹ṇa who started on a victory campaign met ٲīܲԲ on the shores of . ٲīܲԲ chained 屹ṇa in the former’s prison. Pulastya was grieved much to hear about the plight of his grandson and going to ٲīܲԲ and explaining things got the release of 屹ṇa. (Chapter 46, ṇḍa ʳܰṇa).
Other details.
(i) Pulastya once blessed ʲś for the writing of ʳܰṇas. (Chapter 1, ṃśa 1, վṣṇ ʳܰṇa).
(ii) ṣa, Բ (monkeys), Kinnaras, Gandharvas and ۲ṣa were born from the intelligent Pulastya. (Śǰ첹 7, Chapter 66, Ādi Parva).
(iii) He was present for the Janmotsava of Arjuna. (Śǰ첹 52, Chapter 122, Ādi Parva).
(iv) ʲś once started to perform a Yāga to destroy all the rākṣasas. Pulastya along with other sages went and persuaded him to withdraw from his venture. (Chapter 180, Ādi Parva).
(v) Pulastya was a member of the court of Indra. (Śǰ첹 17, Chapter 7, Parva).
(vi) Pulastya sits in the court of and worships him. (Śǰ첹 19, Chapter 11, Ādi Parva).
(vii) Once Pulastya taught īṣm the importance and greatness of all the holy places of ٲ. From then onwards Pulastya is called the Guru of īṣm also. (Chapter 82, Vana Parva).
(viii) Pulastya got of his wife Gau a son named Kubera. (Śǰ첹 12, Chapter 274, Vana Parva).
(ix) վś was born of half of the body of Pulastya. (Chapter 274, Śǰ첹 13 Ādi Parva).
(x) Pulastya was present for the birth day celebrations of ܲṇy. (Śǰ첹 9, Chapter 45, Śⲹ Parva).
(xi) Pulastya also visited īṣm lying on his bed of arrows. (Śǰ첹 10, Chapter 47, ŚԳپ Parva).
(xii) Pulastya was one among the twentyone ʰ貹پ. (See under ʰ貹پ).
(xiii) Pulastya is included in the group of ٲṣi called Citraśikhaṇḍins. (Śǰ첹 29, Chapter 335, ŚԳپ Parva).
(xiv) Pulastya is one of the Aṣṭaprakṛtis. (Chapter 340, (ŚԳپ Parva).
(xv) As synonyms of Pulastya the following terms are used: ṣi, Viprayogī. (Ѳٲ).
[Page 613a]