Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Ricika 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 Ṛcī첹
(ĪҴմ). A famous sage.
Genealogy.
From վṣṇ were descended in the following order--ṛg-Cyavana-Ū-Ṛcī첹. Ṛcī첹 was the father of Jamadagni and grandfather of ʲśܰ峾.
Ṛcī첹’s marriage.
, a king of the Lunar dynasty had a daughter, ٲⲹī. Ṛcī첹 wished to marry this beautiful princess. agreed to give his daughter in marriage to the sage if he gave 1,000 horses with black ears. Ṛcī첹 offered worship to ղṇa to help him in the matter. ղṇa was pleased and a thousand horses rose up from the river Ҳṅg. Ṛcī첹 married ٲⲹī after giving the horses. Afterwards both of them went and settled down in the forest.
Birth of Jamadagni.
One day ٲⲹī made a request to Ṛcī첹 that she should have a son. Besides, she requested him that her mother should be blessed with a son, so that she might have a brother. Ṛcī첹 performed a "homa" and after that he made two balls of rice and gave them to ٲⲹī. He advised her to eat one of them and to give the other to her mother. Ṛcī첹 had put "Brahmatejas" (brilliance of Brahmins) in the first riceball and "Kṣātratejas" (brilliance of ṣaٰⲹ) in the other. When ٲⲹī and her mother ate the riceballs, it so happened that the rice-ball intended for her mother was eaten by ٲⲹī and the one intended for ٲⲹī was eaten by the mother. Later Ṛcī첹 came to know of this mistake. In due course, ٲⲹī and her mother gave birth to sons, ٲⲹī’s son was named վś峾ٰ. (ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapter 57).
Other sons of Ṛcī첹.
After this three more sons were born to Ṛcī첹. The eldest of them was named ŚܲԲḥpܳ, the second was named Śunaśśepha and the third, Śunolāṅgūla.
The sale of Śunaśśepha.
Once king īṣa started a yāga. Indra who was jealous of him, stole the sacrificial cow. Since it was an evil omen, the priest advised īṣa that either the lost cow or a human being in its place must be obtained to complete the yāga. In spite of searches made in many places, the cow could not be traced. At last īṣa’s men met Ṛcī첹 who was doing tapas on ṛgtuṅga. Ṛcī첹 sold his second son, Śunaśśepha to ṃbīṣa in exchange for the price of 100,000 cows. The king took Śunaśśepha with him and came to ʳṣk īٳ. There they happened to meet վś峾ٰ. Śunaśśepha complained to վś峾ٰ and lamented over his ill-fate. վś峾ٰ wished to save him and to send one of his own sons in his place with īṣa. But none of his sons was willing to oblige. վś峾ٰ cursed them and turned them into eaters of human flesh. Then he turned to Śunaśśepha and said:�
"When you stand ready to be sacrificed near the altar, offer your prayers to Agni. If you do so, you will attain siddhi." (salvation or ǰṣa). He also taught him two songs of praise to Agni.
While standing at the altar ready to be sacrificed Sunaś epha recited the two songs of praise. Indra and the other gods appeared and after saving Śunaśśepha rewarded īṣa for his yāga. (ī쾱 Ramāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, 62nd Sarga).
Ṛcī첹 and the Vaiṣṇava bow.
Once վś첹 made two mighty bows. One of them was taken by Ś to burn the Tripuras. That bow is known as "Śaivacāpa". The other bow was given to վṣṇ. It is called "Vaiṣṇavacāpa". The Devas wished to see a trial of strength between Ś and վṣṇ. They prompted to bring about such a conflict. succeeded in causing a quarrel between Ś and վṣṇ. A fight began between Ś and վṣṇ. Both the Śaivacāpa and Vaiṣṇavacāpa went into action. But Ś was defeated. After that, Siva gave his bow to ٱ𱹲ٲ, king of Videha. By inheritance it came into the hands of king Janaka, the father of Śī. It was this bow which was broken by Śrī 峾 at the time of ī’s ⲹṃv.
After the battle with Ś, վṣṇ gave his bow to Ṛcī첹 who, in turn gave it to Jamadagni. Jamadagni presented it to his son ʲśܰ峾. It was with this Vaiṣṇavacāpa that ʲśܰ峾 confronted Śrī 峾 who was returning after ī’s ⲹṃv. (峾ⲹṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, 75th Sarga).
Other details.
(i) Ṛcī첹 was given 1,000 white horses with black ears which could run fast, by as dowry. ղṇa presented these horses on the bank of the river Ҳṅg. The place in Ҳṅg where the horses rose up, came to be called "Aśvaīٳ". gave ٲⲹī to Ṛcī첹 at the place called 'ԲܲᲹ'. (Ѳٲ ṇy Parva, Chapter 115).
(ii) Ѳٲ, Aśvamedhika Parva, Chapter 29, Verse 23 says that Ṛcī첹 once tried to stop ʲśܰ峾 from killing ṣaٰⲹ.
(iii) Once ٲܳپ, King of , presented a tract of land to Ṛcī첹. (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 137, Verse 28).
(iv) Ṛcī첹 attained ղṇṭ and his wife ٲⲹī accompanied him in her earthly body. It is said that after it, ٲⲹī transformed herself into a river under the name "śī" and began to flow in north India. (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, 34th Sarga).