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Puranic encyclopaedia

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

This page describes the Story of Bhumi 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 ū

The earth.

General.

The ʳܰṇa maintain that ū has a ٱī (goddess). The births of ū and its basic goddess are in two different ways.

The Ѳٲ, (ṣiṇātⲹ ) says that the goddess ū was the daughter of and that she was married by Ѳ屹ṣṇ. The earth on which we live is the Mṛtpiṇḍa of which the basic deity is this ūdevī. Of the many versions given in the ʳܰṇa regarding the origin of earth, three are given below:�

1) Long ago, towards the end of the age of floods, the earth was in a liquid state. At that time, Ś cut open his thigh and let fall a drop of blood in the water. It assumed the form of an "ṇḍ" (egg). Ś took that ṇḍ and split it. A man came out of it. From him was made Nature (ʰṛt) for the creation of the Universe. One half of the broken ṇḍ became sky and the other half became the earth. (ٳٲ岵, Kathāpīṭhalaṃbaka, 2nd ղṅg).

(2) Ѳ屹ṣṇ lay on the surface of water which spread everywhere in the beginning. A lotus sprang up from the navel of վṣṇ and from its top was born. Liquid matter began to flow out of վṣṇ’s ears on both sides. From it were born two ṣa named Madhu and ṭa. They persecuted . Ѳ屹ṣṇ woke up and killed Madhu and ṭa. The thick fat of these ṣa hardened into the earth. (ٱī 岵ٲ, Navama Skandha).

3) In the beginning Ѳ屹ṣṇ (Ѳvirā� ʳܰṣa) spread everywhere. In every pore of that Ѳvirā� who was lying on the surface of the water, there was a ṇḍa. In course of time that վ� obtained mind. That mind stood connected with each of the pores equally. Later from it were formed the "ʲñūٲ". From their combination was formed the ūٲ called "Ѳ ṛtī". It was cut into many pieces and each of the pieces was deposited in each pore. It was these ṛtī pieces which became "ūs" at the time of creation. At the time of the floods, these ūs sank again into those pores as before. In each of these ṇḍas, there are the earth, mountains, forests, oceans, the seven islands, , Meru, Sun, Moon, Stars and other planets. Also, each of them has its own , վṣṇ, Ś and other Devas. Since all the different ūs in all the ṇḍas had been formed artificially, they all perish in the floods. (ٱī 岵ٲ, Navama Skandha).

3) ū ٱī (Goddess Earth) is the wife of Ѳ վṣṇ. In Varāha Kalpa (Age of the Pig) the Asura ᾱṇyṣa carried the Earth and Submerged it under water. At once Ѳ viṣṇu appeared in the form of a Pig and lifted up the Earth on its horns. When the Earth floated on the surface of water like a lotus leaf, ū ٱī who was pleased, stood up in her charming figure. Ѳ屹ṣṇ fell in love with her and with the brilliance of a crore of suns, had sexual union with her for the period of one ٱ𱹲ṣa. It is from that time that ū ٱī became Ѳ屹ṣṇ’s wife. As a result of their union, a son named Ѳṅg was born to them.

Ghaṭeśa is the son of Ѳṅg. Ѳṅg has another name, Covva. After the birth of Ѳṅg, at the behest of Lord վṣṇ, all people began to offer worship to ūdevī. Ѳ屹ṣṇ himself first worshipped her by reciting the mantra�" ī�-Śī�-ī�-ղܻⲹ ". After that this mantra became popular for worshipping ūdevī. (ٱī 岵ٲ, Navama Skandha).

ܰ was ūdevī’s son by ᾱṇyṣa, the Asura. When ᾱṇyṣa, in the form of a pig, carried ūdevī on his horns to , the horns came in contact with ūdevī and she became pregnant. In 岵ٲ, Daśama Skandha we read that ܰ was born as the result of this contact. (See the word Naraka I).

ī was the daughter of ūdevī, born on another occasion. ī was married by the Kosala King Śrī Rāma. When she was abandoned by her husband, she was at last accepted by ūdevī within her own self. (See the word ī).

ū and ʰ岹.

Since ūdevī had been the wife of the Asura ᾱṇyṣa she has also been called the mother of the Asura clan. ᾱṇyṣa’s brother was ᾱṇy첹ś. ʰ岹, the son of ᾱṇy첹ś, was a devotee of վṣṇ. The father did not like the son’s devotion to վṣṇ. So he persecuted ʰ岹 in various ways. Once he threw down ʰ岹 from the top of a high building. At that time ū devī appeared there and received him in her arms. (ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapter 24).

ūdevī and ṛt.

Once the Emperor ṛt turned ūdevī into a cow and milched all resources from her. (For details, see the word ṛt).

ī’s curse.

Once ī and Ś indulged in their sexual act for many years. The earth began to shake to its foundations. The gods approached Ś with a request to refrain and he agreed. Ś’s semen was discharged and fell on the earth. ī who was angry at this, cursed ūdevī as follows:�"You ūdevī! You will assume many forms and become the wife of many. Since you have prevented me from giving birth to a son, no children will be born to you in future." (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, 36th Sarga).

Other details.

(1) ܰ has another name, "Bhauma". (Ѳٲ Parva, ṣiṇātⲹ ṻ, Chapter 38).

(2) ūdevī prayed to Śrī ṛṣṇa and obtained Vaiṣṇavāstra for her son ܰ. (Ѳٲ ٰṇa Parva, Chapter 29, Verse 30).

(3) When ʲśܰ峾 was carrying on the annihilation of ṣaٰⲹ, ūdevī induced the sage śⲹ貹 to entreat ʲśܰ峾 to stop his massacre of ū. (Protectors of ū=ṣaٰⲹ). (Ѳٲ ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 79, Verse 44).

(4) Once she (ūdevī) described to Śrī ṛṣṇa, the greatness of Brahminhood. (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 34, Verse 22).

(5) At another time she explained to Śrī ṛṣṇa the nature of Gṛhasthāśramadharma, (Duties of a householder). (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 97, Verse 5).

(6) On one occasion, when King ṅg touched her, ūdevī lost her own form and vanished. At that time, śⲹ貹 貹پ paralysed her. (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 152, Verse 2).

(7) ʲśܰ峾 gifted the whole earth to the sage śⲹ貹. From that time ūdevī has been called "Kāśyapī" (daughter of śⲹ貹). (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 154, Verse 7).

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