Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Nalakubara 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
A son of ղśṇa. He had a brother called Ѳṇiī.
Cursing 屹ṇa,
It was the time when 屹ṇa was ruling over ṅk and terrorising the fourteen worlds. As he was carrying on his conquests, once he came to a round rock near . It was night. 鲹 had fixed a rendezvous near the rock that night with ū. The full moon shone bright. The radiance of the moon rendered and its vicinity most beautiful. Filled with passion 屹ṇa could not sleep at all. In the silence of that calm night he heard the tinkling of bangles. 屹ṇa opened his twenty eyes and looked in that direction. He saw an extremely beautiful woman clad in splendid garments and ornaments going along the way. He ran to her and caught hold of her hand. She was flurried and confused at his sudden appearance. So she said, "Oh Lord! I am the wife of ū who is the son of your brother Kubera. My name is 鲹. Your brother’s son is your son too. So don't do any harm to your son’s wife." But 屹ṇa did not pay any heed to her words. He lifted her up and placed her on the round rock and raped her. Before dawn 鲹, who had become like the lake of lotus trodden by a mad elephant, went to ū and told him everything. ū became very angry and cursed 屹ṇa. "You, who have become blind with lust, shall not touch a woman who does not reciprocate your love. If you do so your head will be split into seven pieces." It was because of this curse that 屹ṇa did not touch ī though she was kept in his harem. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa; Ѳٲ, Vana Parva, Chapter 28).
Another wife of ū.
It is mentioned in ٳٲ岵, Madanamañcukālambaka, ղṅg 3, that, of the two daughters, ⲹ and dz of Maya, dz was the wife of ū.
The curse of 岹.
ū and Ѳṇiī, the sons of Kubera were playing with celestial maidens in the Ganges in nudity, when 岹 came by that way. The hermit was returning after visiting վṣṇ. The moment the celestial maids saw 岹 they put on their clothes and stood aside bowing before 岹. ū and Ѳṇiī did not see 岹. They ran here and there, playing with no clothes on. At this, 岹 got angry and cursed them that they would become two "Marutu" trees (Terminalia alata) on the earth. They became very sad and requested for liberation from the curse. 岹 told them they would get liberation from the curse when they saw Śrī ṛṣṇa, the incarnation of վṣṇ. Accordingly ū and his brother took birth near the house of Nandagopa in Ambāḍi, as double "Marutu" trees. It was the period of the childhood of Śrī ṛṣṇa. Once Śrī ṛṣṇa swallowed mud, and ۲śǻ tied him to a mortar. The child dragged the mortar to the Marutu tree and got himself between the double trees. Immediately the trees regained the original forms of ū and Ѳṇiī. They paid homage to Śrī ṛṣṇa, who blessed them, and both of them returned to ղśṇapurī. (岵ٲ, Skanda 10).