Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Nimi 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 Nimi
A famous emperor who was the son of ṣv.
Genealogy.
Descended from վṣṇ thus: �Ѳī�śⲹ貹�վ�Vaivasvata Manu—ṣv�Nimi.
Among the sons of ṣv, ٲṇḍ, վܰṣi and Nimi became famous.
ղṣṭ’s curse.
Emperor Nimi was very generous with his gifts. He was interested in performing ⲹñ. The feeding hall that can be seen even today near the ś of Gautama Ѳṣi was built by emperor Nimi. The emperor, a person of rājasic nature, decided to conduct a ۲ñ which would take a long time to end and which required much money for gifts; and he got his father ṣv’s permission for it. Arrangements were made for the ۲ñ, and Ṛṣis like ṛg, ṅg 峾𱹲, Pulastya, Pulaha and Ṛcī첹 who were competent to perform yajña and great scholars in the Vedas were invited for the ۲ñ. Lastly he met his family preceptor ղṣṭ and told him thus: "Oh preceptor! I have made all arrangements for a ۲ñ, which it is my desire should last for five hundred years. You would also come with me and see that the ۲ñ is duly performed."
ղṣṭ listened to Nimi’s request with great attention. But, he had already been invited by Indra to conduct a ۲ñ which would last for five hundred years, and he would be able to oblige Nimi only after that period of time. So ղṣṭ asked the emperor to postpone his proposed yajña by five hundred years. Nimi returned disappointed.
Nimi had no patience to wait for five hundred years. So he started the yajña with Gautama as his preceptor. After Indra’s ۲ñ for 500 years was over, ղṣṭ came to Nimi’s ۲ñ hall. Nimi, at the time, was in the inner apartment of his palace. Though his servants went to him to tell him that his preceptor ղṣṭ had come, they waited outside his chamber as he was sleeping then. Within a few moments ղṣṭ was ablaze with anger. He raised his hands and cursed Nimi thus: "Oh! Nimi, you have insulted me, your preceptor. You disobeyed my injunction and began the ۲ñ. Therefore, let your body be parted from the soul and fall on the ground."
This curse of ղṣṭ alarmed the servants of Nimi so much that they roused him from sleep and told him all about the affair. Nimi hurried to ղṣṭ and prostrated at his feet. But, he did not shed his anger. This made Nimi also angry. He also raised up his hands and cursed ղṣṭ thus: "Oh muni! you who got angry without reason are worse than a 䲹ṇḍ. Therefore let your body also be parted from the soul and fall to the ground."
ղṣṭ got alarmed at the above curse. He ran up to and submitted his grievance to , who told him thus:�"My son, your action was really fool-hardy. Yet, I shall advise you a way out of your troubles. You dissolve your-self in the effulgence of Mitra and ղṇa and remain there permanently. After sometime you will be able to be born without being present in the womb of a woman. Then you will remember everything about your previous birth will acquire sense of righteousness and knowledge of the Vedas will become respected by all and will be omniscient.
The soul of ղṣṭ parted from his body on account of the curse of Nimi, saluted , went to the ś of Ѿٰ屹ṇa and got mixed with their effulgence. Meanwhile śī one day came to the ś of Ѿٰ屹ṇa, who had seminal emission at her sight. The semen fell into a pot. The pot duly burst open and there emerged from it Agastya and ղṣṭ.
Nimi returned to the ۲ñ hall and told the munis about the curse on him of ղṣṭ. While the munis were helplessly looking on, Nimi’s body got separated from the soul and fell down. The munis placed the dead body in an uncovered coffin, kept it free from putrefaction with the help of medicines and mantras and continued with the ۲ñ. At the close of the ۲ñ the Devas appeared and asked Nimi which did he prefer to have, a human body or body of a Deva. He preferred to have a Deva body, and accordingly ascended to Svarga along with the Devas.
As Nimi had no sons to perform his obsequies the munis began churning the corpse repeating mantras and there arose from it an ideal person as glowing as Nimi. As he was created by 'mathana' (churning) the munis named him Mithi. Again, as he was created from a dead body he came to be known as Janaka also. Further, as he was born from the body from which the soul had departed he was called Videha also. The famous kingdom of Ѿٳ on the banks of the Ҳṅg was founded by this Janaka.
Janaka, the father of ī, was a King born in this dynasty. To all the Kings born in this dynasty the surname 'Janaka' came to be applied. This dynasty is known as Janakavaṃśa and Videhavaṃśa after emperor Mithi. (Devī Bhāgavata, 6th Skandha).
Other information.
(i) He worships ūⲹ’s son Yama in his court. ( Parva, Chapter 8, Verse 9).
(ii) He gave gifts of land to brahmins. (Vana Parva, Chapter 234, Verse 26).
(iii) He did not eat flesh. (ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 115, Verse 65).