Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Samba 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 峾
The son born to Śrī ṛṣṇa by his wife Jāṃbavatī.
Birth.
A story about the birth of 峾, occurs in Devī 岵ٲ, Skandha 4, as follows:
Children were born to ܰ쳾ṇ� and the other wives of Śrī ṛṣṇa. But 峾ī alone did not give birth to children. 峾ī was filled with sadness when she saw the children of her co-wives. One day she went to the presence of ṛṣṇa and requested him to give her a son like Pradyumna. Hearing this, Śrī ṛṣṇa went to the mountain where the hermit Upamanyu did penance and making the hermit his teacher, according to his advice, did penance before ʲś. He did penance for the period of a month holding a skull and a hermit’s rod. He did penance in the second month, standing only on one leg and drinking water alone. In the third month ṛṣṇa did penance standing on the toes using only air as food. When the penance was continued for six months in this state, ʲś appeared as 峾 (īś) and asked what boon he wanted. Śrī ṛṣṇa expressed his wish. Ś said that 峾ī would get a son. Soon 峾ī gave birth to a son. The child was named 峾.
Marriage.
峾 married ṣaṇ� the beautiful daughter of Duryodhana. Hearing about the ⲹṃv marriage of ṣaṇ�, 峾 went to Ჹپܰ and took her by force from among the various Kings who were present there. Duryodhana and the others captured him. This news reached ٱ through 岹. Śrī ṛṣṇa and Balabhadrarāma went to Ჹپܰ and rescued 峾 and took the bride and the bridegroom to ٱ. Ten sons beginning with Sumitra were born to 峾 by his wife ṣaṇ�. (岵ٲ, Skandha 10).
ʰ屹ī abducted.
ʰ屹ī was the daughter of Vrajanābha, the King of Supuranagarī. 峾, with his brother Pradyumna entered the city Supura in the guise of drama-actors with a view to kidnap the beautiful daughter of Vrajanābha. They produced four performances such as 'Rambhābhisāra' and three other dramas and earned the praise of everybody in Supura. In this way they got access to the palace of the King, and when the time suited, they took away ʰ屹ī to ٱ. (Ჹṃśa, 2: 93).
The delivery of an iron rod.
Once some 岹 with 峾 at their head abused śⲹ貹 and some other hermits who came to ٱ. They cursed the 岹, in consequence of which 峾 gave birth to an iron pestle, which caused the extermination of the 岹. (See under ṛṣṇa, Para 39, Sub Para 2).
The curse of Śrī ṛṣṇa.
峾 was extremely handsome, and even the wives of Śrī ṛṣṇa fell in love with him. Under the circumstances 峾 tended to become wicked. Śrī ṛṣṇa came to know of the unnatural attachment between his wives and 峾, from 岹 and cursed 峾 that he would become a leper, and cursed his own wives, that they would be carried away by thieves and plunderers. Accordingly 峾 became a leper and the wives of Śrī ṛṣṇa were carried away by the Āī, after the submerging of ٱ.
After a few years, according to the advice of 岹, 峾 began to worship the Sun, at a place called 峾pura in the basin of the river 䲹Ի岵, to get recovery from leprosy. A brahmin also was brought from Śܰ첹 (ś) island to perform the fast and vow correctly. (峾 3; Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, Parva, 66. 72; 73. 126; Skanda Purāṇa 4. 2. 48; 6. 213).
Other details.
(i) 峾 was present at the ⲹṃv marriage of ٰܱ貹ī. (Ѳٲ Chapter 185, Verse 17).
(ii) Among the 岹, who brought the dowry, when Arjuna married ܲ there was 峾 also. (Ѳٲ Ādi Parva, Chapter 220, Verse 31).
(iii) 峾 learned archery from Arjuna. After this he was a member of the court of ۳ܻṣṭ. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapter 4, Verse 34).
(iv) 峾 was one of the seven great chariot-fighters of ٱ. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapter 14, Verse 57).
(v) 峾 was present at the Ჹūⲹ (royal consecration-sacrifice) of ۳ܻṣṭ. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapter 34, Verse 16).
(vi) 峾 was defeated in the battle he fought with Kṣemavṛddhi the minister of . (Ѳٲ Vana Parva, Chapter 16, Verse 80.)
(vii) 峾 killed the asura ձ in a battle. (Ѳٲ Vana Parva, Chapter 16, Verse 17).
(viii) 峾 participated in the marriage of Abhimanyu conducted at the city Upaplavya. (Ѳٲ վṭa Parva, Chapter 72, Verse 22).
(ix) 峾 came with Śrī ṛṣṇa to Ჹپܰ and took part in the Ჹūⲹ of ۳ܻṣṭ. (Ѳٲ Aśvamedhika Parva, Chapter 66, Verse 3).
(x) When the 岹 died by hitting one another with the iron pestle, 峾 also was killed. (Ѳٲ Mausala Parva, Chapter 3, Verse 44).
(xi) After his death, 峾 entered the group of վś𱹲. (Ѳٲ Svargārohaṇa Parva, Chapter 5, Verse 16).