Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Durvasas 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 ٳܰ
Genealogy
A sage, who used to lose his temper very easily. He is believed to have been born from an ṃśa (part, aspect) of Ś.
Birth.
Three different stories are told in the ʳܰṇa relating to his birth.
(1) Once a quarrel, arose between and Ś which developed into fighting, At the sight of Ś seething with rage the Devas ran off frightened, and ī also got frightened. She told him 'Durvāsam bhavati me'. (It has become impossible for me to live happily with you). Realising that it was his momentary anger which made life miserable for ī Ś decided to transfer that trait of his character to someone else.
The incident took place during the life period of Śīlavatī, who was very much reputed for her chastity. While Śīlavatī was carrying her husband ś (who though a leper yet desired to visit brothels) to the house of a prostitute the muni Aṇumāṇḍavya cursed ś to die before sunrise the next day with his head broken. (See under Aṇumāṇḍavya). Śīlavatī made the counter curse, let not the sun rise the next day, to the muni’s curse. Accordingly the sun did not rise the next day, and confusion prevailed everywhere, whereupon the հūپ and the Devas, through Բū, the wife of Atriṣi, got the curse of Śīlavatī withdrawn. Pleased at this the հūپ asked Բū to choose any boon she desired, and she prayed that , վṣṇ and Ѳś take their partial incarnations through her. Accordingly as Candra and Ѳ屹ṣṇ as ٲٳٰⲹ were born as sons of Բū. And, Ś deposited his anger, which had caused unhappiness to ī, in Բū. The child born out of that aspect of Ś to Բū was ٳܰ. The name ٳܰ was very apt as the child was born out of the anger of Ś which had made life miserable (ܰ) for ī. (ṇḍa ʳܰṇa, Chapter 44).
(2) Once defeated in his fight with Ś took refuge with the ⲹṇa who were doing penance in the plains of the ᾱⲹ. Ś told sage ⲹṇa everything about his plight and he asked the former to pierce his left hand with the Śū. Ś did so and three streams of blood flowed out of the wound made on the hand of the Ṛṣi, one stream towards the sphere of the stars, another into the skull in Ś’s hand and from the third stream ٳܰ was born. , who witnessed this miracle withdrew from war and returned to his abode. (Vāmana ʳܰṇa, Chapter 2).
(3) In the fierce fight with the Tripuras Ś, in great rage, ultimately shot an arrow against them, and that arrow, after killing the Tripuras, assumed the form of a child and returned to the lap of Ś, and the child was named ٳܰ. (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 160, Verses 14, 15).
ܲԳī granted boon.
Once while ܲԳī was living in the palace of Kuntibhoja ٳܰ came there, and pleased with ܲԳī, he granted her five mantras. It was with the aid of those mantras that Kunti became mother of ṇa and others. (For details see under Kunti Para 2).
Śrī ṛṣṇa bathed in ⲹ (pudding).
Once ٳܰ came to ٱ where ṛṣṇa and Rukminī looked after him to his heart’s content. Though, at times he took only meagre food, at other times he destroyed everything he saw and created trouble. ṛṣṇa and ܰ쳾ṇ� served him according to schedule. One day the sage asked ṛṣṇa to cook some pudding and it was got ready. Then the sage asked ṛṣṇa to smear his (ṛṣṇa) body with pudding. ṛṣṇa did so except on his feet. After that ٳܰ got down the chariot and making ṛṣṇa and ܰ쳾ṇ� serve as horses himself got into it and drove away in great speed into the forest. On the way he thrashed the 'horses' one ofter the other. Neither ṛṣṇa nor ܰ쳾ṇ� felt sorry about this action of the sage. On reaching the forest he halted the chariot and blessed Śrī ṛṣṇa that arrows would not hit the parts of ṛṣṇa’s body which were smeared with the ⲹ. The spot at which the sage blessed ṛṣṇa became famous as Varadānatīrtha in after years. It may be noted that ṛṣṇa died by an arrow hitting his foot which was not smeared with the ⲹ. (Ѳٲ ԳśԲ Parva, Chapter 160).
Conducted ⲹñ for Śvetaki.
There once was a King called Śvetaki equal to Indra. He conducted a ⲹñ of a hundred years' duration. Innumerable brahmins were engaged in the successful conduct of the ⲹñ. Some years after the ⲹñ began the brahmins went their own way leaving it unfinished as the clouds of fume all the twentyfour hours in the ⲹñśālā irked and affected their eyes. When Śvetaki requested them to further cooperate to complete the ⲹñ they insultingly asked him to invite Śū for it. Then the King went to the ᾱⲹ and did tapas for Ś, who at last deputed ٳܰ to complete the ⲹñ, and under the ṣi’s aegis it was completed within twelve years. On account of the constant offerings of havis in Agni (fire) during the period Agni fell a prey to indigestion, which was cured only after it ate up the ṇḍ forest. (See ṇḍ dahana). (Ѳٲ Ādi Parva, Chapter 235).
Mudgala granted salvation.
Once ٳܰ went to sage Mudgala who was doing tapas in ܰܰṣeٰ taking food only rarely and demanded some food with the object of testing his dharmavṛtti (righteousness). The sage gave ٳܰ all the food he had with him, himself starving, and ٳܰ left the ś after eating a part of the food and smearing his body with the rest of it. This process was repeated by ٳܰ for six days, but Mudgala never felt or showed any offence. Greatly pleased at the firm righteousness of the King. ٳܰ blessed him to bodily ascend to heaven. Immediately a Բ (aeroplane) descended from վṣṇloka and carried Mudgala in it to heaven. (Ѳٲ Vana Parva, Chapter 260).
Other information.
(1) ٳܰ ran away in fear of the ṇḍ. (See under Duryodhana, Para 12).
(2) He suffered at the hands of Ჹṃs and Ḍi첹. (See under Ḍi첹).
(3) He advised Śaivapañcākṣara to the woman called 屹ī. (See under 屹ī).
(4) ٳܰ and ṣīr-mathanam. (See under Amṛtam).
(5) ٳܰ and ٲṣaⲹñ. (See under ٲṣa).
(6) Terrified ٳܰ ran helter-skelter in the three worlds. (See under ṃbīṣa, Para 3).
(7) He was responsible for the death of ṣmṇa. (See ṣmṇa).
(8) He cursed ŚܲԳٲ. (See ŚܲԳٲ).
(9) He spent his time in Indra’s assembly. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapter 11, Verse 23: For another story see under ʾṛtīٳ).
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