Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Indraprastha 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 Indraprastha
Capital city of the ṇḍ. It is the same as Delhi, the capital of modern India.
Construction.
As ordained by ٳṛtṣṭ, Dharmaputra, claimant to half of the kingdom, went to the forest ṇḍٳ with his brothers. Śrī ṛṣṇa stood by them; great sages like ղ helped them. There, in the forest, they built a city called Indraprastha as beautiful as Indraloka. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapter 211).
Reconstruction.
Once Agni burned down the ṇḍ forest. (See under ṇḍdāha). Arjuna saved Maya and five others from the fire. Maya asked Arjuna what he should do in return for saving his life. Arjuna replied that it was not proper to expect any reward for saving one’s life and that, if Maya was very keen about doing something in return, it might be done for ṛṣṇa. Then ṛṣṇa asked Maya to build for the ṇḍ a palace, the most beautiful one in the world at Indraprastha. And, accordingly, after getting the Brahmins duly feasted, Maya marked the ground ten thousand ṣkܲ* in extent. Then Maya went to the mountain Ѳ첹 to the west of Mount , where in the pool called Bindu he had stored a large quantity of gold and gems. Maya brought those materials as also a conch called Devadatta from there and built the most beautiful palace in the world at Indraprastha. Within the palace were made many a beautiful pool and various patterns with galleries etc. in glass. It was built so beautifully and in such a manner as to create, at the very sight, the illusion that there was water where there was really no water and vice versa. It took fourteen months to complete the construction of that most beautiful model of architecture. (Ѳٲ Parva, Chapters 1-3).
3) Vajra, son of Aniruddha of the 岹 dynasty was made master of Indraprastha after the time of the ṇḍ. (Ѳٲ Mausala Parva, Chapter 7, Verse 11).