Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Jayanta 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 Jayanta
Son of Indra.
Genealogy.
Descended from վṣṇ in the following order: �Ѳī�śⲹ貹—IԻ�Jayanta. Jayanta was the son born to Indra by his wife Śacīdevī. (Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapter 112, Stanzas 3 and 4).
Jayanta lost one eye.
During his forest life, Śrī 峾 lived with ī and ṣmṇa on the mountain 侱ٰūṭa for some days. Once Śrī 峾, being very tired of walking in the forest fell asleep with his head in the lap of ī. Taking this chance Jayanta came in the shape of a crow and scratched the breast of ī with his claws. ī cried and Śrī 峾 woke up and saw Jayanta in the shape of a crow. 峾 got angry and shot the stra (a divine arrow) against Jayanta. Fear of life made him fly throughout the whole of the three worlds. Even , վṣṇ and Ѳś were unable to protect him, All the while the divine arrow followed him. Finally having no go he came and fell at the feet of Śrī 峾. Śrī 峾 said that the stra could never become futile and so the arrow must hit his right eye. Accordingly the arrow struck at his right eye and thus Jayanta lost his right eye. In ٳ 峾ⲹṇa this story is stated with some slight changes. According to ٳ 峾ⲹṇa, this incident took place when ī had been drying raw flesh. (ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, Sundara ṇḍ, Sarga 38).
Jayanta hidden in the ocean.
After getting the boons 屹ṇa became arrogant and with a big army went to the realm of the gods. 屹ṇa engaged Indra in a fierce battle. In that fight ѱ岹 the son of 屹ṇa attacked Jayanta, who swooned and fell down. Immediately ʳܱdz, the father of Śacīdevī, gathered Jayanta in his hands unseen by anybody and hid him in the sea. After the disappearance of Jayanta the battle entered the second stage. Thinking that his son Jayanta had been killed, Indra began to fight with 屹ṇa with more vigour than before. In the battle which followed ѱ岹 subdued Indra and made him a captive. Taking Indra and the celestial maids as captives, 屹ṇa and his men went to ṅk. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa).
Jayanta became Bamboo.
Once Agastya came to Indra’s durbar. Indra arranged for the dance of śī in honour of Agastya’s visit. In the midst of the dance śī saw Jayanta before her and she fell in love with him. Consequently her steps went out of beat. 岹 who was playing his lute called Ѳī went wrong. Agastya got angry and cursed Jayanta and changed him to a bamboo. śī was cursed to become a woman with the name ī. Agastya cursed 岹 that his lute Ѳī would become the lute of the people of the world. (Vāyu Purāṇa).
Other information.
(1) In the stealing of the Pārijātapuṣpa (the flower of a paradise tree) Jayanta fought with Pradyumna the son of Śrī ṛṣṇa and was defeated. (վṣṇ Parva Chapter 73).
(2) Jayanta was defeated by Śūrapadma, an Asura, in a battle. (Skanda Purāṇa, Asura ṇḍ).