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Puranic encyclopaedia

by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222

This page describes the Story of Lakshmana 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 ṣmṇa

Son born to ٲśٳ of ٰܳ. 1) Short history. Since details about ṣmṇa are included in the story under '' only a short description is given below:

ٲśٳ, King of ǻ had three wives, ܲ, ī and ٰܳ. To obtain children ٲśٳ performed a sacrifice named Putrakāmeṣṭi requesting the great sage Ṛṣⲹśṛṅ to officiate at the ceremony. At the close of the ceremony a divine person rose up from the sacrificial fire with a pot of pudding and all the three wives became pregnant by eating the same. ܲ gave birth to Śrī 峾, ī to Bharata and ٰܳ to ṣmṇa and ŚٰܲԲ. ṣmṇa was an incarnation of Ananta and so 峾 and ṣmṇa had more attachment to each other.

վś峾ٰ once took 峾 and ṣmṇa to the forests to give protection to the sages against the demons who gave them trouble. In the course of that վś峾ٰ took them to the ⲹṃv held at the court of Janaka and Śrī 峾 married ī and ṣmṇa married Ū. When the coronation of Śrī 峾 was about to take place, ī demanded of ٲśٳ, on the strength of the two boons granted to her on a previous occasion, to send Śrī 峾 to the forests for fourteen years and crown Bharata her son as King. ٲśٳ was compelled to accede to her request and so Śrī 峾 went to the forests. ī and ṣmṇa accompanied him. ṣmṇa during the fourteen years of their exile followed his brother 峾 like a shadow. ṣmṇa cut off the breasts and nose of Śū貹ṇa, the demoness who made amorous overtures to them. ṣmṇa acted promptly and bravely when the notorious trio, Khara, ūṣaṇa and հś attacked them and he was responsible for the slaughter of the three. 屹ṇa, coming to know of that, carried away ī to ṅk.

Grief-stricken, 峾 and ṣmṇa roamed about in the forests searching for ī. At last they came to ܲī with whom they made an alliance. 峾 and ṣmṇa got back for ܲī his kingdom of ṣkԻ and ܲī in return helped 峾 and ṣmṇa to fight 屹ṇa. Accompanied by an army led by ܲī 峾 and ṣmṇa went to ṅk and defeating 屹ṇa took back ī to ǻ. Śrī 峾 was crowned King and ṣmṇa helped his brother in his duties. When there arose a scandal about ī from the people, Śrī 峾 asked ṣmṇa to take ī away to the forest and leave her there. In the ś conducted by Śrī 峾, ṣmṇa led the sacrificial horse and the horse was blocked and captured by Lava and ś and ṣmṇa fought against them.

When the purpose of the incarnation of 峾 was over, god of Death in the garb of a sage approached Śrī 峾 for a private talk. 峾 and the sage were closeted in a room and ṣmṇa was asked to keep watch over the door with instructions not to allow anybody inside. After some time sage ٳܰ came there and ṣmṇa entered the room to give his brother the information of his arrival. 峾 was angry and abandoned ṣmṇa and, feeling repentant later, Śrī 峾 jumped into the river and drowned himself before a huge crowd of weeping subjects. ṣmṇa immediately ended his life by drowning himself at the same place where his brother did so.

Birth.

ṣmṇa was born on the day of Āśṣ� in the lagna of 첹ṭa첹. (Śǰ첹 15, Chapter 18, ṇḍ, ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa).

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