Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Mainaka 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 Ѳ첹
General information.
A mountain. This mountain was the son of ᾱ and father of ñ. (Śǰ첹 13, Chapter 18, Ჹṃśa).
How the mountain helped Ჹū.
There is an unbreakable tie between Ѳ첹 and the Kings of ṣv family. There is a story in ṇḍ ʳܰṇa that the 岵 (ocean) was constructed by the sixty thousand sons of the King Sagara of ṣv family. This 岵 once gave refuge to Ѳ첹 and brought it up. There is a reason for that:—In the early yugas mountains had wings and they used to fly and drop to the ground as they liked. People used to live in fright always and at the request of the people Indra made the mountains stand in a row and cut off their wings. At that time the god (wind) took away his friend Ѳ첹 and put him in the ocean. From that day onwards Ѳ첹 and the ocean developed an intimacy which even death could not wipe off. Ჹū was the son of , the friend and saviour of Ѳ첹. It was because of that that Ѳ첹 gave refuge for Ჹū on his way to ṅk. Because the ocean gave refuge to Ѳ첹 after its escape from the sword of Indra and because the ocean (Sāgara) was the creation of the sons of Sagara, a King of the ṣv race, Ѳ첹 felt indebted to Sagara and the entire race to which he belonged. Ѳ첹 thus had great respect for Śrī Rāma who belonged to the ṣv race. This was also responsible for Ѳ첹 giving relief to Ჹū on his way to ṅk. (See under Parvata).
Other details.
(i) This mountain is situated near the lake Bindusarovara which was to the north of . īٳ did penance to bring Ҳṅg to the earth on this mountain. (Chapter 3, Parva).
(ii) ṇḍ who went to the north crossed the mountain Ѳ첹 and went further. (Śǰ첹 1, Chapter 139, Vana Parva).
(iii) The mountain Ѳ첹 shines with golden peaks. (Śǰ첹 44, Chapter 145, Vana Parva).