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Puranic encyclopaedia

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

This page describes the Story of Punjikasthala 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 Puñjikasthalā

A nymph. She was the servantmaid of ṛh貹پ. One day she was collecting flowers for her Guru in a garden when a set of young men and women came to the garden for amorous sports. They were roaming about in the garden in pairs doing all sorts of erotic acts and Puñjikasthalā stood watching them for some time with passion aroused in her. She returned to the ś thinking all the way about her miserable lot of having no husband to enjoy a similar life. She was full of lust when she returned to the ś and on seeing ṛh貹پ she caught hold of him by the hand and pleaded to satisfy her passion. ṛh貹پ was angry at this improper request and cursed her "You have become rotten. You have become lustful by seeing the amorous sports of others. May you be born as a monkey. Get out of this ś." Puñjikasthalā came to her senses and regretting her hasty act begged her Guru to grant her release from the curse. ṛh貹پ felt pity on her and said "Go and enjoy to your full sexual life with a lover whom you like best. Then you will get a son from the vitality of Ś. When that son is born you will be released from the curse and you will go to heaven."

She became immediately a monkey girl named ñᲹ and started living in a forest of that name itself. She fell in love with a monkey boy named ī there and lived for many years enjoying an amorous life. She did not get a child even after several years and then she prayed to Ś for a child.

It was at that time that ī and ʲś played amorous sports in the form of monkeys and ī became pregnant. ī expressed reluctance to be the mother of a monkey child and then Ś by his divine powers deposited his semen virile through Vāyubhagavān (god of wind) into the womb of ñᲹ who was then praying to him for a child. Coming to know of this through and fearing that his lordship over the monkeys would be lost if such a monkey were born to ñᲹ poured into the belly of ñᲹ molten liquid of pañcaloha (five metals). ñᲹ was not the least injured and she gave birth in due course to a monkey son who became the celebrated Ჹū, the life-force of the -屹ṇa tussle. (Pūrvakāṇḍa, Kamba 峾ⲹṇa; ṣkԻ ṇḍ, ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa).

This Puñjikasthalā belongs to the famous set of eleven devakanyakās. They are: ѱԲ, ᲹԲ, ṇi, Puñjikasthalā, Ṛtusthalā, ҳṛt峦ī, ūٳپ, Ullocā, ʰdz, śī and Vīśvācī. These were the celebrated courtezans of Svarga. (Chapter 123, Ādi Parva). Puñjikasthalā was the dancer at the court of Kubera. (Chapter 10, Parva). She took part in the Janmotsava of Arjuna. (Chapter 122, Ādi Parva).

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