Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Ritadhvaja 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, 鈥榯he five characteristics of a Purana鈥�).
Story of 峁歵补诲丑惫补箩补
(碍鲍痴础尝膧艢痴础鈥�顿贬鲍狈顿贬鲍惭膧搁础). A famous King of the 滨办峁腻办耻 dynasty.
Genealogy.
From 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 were descended in the following order鈥�叠谤补丑尘腻鈥�惭补谤墨肠颈鈥�碍补艣测补辫补鈥�痴颈惫补蝉惫腻苍 -Vaivasvata Manu鈥敱醢灬梗v腻办耻鈥�痴颈办耻办峁鈥�艢补艣腻诲补鈥�碍腻办耻迟蝉迟丑补鈥�Anenas鈥�笔峁泃丑耻濒腻艣惫补鈥�痴颈峁补驳补艣惫补鈥擜dri鈥擪uval膩sva (Dhundhum膩ra).
How he got the name Dhundhum膩ra.
The most heroic exploit of Kuval膩艣va or 碍耻惫补濒补测腻艣惫补 was his killing of the Asura Dhundhu.
Madhu and 碍补颈峁璦产丑补 were two Asuras born from the ears of 惭补丑腻惫颈峁ａ箛耻. The Asura Dhundhu was their son. After his birth, 惭补丑腻惫颈峁ａ箛耻 killed Madhu and 碍补颈峁璦产丑补. Dhundhu was furious over the death of his fathers. He worshipped 叠谤补丑尘腻 who granted him unconquerable strength. After defeating the gods he went to the desert called Ujj膩laka and lay beneath the sands. Whenever he heaved a sigh clouds of dust rose up to the sky and the earth shook for seven days. It caused great damage to life and property in the world, like a storm. 鲍迟迟补峁卥补, a sage who lived in the neighbourhood of Ujj膩laka was the person who suffered most from Dhundhu鈥檚 misdeeds.
叠峁沨补诲补艣惫补, of 滨办峁腻办耻 dynasty and father of Kuval膩艣va in his old age entrusted the rule of the country to his son and prepared to go to the forest. At that time, sage 鲍迟迟补峁卥补 came there and advised the King to go to the forest only after killing Dhundhu. 叠峁沨补诲补艣惫补 called his son Kuval膩艣va and after giving him the task of killing Dhundhu, proceeded to the forest.
Kuval膩艣va had 21,000 sons. Leading them, he went to the desert Ujj膩laka to kill Dhundhu. 鲍迟迟补峁卥补 declared that anyone who killed Dhundhu would get part of 惭补丑腻惫颈峁ａ箛耻鈥檚 strength. Kuval膩艣va鈥檚 sons surrounded Dhundhu. The Asura awoke with anger. In the fire from his eyes, all the 21,000 sons of Kuval膩艣va were burnt to ashes. Next Kuval膩艣va came into conflict with Dhund岣. In that fight Dhundhu was killed. The gods gave Kuval膩艣va many boons. From that day, Kuval膩 va got the name, "Dhundhum膩ra" (one who killed Dhundhu). (惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 Vana Parva, 4 Chapters from 201).
His sons.
Kuval膩艣va had three more sons named 顿峁涐笉丑腻艣惫补, 碍补辫颈濒腻艣惫补 and 颁补苍诲谤腻艣惫补, or 叠丑补诲谤腻艣惫补 besides the 21,000 sons. (惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 Vana Parva, Chapter 204, Verse 40).
4) V膩mana Pur膩峁嘺, Chapter 59 gives the following account of how Kuval膩艣va won the favour of sage 骋腻濒补惫补.
Long ago while sage 骋腻濒补惫补 was performing tapas in his 腻艣谤补尘补, an Asura called P膩t膩laketu used to disturb his meditations regularly. One day, the sage looked up to Heaven and heaved a sigh. At once a horse dropped down from the sky. A mysterious voice was heard saying鈥�"This mighty horse will travel thousands of yojanas in a day." The sage received that horse and presented it to 峁歵补诲丑惫补箩补, King of the lunar dynasty. 峁歵补诲丑惫补箩补 mounted the horse and killed P膩t膩laketu.
It was 痴颈艣惫腻惫补蝉耻 who dropped this horse from Heaven. P膩t膩laketu had once fallen in love with 痴颈艣惫腻惫补蝉耻鈥檚 daughter, Mad膩las膩. It was in revenge that 痴颈艣惫腻惫补蝉耻 had done like this.