Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Unmada 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 Unmadā
A celestial woman.
Became a woman by the curse of Uravaśī.
Ჹṃs, the King of Gandharvas (semi-gods) had a general of the army called Durmada. He was a dangler. He had an eye on śī. She was the wife of ʳܰū a famous King. On several occasions Durmada followed śī, with lustful desire. He had expressed his amour for her on several occasions. But śī did not pay any heed to his words.
One day ʳܰū and śī were present in the durbar of Indra. ʳܰū and śī had signalled a rendezvous for that night at the corner of the Nandana Park. Durmada understood this. He called a celestial woman named Unmadā to his side. They made a plan and accordingly Unmadā disguised herself as śī and Durmada took the guise of ʳܰū and both of them entered Nandana park. ʳܰū went to Unmadā and conjugated with her. In the same way śī received Durmada, mistaking him for ʳܰū. After the conjugation Durmada laughed loud as if he had played a trick on śī. śī understood everything. ʳܰū also arrived there. śī cursed Durmada to take birth in the earth as a ṣa and cursed Unmadā to be born in the earth as the daughter of a King and she said that at that time she would love one man and become the wife of another man. The aggrieved Durmada and Unmadā prayed for liberation from the curse. śī gave them liberation thus:�"This Durmada will be born as the son of Unmadā. Seeing the death of her husband and son, she would jump into fire. After that she will enter heaven. Durmada will be killed by the sword of an enemy and will obtain heaven." According to this curse Durmada was born as the son of īᲹṅg, the emperor of ᾱṇyܰ, under the name Pingākṣa and Unmadā was born as the daughter of the King of Videha. Her name was Ჹṇ� (ṇḍ ʳܰṇa, Chapter 3).
The marriage and death of Ჹṇ�.
Ჹṇ� grew up to be a young woman Once ʾṅgṣa growing lustful took Ჹṇ� and went through the sky. She cried aloud for a long time. ʾṅgṣa, the asura, left her in a wild forest. At that time a King named Vasumanas came by that way hunting. He killed ʾṅgṣa and then having heard the story of Ჹṇ� got her on the horse called īūٲ and sent her to Videha (Ѿٳ). Her father was much pleased at getting her back. He wanted to give her in marriage to Vasumanas. The date of the marriage was fixed. Invitations were sent to many Kings. Among them there was a king named śṇy, who took her by force and went away. There was a fierce battle between the two Kings, śṇy and Vasumanas and Vasumanas was defeated. Seeing this پǻ, the King of śī, attacked śṇy. Though پǻ defeated śṇy, he did not like to harm the beaten King. So he returned to his kingdom. śṇy took Ჹṇ� to his palace and married her. A son was born to her and he was named Durmada. This was the same Durmada who had taken birth and died as ʾṅgṣa and who had been born again as the son of Ჹṇ�. This Durmada took by force the daughter of his uncle called 侱ٰṅgī and a child was born to them. śṇy again engaged in a battle with پǻ, the King of śī, and was defeated. Then his son Durmada got into the battlefield and he also was defeated.
When all this news reached Vasumanas, the King of ǻ, he became jealous of śṇy. A battle was fought between them in which Vasumanas was defeated. But a fierce battle was fought again in which śṇy and his son Durmada were killed. Durmada obtained heaven. Stricken with grief at the death of her husband and son, Ჹṇ� got into fire and went to heaven. (ṇḍ ʳܰṇa, Chapter 3).