srimadbhagavatham-skandha9- Chapter3

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Chapter3-Story of Sukanya and Chyavana

 

Saryathi,

the son of Vaivasvatha Manu, one camped near the asrama of Chyavana. His

daughter Sukanya one day wandering around the asrama with her friends, found an

anthill through which she saw two lights were shining. She playfully pierced

the light that was shining through a hole in the anthill and blood oozed out

which made her afraid. In the meanwhile Saryathi found that his followers could

not answer the call of nature and suspected that some one has committed some

sin in the asrama. When Sukanya came and told her father what happened he went

to the asrama and found that the sage Chyavana was doing penance inside the

anthill and the lights Sukanya saw were the eyes of the sage shining with his

thejas. She pacified the sage and asked forgiveness and also gave his daughter

to him in marriage as an atonement. Leaving her there to serve the sage

Saryathi went back to his kingdom.

 

Sukanya

is described as kanyaa kamalalochana, a beautiful girl with eyes like

lotus and the sage was described as paramakopana, very angry by nature. Sukanya

served him and satisfied him which made the sage faourably inclined towards

her. Once Asvini devas came to his hermitage and the sage asked them the boon

of youth and beauty so that he could satisfy his young wife. In return for the

favour he said that he would give them a share in the somapana in yajna which

was not available to them so far. The ASvini devas, are the twin-gods who are

supposed to be the medicos of the devas. They told hm to take bath in the lake

nearby which was made by the siddhas. When Chyavana did so , there arose three

persons from the lake looking alike , young and handsome. Sukanya was unable to

make out which of the three was her husband and prayed to the Asvini devas

themselves who appeared similar to Chyavana in his youthful anf handsome form,

and they showed her the real Chyavana and left.

 

Saryathi

came to the asram later to invite Chyavana to perform a yaga and saw his

daughter with a handsome youth and became ab ngry with her thinking that she had

left her aged husband and took another. When Sukanya explained the truth he

became very happy and took tehm both to his kingdom. Chyavana performed the somayaga and gave a part of somapana to Asvini devas as

promised.

 

Saryathi

had three sons after Sukanya and one of them was Ananta whose son was Raivata,

who ruled the country of Anartha with Kusasthali as his capital. He had 100

sons and one daughter Revati.He went to Brahmaloka with Revati to search a bridegroom for her and waited there for a

kshana to see Brahma. He prayed to Brahma to bless his daughter with suitable bridegroom

Brahma told him that while he was there27 chathuryugas have lapsed on earth and

at that moment Lord Naryana has incarnated as Balarama and told Raivata to give

his daughter to him. He did so and went to Badrikasrama to do penance.