PRADYUMNA 594 PRADYUMNA

r Ksemaka alias Sunaka father of Pradyota was killed by and get it cooked. When Mayavati cut open the fish fo Mlecchas (a barbarous tribe). To avenge the death of cooking she found to her surprise a beautiful child in- his father Pradyota under the advice of Narada decided side it. Even from the first sight of the child Mayavati to conduct a Mleccha Yajiia and for that purpose dug a had a great liking for it and so she took the child and Yajfiakunda seventeen miles long and seventeen miles brought it up as her own child. wide. The Yajna started and in that Yajria different When Pradyumna grew into a youth all the charm kinds of Mlecchas were burnt to death. From then and beauty of were found in him. Mayavati onwards Pradyumna got the name 'Mlecchahanta' was excited to find a resemblance in him of her lost (killer of Mlecchas) . (Bhavisya Purana). husband Kamadeva. One day the great sage Narada PRADYUMNA. came that way and calling Mayavati to his side secretly 1) General information. A son born to Sri Krsna of his revealed to her that Pradyumna was the incarnation of wife , Pradyumna was the rebirth of Kama- Kamadeva and was thus her lost husband. From that

. see under . affection for him ( For genealogy Krsna) day onwards Mayavati's changed into one of love. She him all the and witch- 2) Birth. It was at the time when Kamadeva and taught magic craft of Sambara. When Pradyumna found that RatidevI were living together that , daughter of Maya- vati's affection for him was gradually changing into one Himavan, started her penance to get Siva as her hus- of passionate love he questioned her about it. Mayavati band. It was a need of the devas to get a son of Siva to then told him that and Pra- kill the fierce demon Tarakasura. The devas employed everything happened decided to kill Sambara and take Mayavati Kamadeva to create feelings of love in the ascetic Siva dyumna and make him marry Parvati. Taking instructions from away. War with Sambara. waited for an , Kamadeva took aim at Siva with his bow and 3) Pradyumna to kill Sambara. One went arrow. Siva was then in deep meditation and Kama- opportunity day Pradyumna under the flagstaff of Sambara which flew the royal flag deva broke his concentration and Siva got angry. He of the with an emblem of the of a lion em- opened his third eye and burnt Kamadeva to death. king figure bossed on it. He dropped it down by one stroke of his Griefstricken the death of her husband by RatidevI per- arrow. Hearing of this Sambara ordered his sons to kill formed near the to penance Himalayas propitiate Pradyumna. The eleven sons of Sambara, viz., Atisena, Mahadevl. Mahadevl before appeared her and consoled Citrasena, Visvaksena, Srutasena, Susena, Somasena, her thus: "Little girl, Kamadeva would be reborn as Akkala, Vikala, Kumbhaketu, Sudamstra and KeSI, the son of Sri Krsna of Rukmini. He would then be attacked Pradyumna. The devas came in their vimanas named The devas have cursed Pradyumna. Sambara and joined sides with Pradyumna. The army of the the leader of the , during the battle between the demons teased him with various kinds of weapons like demons and the that he would be demi-gods (Sambara) javelins, arrows, spears and battle axes. But Pra- killed So Sambara is now by Pradyumna. searching dyumna cut them all by his arrows and cut to pieces all for the infant which is a rebirth of Kamadeva. So you the sons of Sambara. Then Sambara sent an army abandon and be born as your present body again Maya- against him. They were also made to flee by the arrows vatl to be the wife of Sambara. Pradyumna, the re- of Pradyumna. Then Sambara himself came on the born would kill Sambara and as Kamadeva, accept you scene. The fight became horrible. The continuous flow his wife." after disappeared saying this. of arrows made it impossible for even Sun's rays to the earth. Sambara started his Obeying the instructions of Mahadevi, abandoned reach Then magical war. But faced that also. Sambara sent her life and was born in the world of asuras. She grew Pradyumna phantom up under the name Mayavati and became the wife lions; but Pradyumna made them immobile. Sambara of Sambara. then in turn created storms, rains, wild animals, ser- pents and vultures. All of them were killed by Pradyu- While Sri Krsna was as the chief of Dvaraka his living mna. Then with a well-aimed arrow Pradyumna killed first wife Rukmini was yearning for a child. Krsna was Sambara. Then he rushed to Dvaraka carrying Maya- deeply moved by the grief of Rukmini and he flew on vati with him. The people of Dvaraka were astounded the back of to Kailasa to obtain a boon for the to see them. Pradyumna went to Sri Krsna and Ruk- birth of a child for her. On the way he alighted in the mini and told them the whole story. They were over- aSrama of Naranarayanas and after the bless- obtaining joyed to find them and blessed them. ings of the sages there, went to Kailasa and bowed who married Usa the daughter of Bana was before Siva and explained to him the purpose of his the son of Pradyumna. (Chapters 103 to 108, 10th visit. Siva blessed him and said that Kamadeva who Skandha, ) . was burnt to death by the fire of his third eye would 4) Prabhdvatiparirqya. Marriage with Prabhavati. take birth again as the son of Rukmini. Krsna returned (See under Prabhavati) . to Dvaraka well-pleased. Rukmini became pregnant 5 Other details. and gave birth to Pradyumna, a rebirth of Kamadeva. ) was born of a of Sanatkumara. The demon Sambara knew of this birth and coming to (i) Pradyumna part Dvaraka in an invisible form carried away the infant (Sloka 152, Chapter 67, Adi Parva). when it was seven those to days old. (ii) Pradyumna was one among who came Arjuna from Dvaraka with dowry for his marriage with The demon threw the child into the ocean and a great Subhadra. (Sloka 31, Chapter 220, Adi Parva). fish swallowed it. The fishermen of the country of was for the Sambara caught this fish and following the custom pre- (iii) Pradyumna present Rajasuya Yajna ofYudhisthira. Sabha valent there presented the king with the fish. Sambara (Sloka 16, Chapter 34, Parva). called his wife and and the Mayavati asked her to take the fish (iv) Pradyumna consoled encouraged .