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Purumitra Ii 620 Pururavas I PURUMITRA II 620 PURURAVAS I PURUMITRA. II. The first Mandala oftheRgveda born Candra took it away and named it Budha. Brahma mentions a Rajarsi youth Vimada marrying the daughter and other rsis gave Budha a seat among the planets. of Purumitra. Budha married Ila and they got a son named Pururavas. PURUNlTHA. See under Parunltha. ^See under Ila). After that Budha performed a hundred PURURAVAS. I. A of Candravarh a prominent king Asvamedhayagas. He then enjoyed world prosperity (lunar race). as lord of Saptadvlpa living in the beautiful Himadri- |} Candravamsa and birth Pururavas. Descend- Origin of of srnga. worshipping Brahma. (Chapter 12, Bhaga 3, in order from Brahma came Atri Candra Budha ing Padma Purana). Pururavas. The dynasty which came from Candra was Pururavas and the curse. Pururavas his bril- called the Candravarhxa. Though Budha was the first 2) Testing by liance a hundred and lived king of CandravarhSa it was Pururavas who became performed Asvamedhayagas in at Great demons like Kesi celebrated. The story of the birth of Pururavas is given glory Himadrisrnga. became his servants. Urvasi attracted his below : by beauty became his wife. While he was like that Brahma in the beginning deputed the sage Atri for the living Dharma, Artha and Kama went in to his to test work of creation. Atrimaharsi started the penance disguise palace him. He received them all well but more attention to called anuttara to acquire sufficient power for creation. paid Dharma. Artha and Kama and cursed him. After some years Saccidananda brahma with an aura of got angry Artha cursed him that he would be ruined lustre reflected in the heart of that pure and serene saying by his and Kama cursed him he would soul. In sheer ecstasy tears rolled down his cheeks and greed saying go mad from UrvaSI. that the glittering flow of water was lustfully drunk by the by being separated Hearing Dharma blessed him thus : "You will live lead- zones taking the form of women with a view to produc- long a virtuous life. Your race will increase and ing progenies. They became pregnant but were un- ing remain in till the end of the moon and the stars. able to bear the embryo of Atri and so they threw them glory The caused for Urvasi would away. Brahma took them all and made them into one insanity by your passion end the end of That celestial maiden armoured youth and took him in his chariot to his land. by sixty years. would remain then with for one Manvantara." Then the brahmarsis requested Brahma to make him you 12, 3, Padma their lord. When the rsis, devas, gandharvas and (Chapter Bhlga Purana). nymphs praised him reciting samaveda the majestic Pururavas used to visit Indra daily. One day while he lustre of the youth increased. It was from this that was going through air wellarmed with a bow and ausadhas (medicines) originated and that is why arrows he saw a demon named Kes! carrying away Candra is considered to be the lord of medicines, dvija by force Urvasi and Citralekha and after defeating The is full of and Vedasvarupa. Candramandala Kes I in a fight recovered th" nymphs and gave them chemicals. It increases and decreases according to the back to Indra. Indra praised Pururavas and in his white half and black half of the moon-based month. honour a drama, Laksmlsvayarhvara, was enacted by Daksa gave in marriage to Candra twentyseven beauti- Urvasi, Menaka and others. Urvasi taking the part of ful maidens. Then Candra did penance meditating Laksmi started to dance but seeing Pururavas before for ten thousand on Visnu Kalpas. Visnu pleased by her she became lustful and made wrong steps. Narada his penance asked him to name a boon and Candra said who was present at the function got angry and cursed her ' I a in all like When perform yaga svarga the devas "You will forget all you have learnt. Not only that, Brahma should come in person to my yagasala and you will live as a creeper separated from Pururavas for the a take yagabhaga. Sulapani should remain as a period of sixty years." (For details see under Urvas'i). watchman at my RajasQya." Accordingly with the Padma Purana says that it was Bharata who cursed of blessing Visnu, Candra conducted the yaga in which Urvasi. This story is slightly different from that found Atri, Bhrgu, Brahma, Visnu, Devas, Vasus, Maruts in the other Puranas. and ViSvadevas took Candra as fees part. gave yaga- 3) Sons of Pururavas. Urvasi got eight sons of Pururavas to Rtviks all the three worlds. The was yaga complete named Ayus, Drdhayus, Vasyayus, Danayus, Vrttiman, and when Candra rose after a bath nine devls fell in up Vasu, Divijata and Suba.hu. Of these Ayus became the love with the amorous of Candra. wife beauty LaksmI, propagator of the dynasty. Of the sons born to Ayus of Visnu, Sinivali, wife of wife of Kardama, Dyuti, five sons, Nahusa, Vrddhar'arma, Raji, Dambha and wife of wife of Vibhivasu, Pus{i, Dhata, Prabha, Vipapma became celebrities. A hundred sons were Kuhu, wife ofHavisman, Klrti, wife of Siirya, Jayanta, born to Raji. They were called Rajeyas. (Chapter 12, AnVumali wife of and Dhrti wife of Nanda, Kasyapa Bhaga 3, Padma Purana). abandoned their husbands and went with Candra. Some Puranas state that Pururavas had six sons while Candra treated them all as his own wives and gave some state that he had seven sons. them erotic pleasure to their hearts' content. Those Other details. The references are who saw this non-virtuous act stood dumbfounded un- 4) following made in able to curse Candra. about him the Mahabharata. stole the wealth of Attracted by the dazzling brilliance of Candra Tara, (i) Once Pururavas some brahmins. took Sanatkumara with them wife of Brhaspati, went with him. Enraged at this, Brhas- The brahmins along and to the did pati joining with other devas prepared for a fight made representations king. Pururavas not their wealth. as against Candra. Devas took sides and by the media- give back The brahmins cursed him and tion of Indra a conference of both the parties was a result the prosperity of the King waned. Then Puru- held and Tara was sent back to Brhaspati. Tara was ravas brought down from svarga three Agnis and per- pregnant then and Tara confessed that the child in her formed a yaga and thus regained his lost splendour womb was that of Candra. So when that child was and prosperity. (Chapter 75, Adi Parva)..
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