Mahabharat Katha:T#1 [DONE]

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proteeti

@sambhavami

Stunner

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Posted: 11 years ago

#231

Part 3

Ruru-Pramadvara--Maharshi Sahasrapaat

Bhrigu's Son, Sage Chyavan Married Princess Sukanya And Their Son Was Sage Pramati. Pramati Married The Celestial Nymph, Ghritaachi, Who Gave Birth To Ruru.

Apsara (Celestial Nymph) Menaka Had Given Birth To A Daughter Of The King Of The Gandharvas (Celestial Singers) Vishwavasu Out of Wedlock. Menaka, Courtesy To Her Cruelty And Aloof Nature, Abandoned Her Innocence Child By A River. Sage Sthulkesh, Who Had Been Performing Penance For The Welfare Of All Beings, Saw The Child And Brought Her To His Ashram, And Named Her Pramadvara, One Who Is Above All Kinds Of Pramada Or Carelessness.

In Time, The Sweet Child Grew Up Into An Extremely Beautiful Maiden, And Ruru Fell In Love With Her At Their First Sight. On His Insistence, Sage Pramati Requested Sage Sthulkesh To Give His Daughter In Marriage To Ruru, To Which The Latter Gladly Complied.

One Day, As The Date For Marriage Was Near, Pramadvara Went To A Nearby Garden With Her Friends. By Mistake There She Tread Upon A Sleeping Snake Who Immediately Bit Her, Causing Her Death.

While Everyone Mourned Her, Ruru Went Into The Deep Forests And Sang Out An Elegy To The Winds, Which Was As Follows...

Haven't I Fulfilled All The Duties Of A Son ?
Haven't I Been Faithful To The Responsibilities My Brahmin Cast ?
Haven't I Full Faith In The Holy Trinity ?
Haven't I Been True To The Love Of My Life ?
O Lords, If I Have Done A Needful To Earn Even A Drop Of Punya
Then May My Beloved Pramadvara Be Granted A New Life.

On Hearing His Pleas, The Hearts Of The Gods Melted, And They Sent A Messenger To The Desperate Ruru, Who [Messenger] Approached Him [Ruru] With The Words, "O Ruru, The Life Of The Beautiful Maiden Has Finished, But If You Are Willing To Give Her A Half Of Your Age, Then She Can Be Granted A New Life, And Thus Is The Decision Of The Great Lords Of Heaven." Ruru Rose, Wiping His Tears, "O The Messenger Of Happiness, I Can't Express How Happy You Have Made Me, Why Only Half, I Can Even Give Up The Whole Of My Life For Pramadvara ! Yes, I Immediately Give Half of My Life ! Please, Now Make Her Alive !" The Messenger Went To Yamraaj, The God Of Death, With A Satisfied Heart. Pramadvara's Actual Father Gandharvaraaj Vishwavasu Also Accompanied Him [Messenger] And Persuaded Yamraaj To Give His Daughter A New Life. Yamraaj Said A Short "Tathaastu" (So Be It), Lost Amidst The Many Files That Were Pushed Into His Hands By Chitragupta, His Minister

Down, In The Ashram, Pramadvara Rose, Smiling, Clad In Her Wedding Attire, Looking As Fresh And Beautiful As Always. After This, Ruru And Pramadvara Were Were Married Without Anymore Trouble.

Now, That Ruru Had Got Back His Love, He Turned His Attention Towards Vengeance; Against The Snakes. He Kept A Stick With Him, And Killed Any Snake That Dares To Come In Front Of His Eyes.

One Day, He Saw An Old, Poison-less Snake, A Dundoobh, Lying In His Way. He Was Just About To Kill It When, It Spoke Up, "O Hermit, I Haven't Done Any Harm To You, I Don't Even Have Poison In My Tongue. above All, I'm So Old; Why Do You Want To Kill Me Then ?" Ruru Replied, "One Of Your Genus, Had Once Bit My Wife, So I Have Taken An Oath To Completely Destroy All Species Of Snakes." The Snake Replied, "You Are A Hermit. And You Cannot Kill A Poison-less Snake For No Fault Of His !" Ruru Was Surprised At The Powers Of The Snake, He Asked, "Who Are You In Reality ?" The Dundoobh Replied, "Sir, I Am Sahasrapaat, A Sage. I Had A Friend Called Khagam Whose Had A Power That Whatever He Told, Always Came True. One Day, Out Of Childish Mischievousness, Frightened Him With A Snake Made Up Of Grass, On Seeing Which He Lost His Consciousness. Upon Rising, He Cursed Me That As I Had Made A Poison-less Snake To Frighten Him, I Too Will Become A Poison-less Snake. When I Begged Forgiveness, He Said I'll Get Back My Form When I'll See Ruru, The Son Of Sage Pramati, Who, I Believe You Are." Saying This, The Sage Acquired His Original Form.

Sage Sahasrapaat Told Ruru, "My Child Ahimsa Or Non-violence Is The Dharma Or Duty Of A Brahmin. A Brahmin Should Be The Epitome Of Calmness, Truthfulness And Forgiveness. Punishment And Revenge Are The Dharma Of A Kshatriya, Which You Can't Adopt. In An Earlier Age, The Snakes Faced Extinction Due To The Sarpa-yagya Of King Janmejaya. But The Great Sage Aastik Saved The Terrified Creatures With His Power Of Forgiveness." Ruru Wanted To Know To The Story, But The Sage Disappeared.

Ruru Searched Him In All Possible Places, But At Last, Tired, He Gave Up And Returned Home To Listen To The Story Of Janmejaya's Sarpa-yagya As His Father Narrated.

Edited by Radhikerani - 11 years ago