We have begun to hear of Suta Goswami explaining to Shaunaka Muni relating to his ancestor, the Sage Bhrigu, and we left with Sage Uttanka having incited the wrath of King Janamejaya to get revenge on the Snake Takshaka. Takshaka had many years ago bitten the King and father of Janamejaya, Parikshit. This information had been kept from Janamejaya until now, and Janamejaya is now furious and ready to align with Sage Uttanka, who now also had a personal disgruntlement with the Snake Takshaka after the snake had stolen the earrings he was taking for the wife of his preceptor Veda.
1. The Demon Pauloma burned by Chyavana through his lust
Shaunaka Muni now wants to know more about his lineage, and asks, “O Suta, I ask thee why the illustrious son of Bhṛgu was named Chyavana. Do tell me all.”
The Suta replied, “Bhṛgu had a wife named Pauloma whom he dearly loved. She became big with child by Bhṛgu. And one day while the virtuous continent Pauloma was in that condition, the great sage Bhṛgu, leaving her at home went out to perform his ablutions.
It was then that the rakshasa, a demon, called Pauloma came to Bhṛgu’s abode. And entering the Sage’s abode, saw the wife of Bhṛgu, Pauloma, who was beautiful and irreproachable in everything. Seeing her he immediately became filled with lust, and lost his senses. The youthful and beautiful Pauloma, nervously entertained the Rakshasa thus arrived with roots and fruits of the forest. And the Rakshasa who burnt with desire, became very much delighted and resolved to carry her away, who was so blameless in every respect. “My design is accomplished,” said the Rakshasa Pauloma, and so seizing that beautiful matron he carried her away.
And, indeed, she of agreeable smiles, who had in her earlier years been bethroted by her father, a sage, to Pauloma the demon of the same name as her. Later, Pauloma’s father, having once promised her to Pauloma the demon, subsequently then bestowed her, according to due rites, on the great Sage Bhṛgu. This, seemed an injustice of some sort towards the demon. O thou of the Bhṛgu race, this wound rankled deep in the Rakshasa’s mind and he thought the present moment very opportune for carrying who he regarded as his long lost lady, away.
Pauloma Parva
And as the Rakshasa was in Sage Bhrigu’s hermitage, he saw a sacrificial fire that was burning brightly. The Rakshasa asked the flaming element, Agni, the god of fire, “Tell me, O Agni, whose wife this woman rightfully is. Thou art the mouth of gods; therefore thou art bound to answer my question. This lady of most superior complexion had been first accepted by me, as my wife, but her father subsequently bestowed her on the fake Sage Bhṛgu. Tell me truly, if this fair one can even be regarded as the wife of Sage Bhṛgu, for having found her alone, I have now resolved to take her away by force from here. My heart burneth with rage when I reflect that Bhṛgu hath got possession of this woman of slender waist, who was clearly first betrothed to me.”
The Suta continued explaining to Shaunaka Rishi, “In this manner the demon asked the flaming god of fire again and again whether the lady could actually be regarded as Bhṛgu’s wife.
And the god of fire, was afraid to answer. ‘Thou, O god of fire,’ said he, “residest constantly within every creature, as witness of her or his merits and demerits. O thou respected one, then answer my question truly. Has not Bhṛgu appropriated her who was chosen by me as my wife? Thou shouldst declare truly whether, therefore, she is my wife by first choice. After thy answer as to whether she is the wife of Bhṛgu, I will bear her away from this hermitage even in sight of thee. Therefore answer thou truly.”
The Seven flamed god having heard these words of the Rakshasa became exceedingly distressed, being afraid of telling a falsehood, and equally afraid of Sage Bhṛgu’s curse. And the god at length made answer in words that came out slowly.
“This lady Pauloma was, indeed, first chosen by thee, O Rakshasa, but she was not taken by thee with holy rites and invocations. But this far-famed lady was then bestowed by her father on Sage Bhṛgu as a gift from desire of blessing. She was not bestowed on thee, O Rakshasa, this lady was duly made by the Rishi Bhṛgu his wife with Vedic rites, in my presence. This is she, I know her. I dare not speak a falsehood. O thou best of the Rakshasas, falsehood is never respected in this world.”
Pauloma Parva
The Suta went on to say, “O Shaunaka, having heard these words from the god of fire, the rakshasa Pauloma, assumed the form of a boar, and seizing the lady Pauloma carried her away with the speed of the wind, even of thought.
The unborn child of Bhṛgu, lying in the lady Pauloma’s body, enraged at such violence towards his mother, dropped from his mother’s womb, for which he obtained the name of Chyavana, meaning “Falling.” And the Rakshasa Pauloma, perceiving the infant drop from the mother’s womb, shining like the Sun, quit his grasp of the woman, and immediately fell down, and was instantly reduced to ashes.
The beautiful Pauloma, distracted with grief, O Shaunaka, Brahmana of the Bhṛgu race, took up Chyavana, the son of hers and the Sage Bhṛgu, and walked away.
And Brahma, the Grandfather of all, himself saw her, the faultless wife of his son, weeping. And the Grandfather of all comforted her who was attached to her son. And the drops of tears which rolled down her eyes formed a great river. And that river began to follow the foot-steps of the wife of the great ascetic Bhṛgu. And the Grandfather of the worlds seeing that river follow the path of his son’s wife gave it a name himself, and he called it Vadhusara. And it passeth by the hermitage of Chyavana. And in this manner was born Chyavana of great ascetic power, the son of Bhṛgu.
2. Bhṛgu Curses Agni & Agni Withdraw from Sacrifices
As Bhṛgu saw his child, Chyavana and his beautiful mother together, the ascetic in a rage asked her, “By whom wast thou made known to that Rakshasa who resolved to carry thee away? O thou of most agreeable smiles, the Rakshasa could not have known thee as my wile. Therefore tell me who it was that informed the Rakshasa so, in order that I may curse him through this anger.’
Pauloma replied, ‘O possessor of the six attributes! I was identified to the Rakshasa to be your wife, by Agni, the god of fire. And he, bore me away, who cried like the Kurari, the female osprey. And it was only by the ardent splendour of this thy son Chyavana, that I was rescued, for the Rakshasa seeing this infant, let me go and himself falling to the ground was decimated into ashes.”
Suta Goswami continued, “Bhṛgu, upon hearing this account from his wife Pauloma, became exceedingly enraged, and in excess of passion, the Sage cursed the god of fire Agni, saying, ‘Thou shalt eat all things.”
Pauloma Parva
The god of fire, enraged at the curse of Bhṛgu, thus addressed the Rishi, ‘What means this rashness, O Brahmana Bhrigu, that thou hast displayed towards me? What transgression can be imputed to me who was labouring to do justice and speak the truth impartially? Being asked I gave the true answer.
A witness who when interrogated about a fact of which he hath knowledge, representeth otherwise than it is, ruineth his ancestors and descendants both to the seventh generation.
He, too, who, being fully cognisant of all the particulars of an affair, doth not disclose what he knoweth, when asked, is undoubtedly stained with guilt.
I can also curse thee, but Brahmanas, like you, are held by me in high respect.
Having, by ascetic power, multiplied myself, I am present in various forms:
In places of the daily homa
At sacrifices extending for years
In places where holy rites are performed (such as marriage, etc.), and
At other sacrifices.
With the butter that is poured upon my flame according to the injunctions prescribed in the Vedas, the Devas (gods) and the Pitris (ancestors) are appeased.
The Devas are the waters; the Pitris are also the waters. The Devas have with the Pitris an equal right to the sacrifices called Darshas and Purnamasas. The Devas therefore are the Pitris and the Pitris, the Devas. They are identical beings, worshipped together and also separately at the changes of the moon.
The Devas and the Pitris eat what is poured upon me. I am therefore called the mouth of the Devas and the Pitris. At the new moon the Pitris, and at the full moon the Devas, are fed through my mouth, eating of the clarified butter that is poured on me.
Being, as I am, their mouth, the vessel through which they, the Pitri’s and Deva’s eat, how am I to be an eater of all things, both clean and also unclean? It cannot be.
Then Agni, after reflecting for a while, withdrew himself from all places. Without their Oms and Vashats, and deprived of their sacrificial mantras during offerings, the whole body of creatures became much distressed at the loss of the sacrificial fire.
Then the Sages in great anxiety went to the gods and addressed them thus, ‘Ye immaculate beings! The three regions of the universe are confounded at the cessation of their sacrifices and ceremonies in consequence of the loss of fire! Ordain what is to be done in tins matter, so that there may be no loss of time.
3. Brahma Pacifies Agni to Continue
Then the Sages and the gods went together to the abode of Brahma, and represented to him all about the curse on Agni and the consequent interruption of all ceremonies.
Pauloma Parva
They said, ‘O thou greatly fortunate master! Agni hath been cursed by your son, Sage Bhṛgu, for some reason. Indeed, being the mouth of the gods, and also the first who eateth of what is offered in sacrifices, the eater also of the sacrificial butter, how will Agni be reduced to the condition of one who eateth of all things promiscuously?’
And the creator of the universe, Brahma, hearing these words of theirs summoned Agni to his presence. And Brahma addressed Agni, the lord of fire, in these gentle words:
‘Thou O Fire, art the creator of worlds, and thou art their destroyer! Thou preservest the three worlds, and thou art the promoter of all sacrifices and ceremonies! Therefore behave thyself so that ceremonies be not interrupted.
And, O thou art the eater of the sacrificial butter, so why dost thou act so foolishly, being, as thou art, the Lord of all? Thou alone art always pure in the universe, and thou art its stay! Thou shall not, with all thy body, be reduced to the state of one who eateth of all things promiscuously. O thou of flames, the flame that is in thy viler parts shall alone eat of all things alike.
The body of thine which eateth of flesh, being in the stomach of all carnivorous animals, shall also eat of all things promiscuously.
And as every thing touched by the sun’s rays becometh pure, so shall everything be pure that shall be burnt by thy flames. Thou art, O fire, the supreme energy born of thy own power. Then, O Lord Agni, by that power of thine make not the Sage Bhrigu’s words false. Continue thus, to receive thy own portion and that of the gods, offered at thy mouth.
Then Agni replied to the Grandsire, ‘So be it.’ And he then went away to obey the command of Brahma. The gods and the sages also returned in delight to the place whence they had come. And the Sages began to perform as before their ceremonies and sacrifices. And the gods in heavens and all creatures of the world rejoiced exceedingly. And Agni too rejoiced in that he was free from the prospect of sin.
Thus, O possessor of the six attributes, Shaunaka, had Agni been cursed in the days of yore by your great ancestor Bhṛgu. And such is the ancient history connected with the destruction of the Rakshasa Pauloma, and the birth of Chyavana.'”
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