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| Prachetas, Brahma and Marisha |
We saw the story of Maharaja Prithu and his son Vijitashva in the previous episodes. In today's episode, we will look at the story of Prachetas.
A very powerful king called Barhishat was born in Vijitashva's lineage. He also had another name, Prachinbarhi. Brahma ordered Bahirshat to marry the daughter of the King of Ocean named Shatadriti. And the king also immediately agreed to it. The devatas, Yakshas, Kinnaras, and Rishis joined the married couple to bless them. Now Brahma gave the king the responsibility of rearing the human race on the earth that was then filled with only forests.
After a few years, the king had ten sons from Shatadriti. They were collectively called "Prachetas". All these sons were experts in archery.
Time had flown by. The king, who wanted to perform marriage to his children and fulfil the responsibilities of Brahma, was shocked by his sons who had renounced worldly desires. All of them said that instead of marriage, they would go to the sea, and pray to Vishnu.
The Prachetas, thus proceeding, met Lord Shiva in the middle of the path, joined their hands, and received guidance from him. From there they went to the sea and meditated on Vishnu, reciting the mantras given by Shiva. Thus, at the end of ten thousand years of austere penance, Vishnu appeared and asked for a boon. The Prachetas asked him to help them increase the human race on earth.
Then Vishnu said, "I will grant you a son equal to Brahma. But you must agree to marry the girl I mentioned. I will now tell you a story about her background." He continued.
Once, a sage named Kandu was doing severe penance in the middle of the forest. Afraid of his penance, Indra sent Pramalocha, one of the celestial nymphs of swarg, to break his penance immediately.
Pramalocha, who came to earth, spoiled Kandu's penance with her snake-bhava dances. He found himself forgetting that he was a sage, married her, and lived with her in a hut, in a valley near mountain Mandara.
"I must go back to heaven." No matter how many times she asked, Kandu didn't want to let her go, "Stay here a little longer." He would stop her.
Thus, 967 years, 6 months and 3 days passed. The apsara Pramalocha, who created a child from the sweat of her own body, left the sage and went to heaven, placing the girl child among the trees of the forest. Having led a worldly life, the sage found that he had lost his austerity and went towards the forest to do austerities again.
Meanwhile, Chandra (Moon), the king of plants, found the child crying loudly in the forest and raised her as his own daughter. He named her "Marisha". and asked the king of trees to take care of her further.
Vishnu, who told the story of Marishala, said, "Ten of you immediately go to the forest and marry Marisha, the adopted daughter of the forest king, and your father's wish will be fulfilled by the son born to you." He vanished.
Immediately the ten Prachetas came up from the sea where they were doing penance and entered the dense forest. Then they asked for their daughter. But there was no response. More time passed now. The Prachetas, who had lost their temper, now enraged, spewed from their mouths a storm and fire, burning half the forest to ashes.
Thus, seeing the forest scorched by the raging fire, Brahma immediately appeared and said, "Trees are necessary for the survival of the earth. Stop the act of burning this forest here." Ordering that, Vriksha immediately calls the king and asks him to give his adopted daughter Marisha.
In her previous birth, Marisha, who lost her husband at a very young age, did penance for a long-lived husband and got the boon of Vishnu. "You will have ten husbands, and a son equal to a Brahman will be born." Lord Vishnu, who had given the boon, thus fulfilled his devotee's desire in this way.
Thus Marisha became the wife of ten people. Daksha took birth in her womb. As a result of the insult he had previously done to Shiva, he had to give up his old body. And, once again he became Prajapati.
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