Chyavana was the son born to sage Brighu with Puloma.
While a Baby, PulOma was very naughty and troubled her parents too
much. It became very difficult for the parents to control her
vagaries. In order to discipline her, they would take her out of the
house and pointing to a tree, they used to terrorize her saying See!
There is a Brahma Raakshasa in that tree. If you are adamant anymore,
we will simply give you away to him.
On hearing this, the child would get scared and behave herself for the
nonce. Whenever she misbehaved, the parents used this strategy to
bring her round. This was happening for a long time - even till she
attained marriageable age.
In due course, her parents gave her in marriage to Brighu Maharishi.
There was actually a BrhmaRaakshasa in that tree. Neither PulOma nor
her parents knew this but the Raakshasa knew the all. He convinced
himself that the parents of the beautiful girl had repeatedly and
voluntarily promised to offer her to him and waited for the right
moment to receive her in marriage!
When she was married to Brighu, he felt insulted and duped in what
appeared to him a denial of his lawful right. He could do nothing due
to the power of the Rishi except nursing a grievance of injured pride
waiting to be avenged and was lurking near the hermitage of the Rishi.
The Rishi could see through his designs by dint of power of his
penance and took steps to protect her from the advances of the
Raakshasa.
Whenever he had to go out, he used to entrust her to the care of his
good friend, the Fire God.
One day, when the Rishi had gone for his bath in the river, the
Raakshasa entered the hermitage and attempted to abduct her. A spat
ensued between the Raakshasa and Fire God.
The Raakshasa argued that her parents had offered her to him duly in
return for benefits received and that it was the Rishi who had wronged
him by marrying one who was his due.
He reminded the Fire God that he was aware of this fact because Fire
god was also called Jaatha Vedas meaning one who knew all that had
happened and cited him as an eye-witness for the prosecution!
This became a Dharma SankaTam for the fire God. On the one hand, what
the Raakshasa said was true. On the other, it is but natural for
parents to scare their wards through such tactics, which were just
that and no more. And, there was no wedding ceremony performed between
PulOma and the Raakshasa with Vedic rites, whereas her marriage
ceremony was duly performed and consecrated with the Rishi.
The claim of the Raakshasa was unjustified. Consequently, he gave a
ruling against the Raakshasa.
But, the Raakshasa could not wait till the delivery of judgement. He
forcefully kidnapped PulOma saying that he would marry her through
Raakshasa Vivaaham a form of marriage allowed in the Sastras for the
Raakshasas.
PulOma was then in the final stages of pregnancy. In the melee, she
fell down on one side, the Raakshasa on the other. She gave birth to a
baby boy who was resplendent like the Rishi himself. Its brilliance
was such that the Raakshasa was reduced to ashes.
Do you know who was this child? It was the famous Chyavana Maharishi
He was named so, because he literally slipped out of his mothers womb
(Chyavana means slipping out)
Brighu returned after his morning ablutions. Finding his wife in that
condition, he took her to a safe place and with raging ire, he cursed
Fire God as aforesaid for failure to protect PulOma entrusted to his
care.
In spite of his close association with fire, Sage Brighu spelled a
terrific curse on fire. The curse was simply this:
Oh! Agni! You will devour everything (Sarva BhakshakO Bhava)
The whole world came to a standstill. The celestials including Brahma
were stupefied. All Yaagas came to a dead halt because of this curse.
What was the curse, how did it come about, was it solved and if so how
Agni appealed to Brahma. Brahma could not change the curse. But, he
assuaged the celestials saying It is a blessing in disguise, since
fire has the capacity to purify by incineration even such unclean
things. After all, such purification was beneficial to all and the
offerings became purified to make them fit for transmission to the
celestials.
The Sun also does cleanse the earth with his rays and for this reason,
we do not consider him as unclean. The same applies to fire also
Thus, we see that even the great Brahma had to bow to the words of
Sage Brighu. Such was the glory of the Sage Brighu .
knr
--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God
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